ENGLISH TEXTS to “ bust ” his mount to keep his position . The horse was making his dirt debut and it was a big unknown . However , while in Hong Kong or any civilised country , jockeys try to stay as close as possible to the rail and preferably with cover , here we had some happy-go-lucky riders , happy to travel four wide in the breeze in front of Romantic Warrior . According to his post-race comments , James McDonald was worried about the kickback his champion was receiving and so decided , 800 meters from the finish , i . e . on the final bend , to come out and go around the wall of suicide bombers and try to go solo to the post . Romantic Warrior did indeed pass these rivals in a few strides , and he then maintained his effort to take several lengths out of the field , including Forever Young . Urged on by his jockey , the Japanese horse initially seemed unable to respond . Then he began his final effort . At the 400-meter mark , the cause seemed to have been heard for Romantic Warrior , but little by little , Forever Young was gaining ground . At the 200-meter mark , it seemed obvious that he was going to catch the leader , and he finally beat him by a neck after an astonishing comeback . According to James Mc- Donald , the decision he made was informed and conscious . “( One ) has to watch the whole weekend ’ s racing of how the track was playing there and where the winners were coming from . It was a bit like a dust bowl , so to speak , a lot of stuff flying everywhere . I thought I wasn ’ t in the right place to be , so I got him into clear air and let him fly through the gears ,” he replied when criticised for his ride on his return to Australia . He also said that the horse had not slowed down at the finish , which is true for the last 400 meters , even if the previous 400 meters had been much faster . Perhaps also in such a configuration , Romantic Warrior , a son of the sprinter Acclamation and a winner over 1,400 meters , doesn ’ t stay much further than a mile . However , many say that it was Forever Young ’ s enormous class that allowed him to go and get his rival , both ultimately leaving the rest of the field more than ten lengths behind . Romantic Warrior will therefore return to turf and 1,800 meters for his next outing , in Dubai . Forever Young , meanwhile , continues his momentum : after winning the Saudi and UAE Derbies last year , he will try to win the Dubai World Cup , to become the first horse to win the two richest races on the planet . The “ man in the hat ” is not done travelling !
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BREEDING
By Emmanuel Roussel
THE SAINT-VOIR CYCLE
Leading jumps breeder in France for the 12 th time in 2024 , and regularly in the top 3 owners , Haras de Saint-Voir is a business model created and driven by a multi-talented man , Nicolas de Lageneste .
Nicolas de Lageneste ’ s Haras de Saint-Voir finished as the leading jumps breeder in France last year for the thwelfth time . This breeding operation has not been off the podium in this category since 2008 , a year before its first title . As for owners , the red and white silks finished in first place for the first time in 2023 and have been cited in the top three continuously since 2018 . It is therefore one of the very best breeding farms in the country , both young and old . Old because the Lageneste family has been breeding there for three generations , and because through his manners and attitude , his discretion , a respect for beauty and work that are no longer so fashionable , Nicolas de Lageneste evokes a form of French equestrian tradition . So much for the culture , let ’ s move on to agriculture . Saint-Voir is at the forefront because the world of jump
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