ENGLISH VERSION recognition by proving they possessed enough class to compete with— and even defeat— pure thoroughbreds. The first to achieve this was Rivoli, who notably won the Grande Course de Haies d’ Auteuil( Gr. 1) under jockey Gérard Philippeau, as well as the Grand Prix d’ Automne( Gr. 1) and the Prix Maurice Gillois( Gr. 1), before finishing second in the Grand Steeplechase de Paris( Gr. 1). According to Nicolas de Lageneste, this pioneer faced heavy criticism at the time:“ People called him the‘ mongrel,’ the‘ air drinker’… A horse carrying French saddle-horse blood dominating thoroughbreds was not well regarded by the Parisian racing establishment! In those days, AQPS horses mainly ran in cross-country races, and they were rarely seen at Auteuil. Most of them were big carriage-type horses with no speed. Rivoli was a small horse, built more like Al Capone II, and he was the first AQPS to show genuine Flat-racing class.” Winner of 22 races, including 12 over jumps, Rivoli was unbeaten at three in eight flat starts under the colours of Haras de Saint- Voir. He possessed so much speed that he managed to beat thoroughbreds over short distances:“ He won over 1,400 and 1,600 metres against thoroughbreds at Vichy, performances that would be unimaginable nowadays! Rivoli was even entered in the Prix du Conseil Municipal( which later became the Prix du
Conseil de Paris), the only major flat race open to AQPS horses at the time, although he did not run. He won the Prix de l’ Avenir at Nantes at the end of his three-year-old season before being sold to the leading NH owner of the era, Noël Biron, following my grandfather’ s death.” Rivoli left Albert Turnbull’ s yard in Moulins to join Georges Pelat’ s stable in Maisons-Laffitte. He began his four-year-old season with two further victories, first over the steeplechase course at Enghien and then on the flat at Compiègne. He lost his unbeaten record at Auteuil on his eleventh attempt, but subsequently won a conditions race on the Butte Mortemart before triumphing in the Prix Maurice Gillois( Gr. 1). Crowned the best steeplechaser of his generation at four, Rivoli successfully alternated between steeplechasing and hurdling at the highest level. At five, he won the Grand Prix d’ Automne( Gr. 1) carrying the heavy weight of 73 kilos, before capturing the Grande Course de Haies d’ Auteuil( Gr. 1) the following year, in 1967. In 1968, he claimed the Prix Murat( Gr. 2) before finishing second in the Grand Steeplechase de Paris( Gr. 1) behind Huron, the two-time winner of the legendary contest:“ Rivoli came back lame because of tendonitis. Otherwise, he would have won the Grand Steeple …” Bred from the cross of Burgos and Idée Noire, by Rigoletto II, Rivoli was a great-grandson of Radio
Paris, the foundation mare of Haras de Saint-Voir. Through numerous branches, this broodmare became the source of a long line of top-level winners, including Mélinoir, himself winner of the Grande Course de Haies d’ Auteuil( Gr. 1) in 1983. Among them were Necker II, Djeddah, Louping d’ Ainay, Sous les Cieux, Quel Esprit, Tout Rouge … and above all the champion First Gold, winner of the Grand Steeplechase de Paris( Gr. 1), the Prix La Haye Jousselin( Gr. 1), and the Punchestown Gold Cup( Gr. 1). More recently, Kiss Kiss once again highlighted the family’ s strength by triumphing during the latest Pau meeting. Today, numerous descendants of Radio Paris continue the line at Saint-Voir, including D’ Entrée de Jeu, Patte de Velour, Onde de Choc, Liberté d’ Esprit, and Il N’ y A Pas Photo … In conclusion, the famous Lageneste bloodline is clearly far from dying out!
PSAR
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GUILLAUME GUEDJ-GAY REACHES NEW HEIGHTS
BY PAUL CASABIANCA
Winner of his third Group 1 race in France, thanks to Lacaro du Croate, who became only the third
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