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Auteuil’s two-day spring jumping festival began on Saturday with a competitive and high class seven race programme featuring the Grade 1 Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil (French Champion Hurdle).
Auteuil's two-day spring jumping festival began on Saturday with a competitive and high class seven race programme featuring the Grade 1 Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil (French Champion Hurdle).
The highlight on the day was the Grade 1 Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil, a hurdle over 3m 1½f, often referred to the French champion hurdle. On paper it looked an exciting and open fifteen runner renewal.
Two of the foreign challengers set the pace early with Feronily for Irish trainer Emmet Mullins and Goa Lil for the Zetterholm team. As they jumped the first, the pace already appeared strong, and the field spread out around twenty lengths.
Turning for home for the second and final time, it remained competitive with a thrilling finish in prospect with multiple horses appearing to be travelling well including Thelème, Hewick, Klassical Dream and Folsom Prison. However, it was Thelème who caught the eye jumping two out, travelling best and over the last hurdle, it had settled into a dual between the leading French hurdlers, Theleme and Hermès Baie who pulled clear from Klassical Dream and Hewick on the run in. It was Thelème who proved strongest and scored by two lengths from Hermes Baie who was a brave second with a further seven lengths to an Irish trio with Klassical Dream third, Hewick fourth and Feronily fifth.
The consistent six-year-old, Thelème recorded a ninth career success which was an eighth win at Auteuil.
Elsewhere on the card, jockey Felix de Giles achieved a double with victories in the first race riding Jusquicitouvabien and later on the card with Amy du Kiff.
The Grade 3 Prix Sagan Hurdle over 2m 1f was full of promising three-year-old fillies and it was Kargese who posted a second career triumph. She was an impressive debut winner at the Paris venue in March before a second in Listed company last month.