ENGLISH TEXTS
entire horses , which struggle to maintain their motivation beyond a certain age . Moreover , once they reach a certain level , their connections often prioritize their entry into the breeding shed .
To a lesser extent , these arguments also apply to females , who are very rare among those achieving long series of victories . However , we must note the six wins of Quevega in the David Nicholson Mares Hurdle at Cheltenham .
2 . HEALTH
This also implies having unyielding health , particularly in jumping races . The mere seven minutes it takes to complete the 5,500 meters of the Prix La Haye Jousselin pales in comparison to the hours of work needed to reach peak fitness and maintain it . Al Capone II had his setbacks . He missed four Grand Steeple-Chases during even years , but he never missed a La Haye Jousselin from ages 5 to 12 .
Another quite rare fact in the annals : he passed away in November 2020 , just three weeks before his favorite race , having outlived two significant figures in his life — his jockey , Jean- Yves Beaurain , who passed away in 2010 , and his trainer , Bernard Sécly , who left us in 2015 .
3 . CONCENTRATION
To last as long as he did , Al Capone II had to choose his battles wisely . Known for enjoying heavy autumn ground , he was carefully prepared for this season . Gradually , his trainer Bernard Sécly reduced the number of his outings to preserve the horse . Al Capone II raced between seven and nine times a year until he was 9 . Then , he ran five to six times during his last three seasons , including two hurdle races each campaign , whereas he had only alternated once a year with steeplechasing in his younger years .
Certainly , he sometimes had to carry 72 kilos in this discipline , but rarely against the best competitors . For his final hurdle outing , in September 2000 , he finished 5 th in the Prix d ’ Angers , eight lengths behind First Gold , who would later deny him an 8 th La Haye Jousselin victory , having been born just eight months before Al Capone II ’ s first autumn championship win .
In 2000 , at the age of 12 ( he was born in March ), Robert Fougedoire ’ s star raced only twice in the spring , without attempting the Grand Steeple , in which he had finished 2 nd the previous year . To endure , he also needed to avoid adventures outside this framework . Changing environments also means changing routines and preparations . In jumping , especially after establishing a specialty at Auteuil , changing paths inevitably challenges one ’ s balance and mastery of the exercise . If Bernard Sécly had , for example , wanted to take Al Capone II to England — an endeavor that likely wouldn ’ t have produced good results given the champion ’ s style — the harmony that produced this series of seven successes would have likely been disrupted . When Al Capone II lost a race , it was at home . He even fell three times , twice at 8 years old , and once just before his 5 th La Haye Jousselin . Each misstep , rather than leading to uncertainty , taught Al Capone II to be more cautious . He was a winner of six editions of the Grand Steeple-Chase de Dieppe in the years ...
4 . A HELPING HAND
This brings us to one of the horse ’ s main qualities : his intelligence . Bernard Sécly described him as cunning , having adapted his way of running to his physical limits , as he was , according to the trainer , “ small .“ He stood 1.62m at the withers , just 2cm taller than the height of the rail-ditch-and-fence , which he cleared about fifteen times . But he did so in his own way : he always lost several lengths at that obstacle because he had to slow down to negotiate it . Rather than jumping it like Katko before him or Ucello II alongside him — as if it were just a simple hurdle — Al Capone II had to climb it , almost literally . He seemed to decompose his leap into three distinct phases : vertical takeoff , flight , and landing . It wasn ’ t a leap ; it was more of a gymnastic exercise . Instead of gliding , he seemed to rise up to the obstacle . It was a unique spectacle during which Auteuil held its breath , because even though this method was very secure , it appeared acrobatic . Perhaps this approach was also less taxing than the extravagant leaps of his brilliant rivals , which required considerable energy , hidden by the size of the extraordinary athletes leaping over mountains with a flick of the ankle . Yet , these grand jumps leave more traces than our hero ’ s cautious climbs .
Isn ’ t it also this technique that allowed “ Pompon “ to sprint as he did , a kilometer later , between the last hurdle and the finish line , while his competitors were often exhausted ? Who knows ... Nevertheless , before he passed away near the training grounds of Chantilly , where he had evolved long after his retirement , he blew out his 32 nd candle , just a week before the La Haye Jousselin .
5 . THE GROUND
Al Capone II ’ s ability to handle sticky and heavy tracks also worked in his favor . This aptitude is a significant advantage for the autumn season , especially at a time when the Auteuil ground — effectively drained since — was
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