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French racing is in shock over a dramatic split between champion trainer Andre Fabre and leading owner the Aga Khan.
Photo by HKJC
Cited by both parties as an “operational disagreement”, the split will see the Aga Khan transfer 30 horses from Fabre to other trainers.
Fabre, France's champion trainer for the past 20 years, has been training for the Aga Khan since 2005 following the death of another major stable client Jean-Luc Lagardere.
The Aga Khan, who has more than 170 horses in training in France, bought Lagadere's racing and breeding stock with Fabre continuing to train horses he purchased.
Fabre, 62, was reluctant to comment about the split.
“It's fair to say that this has happened due to operational disagreements, but beyond that I do not wish to comment further,” he told the Racing Post.
“These things happen from time to time.”
A spokesman for the Aga Khan also used the term “operational disagreement “ to describe the split.
“The horses will be distributed between Guy Henrot, Alain de Royer-Dupre and Jean-Claude Rouget,” he said.
“We are also adding Richard Gibson and Mikel Delzangles to our team, and are in the process of reorganising our dispatches to trainers.”
Fabre's successes for the Aga Khan since 2006 have included wins in the Prix d'Ispahan and Queen Anne Stakes with Valixir, the Prix Saint-Alary with Vadawina and the Criterium International with Carlotamix .
There had been tension between the Aga Khan and Fabre over the use of champion jockey Christophe Soumillon.
Soumillon is the Aga Khan's retained rider and while Fabre engaged him for the Aga Khan's horses he preferred to give his other top stable rides to Stephane Pasquier.