ENGLISH TEXTS
G. Christiane says her brother was very athletic. You, who almost became a footballer, did you play much sport together?
D. S. He bought a pair of football boots in the early 1980s, but I’ m not sure he ever wore them once( laughs). He skied very well, though. I have a story about his grandfather William: we were looking for him everywhere at Freddy’ s. At 90 years old, we found him playing tennis with his grandchildren.
G. A word about his career?
D. S. He proved he became just as good a trainer as he was a jockey. At the beginning, it was a bit complicated, but gradually he became one of the very best trainers. I never heard him talk about challenges. But every time a race ended, he already wanted to win the next one.
BY LOÏC STECHER CHOCRON
MAXIME GUYON:
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“ I BEGAN MY JOURNEY WITH WERTHEIMER & FRÈRE ON SOLOW”
Together, they recorded 19 Group victories between 2015 and 2021: Maxime Guyon and Freddy Head. The top jockey reflects on the start of his career as first jockey for Wertheimer & Frère, when he crossed paths with a certain Solow. Though they belong to differ- ent generations, the rapport between the two men was immediate.“ I didn’ t have any extra-professional relationship with Freddy Head, but throughout those years, the contact was very pleasant. With Mr. Head, everything was simple,” explains Maxime Guyon.“ I began my contract as first jockey for the Wertheimer & Frère in 2015, and what better than to come across Solow. His best performances only lasted a year, but what a year! With him, we travelled. To Dubai, to England. I could feel the public’ s affection for that horse.” Already performing well at the age of four, it was at five that Solow truly showed the full extent of his class. The son of Singspiel won his last ten races, including no fewer than five consecutive Group 1 victories: the Dubai Turf at Meydan, the Prix d ' Ispahan at Longchamp, the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, as well as the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on the racecourse of the former Queen of England. But the Group 1 victories did not stop there. Still in 2015 came success in the Prix Saint-Alary aboard Queen’ s Jewel, and three years later in the Prix Maurice de Gheest on Polydream.“ As a trainer, Freddy Head liked his horses to be ridden prominently. For me as a jockey, that made the task much easier. Riding for him was extraordinary because I wasn’ t suffering the race.”
THEIR 19 GROUP WINS TOGETHER
Polydream
• Prix Maurice de Gheest Gr. 1 2018
• Prix du Calvados Gr. 2 2017
• Prix du Palais Royal Gr. 3 2018
• Prix de la Porte Maillot Gr. 3 2019)
Solow
• Queen Elizabeth II Stakes Gr. 1 2015
• Sussex Stakes Gr. 1 2015
• Queen Anne Stakes Gr. 1 2015
• Prix d’ Ispahan Gr. 1 2015
• Dubai Turf Gr. 1 2015
• Prix Daniel Wildenstein Gr. 2 2014
• Prix Quincey Gr. 3 2014)
Queen’ s Jewel
• Prix Saint-Alary Gr. 1 201
• Prix Pénélope Gr. 3 2015)
Adhamo
• Prix La Force Gr. 3 2021)
Devil
• Prix Eclipse Gr. 3 2019)
Soudania
• Prix du Prince d’ Orange Gr. 3 2019
Gold Luck
• Prix Vanteaux Gr. 3 2017
Terrakova
• Prix Cléopâtre Gr. 3 2017
Yakaba
• Prix d’ Arenberg Gr. 3 2015
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