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News In Brief of French Racing.
Jockey Christophe Lemaire won the G1 Japan Cup (2400m) on Sunday in Tokyo aboard the outstanding mare Almond Eye finding success in the race for the second time. This was a third victory in the feature contest for the French-born jockey who is currently on-course to win the jockey's title in Japan for the fourth time. It was Almond Eye's final start, and the Champion recorded her ninth (and record breaking on the JRA circuit) Group One victory. The win took her prizemoney tally to €15.37m making her the richest racehorse of all time.
The only international representative in the Japan Cup was French horse Way to Paris who ran tenth. He did not appear comfortable before the race in the unfamiliar surroundings and proved difficult to load into the starting gates. Dropping out to the rear of the field he made up some ground in the home straight.
Next Monday, 7 December, the Grand Prix des Nations will take place in Milan and French trained horses will be competing against a quality field. Jean-Michel Bazire will be represented with Blé du Gers and Valokaja Hindo whilst the Sebastian Guarato stable will field Billie de Montford and Tony Gio. Italian horses nominated include Vivid Wise As and the Naples Lottery winner Zacon Gio.
Christophe Soumillon has been granted a two-month license by the Hong Kong Jockey Club commencing 13 December, the day of the International meeting that will include four Group One races. Soumillon was diagnosed with COVID-19 on the eve of the Breeders Cup Meeting at the start of November and has subsequently recovered and passed five covid tests. He has been in Dubai and has now travelled to Hong Kong to meet quarantine requirements. The jockey is no stranger to Hong Kong where he has won the G1 Hong Kong Mile twice and a Hong Kong Derby. He was also awarded the title of most popular jockey in 2005/06 in Hong Kong.
As part of the Hong Kong International Meeting, the International Jockeys' Championship will take place at Happy Valley on Wednesday 9 December ahead of the International Meeting at Sha Tin the following Sunday. Three French jockeys will be taking part in the challenge – Alexis Badel (currently based in Hong Kong and will be representing Hong Kong) along with Pierre-Charles Boudot and Mickael Barzalona.
Two French trained horses – Skalleti and Royal Julius have been selected to compete in the Hong Kong international races at Sha Tin on 13 December. Both horses are trained by Jérôme Reynier. Skelleti is entered in the G1 Hong Kong Cup whilst Royal Julius is being targeted to the G1 Hong Kong Vase, a race traditionally dominated by international horses, most notably from France. Both horses are scheduled to arrive in Hong Kong next Sunday 6 December.
2020 saw thirty-seven first-season sires in France (thirty-six in 2019). For the 2021 season, there has been twenty-eight new stallions announced (to date) including eight Group One winners - Persian King, Weltstar, Latrobe, Wooded, Golden Horde and Hello Youmzain along with jumping stallions For Fun and Moises Has (Martaline).
There are potential changes for apprentice and lady rider allowances. At the request of the Association of Jockeys and the Association of Gallop Trainers, the Flat Council has been asked to consider a weight reduction granted to lady riders, notably apprentices. Recommended changes (which will be incorporated into the 2021 General Conditions) will be the capping of the weight allowance for female apprentices to -3.5 kg when riding for their trainer. In addition, it was also confirmed that an apprentice – both male and female – will benefit with an additional 1kg allowance on their indentured trainers' horses.
Shalaa's 2021 fee at Haras de Bouquetot has been set at €15,000. He recorded his twentieth winner when Shershab won at Marseille-Vivaux (1500m). Shalaa is also a shuttle-stallion to Australia standing in that country at Arrowfield Stud.
UK trainer Roger Varian won his fourth individual French stakes race of the year when three-year-old Stylistique won the Prix Petite Etoile (1900m) at Deauville (AW) last Tuesday (24 November).
Haras de Saint Arnoult based sire Stormy River recorded his fourteenth Stakes winner when three-year-old Sky Power won the Prix Lyphard (Listed, 1900m) at Deauville (AW) last Wednesday (25 November). The win qualified him to compete at the UK All-Weather Championship Meeting at Lingfield Park in the Easter Classic (2000m) on 2 April 2021. Stormy River stood for a fee of €2,200 in 2020.
Arqana's online sale held last Tuesday week (24 November) saw stud-farm Haras du Mont-dit-Mont secure a breeding right in Europe's champion first-season sire Mehmas for €195,000. He set a record this season for individual winners (across Europe) and this included the G1 Middle Park Stakes (1200m) winner at Newmarket (UK), Supremacy. There were other stallion shares on offer at the Auction. Darley's Golden Horn (Cape Cross) €42,000 was sold to Select Bloodstock. Havana Grey €19,000 and Due Diligence €6,000 went to Haras du Mont-dit-Mont and Blandford Bloodstock respectively. Interestingly, a 1/50th share in Almanzor reached €240,000 but did not sell.
Le Havre recorded his forty-second individual Stakes winner last Thursday when Orglandes won at Del Mar (USA). Trained by Chad Brown, she was having her eighth race-start and first since being sold following two successive wins at Clairefontaine (in July) and Deauville (in August).
Harry d'Ourville set a new three-year-old record at Mauquenchy on Friday over the 2850m course recording 1'15"1. Well placed, he is the winner of two of his four race starts to date and only made his debut in September. A visit to Vincennes is not likely until January.
Trainer Andréa Marcialis has received a licence suspension from 11 December of six-months by France-Galop following an investigation into training of horses located at trainer Jean-Claude Napoli. In addition, Napoli will lose his licence. Marcialis will not be permitted to race any horses in his name. He has appealed the suspension.
British based jockey Oisin Murphy has received a three-month suspension from riding by France-Galop concluding the inquiry into the jockey testing positive to the presence of metabolites of cocaine at the Chantilly meeting on July 19. Murphy pleaded third-party contamination as to the reason the presence of the substance.
On Saturday evening at Marseille-Vivaux, Doruck put in record-equalling performance when recording 1'14"3 for the 2650m which is jointly held by Quel Instant and Slow de Beauvoison.
