2023-11-11 19:55:54
The enthusiasm it arouses was perceptible from the morning. “You’re lucky to have accreditation! Enjoy the show. Thélème is the big favorite. It’s not going to be worth much! », confides Julien, manager of a printing house in Boulogne (Hauts-de-Seine) and horse racing enthusiast.
Among the four Group Is planned for the Auteuil racecourse for the 48 hours of the obstacle course, it is true that the Grand Prix d’Automne is not the one which harbored the most uncertainties. The course of the flagship event also respected logic: number 2, ridden by Gaëtan Masure and trained by Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé, won the Serge Landon Prize for the second time in a row.
The public applauded, but the racers going against the tide also almost believed it. We had to wait until the last hurdle was jumped for Thélème’s victory to take shape. “The mistake he made at the start of the race on the hurdle was the best thing that could have happened to him. He’s an intelligent horse, he knew how to adapt afterwards. He was above the others in terms of prestige,” rejoices Bertrand Le Métayer, manager of JDG Bloodstock services, the team that owns the crack.
Direction England
To measure the gap that separates the best hurdler on the circuit from the competition, the figures speak for themselves: 11 victories in 19 races, five Group Is and, above all, an ability to run on the flat. “It’s a accomplished piece of work. In my career, I have had very good horses. But Théleme is above. After the last hurdle, we have the horse to explode everything,” analyzes Gaëtan Masure. France has become too narrow for owner James Douglas Gordon’s gem. Within the stable, the next meeting is already marked. “The Cheltenham Festival is his goal,” concludes the manager. He will aim for the Stayer’s Hurdle (next March 14). »
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