ENGLISH TEXTS the beginning.
G. Al Ghadeer is the kind of horse that defines a trainer’ s career. How do you feel about what comes next and his upcoming departure from your stables?
F. R. He truly is the horse of a lifetime for any trainer, whether of Purebred Arabains or thoroughbreds. It’ s rare, in fact, to keep a horse in training for this long. He’ s run fourteen races, won thirteen in a row, and has been unbeaten since joining us. And I hope it stays that way! There will clearly be a“ before” and an“ after.” It’ s going to be hard for everyone, for me and for my team. We’ ll have to find new motivation, discover new talented horses. Fortunately, we’ ve got some promising three-year-olds in the boxes. But it’ s certainly a shock for all of us. We’ ve been through similar moments before, those transitions when good horses leave and move on to new horizons. We’ ll find the strength to move forward.
G. How do you explain such performances from Al Ghadeer? Are genetics, diet, or training key factors?
F. R. I don’ t really have an explanation. Sometimes you just have to accept that a horse is simply above the rest. You could compare him to Al Capone II, who won the Gr. 1 Prix Haye Jousselin seven times. Thankfully, we have horses like these, they do wonders for racing. Sometimes, it’ s better not to overanalyze and just appreciate. Al Ghadeer has done a great deal for the popularity of Purebred Arabian horse racing, winning across many racetracks, at various distances, and in different countries.
G. Al Ghadeer only runs three times a year. Does that require a special kind of management?
F. R. Yes, we have no choice. As he gets older, it becomes harder to bring him to peak condition. He’ s more relaxed now, but he knows how to manage himself. Three weeks before ParisLongchamp, I was a bit worried, but he pulled himself together on his own and was in perfect form a week before the race.
G. How did he come out of that latest victory?
F. R. Al Ghadeer is doing great. He looks magnificent. He’ s unwound nicely, and he’ s recovered better than we have!( laughs)
NH
BACK TO ARTICLE
48HOUR D’ OBSTACLE
BY JACOB PRITCHARD-WEBB
As I sit to write this sat in the comfort of my warm office, I feel lucky to reflect back on the terrific racing that was held at Auteuil on the 18 th of October. Not only that but as a UK resident I can look forward to the return of Cheltenham coming up this weekend. This is all irrelevant when this article comes out as we will be in November and as a French national hunt fan, I will be looking dead ahead to the big weekend that is the 48hour d’ obstacle held at Auteuil. This Autumn highlight really is the equivalent to champion days but with a winter twist with the heavy ground and autumnal scenes as you look out across the Parisian racetrack in the shadow of the Eiffel tower.
The days racing began with the Prix Isopani, a race for threeyear-old AQPS horses that have never raced over hurdles. Most recently the winner of this race last year was Lulamba who went on to finish 2 nd in the Cheltenham festival and win a grade 1 at the prestigious Punchestown festival so there was anticipation and a paddock packed full of bloodstock agents watching on intently. It was a race that paid to be near the pace and close to the front end as the horse who was 2 nd raced in that position throughout and was just passed late on by the winner Mon Marcel. This son of Headman delivered the stallion with his first ever winner over jumps and what a race to break your duck in, at Auteuil and by a cozy length. The Gabriel Leenders horse jumped and traveled well throughout, and the trainer knows the family well as he trained both the older relatives, it will be interesting to see whether his horse will cross over the channel and Irish sea or will he stay on French shores to continue his racing career. The 2 nd deserves a mention to as well, Mister doc, the striking grey son of Goliath du berlais lost nothing in defeat and will be an exciting type for Mickel Seror if he too stays on French soil. The second race saw the start of the graded races, with the Prix Pierre de Lassus grade three contest for four-year-olds over hurdles. Even though there were only five runners it was packed full of quality with the champion
179 # 14