ENGLISH TEXTS want to get involved ,” explains the new Paris FC player . “ It ’ s similar to football — there ’ s the same adrenaline .” This need for excitement and the pleasure of identification bring joy to racing professionals . A fan of Angers ’ SCO , Antoine Marion is fortunate enough to train under the colours of his idols . Baptiste Santamaria is a key figure in this story . After reeling in his former Angers partner Stéphane Bahoken , the new Niçois passed on his passion for harness racing to Martin Terrier ( Leverkusen ) and his new teammate Gaëtan Laborde . Some footballers even enjoy modest success in racing - like former Barcelona player Clément Lenglet , increasingly “ equipped ” at Francis Henri-Graffard and winner of a Listed race with his elegant grey Bois d ’ Argent at Longchamp ; former Lens player Cyril Rool , winner of the Cornulier with Malakite ; Senegalese forward Mbaye Niang , whose horse Louliana won the Marchand d ’ Or on the day of the Prix du Jockey Club ; Jérôme Rothen , winner of a leg of the GNT with Ulysse de Curgies ; and many others … The intent here is not to catalogue every sports star involved in flat racing , jumps , or harness racing - there are roughly a hundred by the estimates - but it is amusing to note that some are avid racecourse enthusiasts without having ( yet ) taken the plunge into ownership . Consider former greats like
Jean-Pierre Papin , several times ambassador of the Grand National du Trot , or former Parisians Marco Verratti and Salvatore Sirigu , who are all passionate about gallop racing . And then there are the names , Zidane , Beckham , Ronaldo … Between sports and racing , the connections extend even to the names of the horses . In harness racing , some horses are named Zidane , Zlatan ( Ibrahimovic ), Beckham , Edinson Cavani , Real de Madrid , I Love Football , or Le Real Madrik . In flat racing , another Zidane even had a brief career in Doha . The surnames of Platini , Maradona , Messi , Zico , and Socrates - other legendary number tens - have each been used several times . Those of Ronaldo and Cruyff , borrowed once , have become almost equally indispensable . If football is a powerful reservoir , it is by no means the exclusive domain of racing . The allure of the sport touches many top-level athletes . Even with a 10 % stake , F1 driver Charles Leclerc has become part of the Infinity Nine Horses venture . Alongside Tony Parker , he has enjoyed success with Afghany , trained by Fabrice Chappet . Perhaps the sport most akin to racing is cycling — a prime reservoir , not only of owners . The aces of the “ petite reine ” are more likely than others to take the plunge into a new career . Record-holder for 18 Tour de France participations , Sylvain Chavanel has become a driver ; Maxime Bonsergent is a jockey , Dany Stoehr a trainer and Yvan Madiot , the former FDJ director , an owner under the watchful eye of his brother Marc , a two-time Paris-Roubaix hero . Sometimes , the two passions converge . Welsh rugby player Jonathan Davies still cherishes the day he won the Grand Slam ( the Six Nations tournament ) when his horse Potter Corners claimed its first victory . Who could also forget that famous September 18 , 2004 , when the Stade de France was transformed into a racecourse for an evening gala : two flat races and two harness races - featuring Soumillon , Bœuf , Jarnet , Lemaire , Bonilla on one side and Bazire , Levesque , Dreux , Vercruysse on the other - with ParisLongchamp and Vincennes united in the temple of sport . After football , basketball naturally serves as another gateway to racing . And the stud farm jointly purchased by Tony Parker and Nicolas Batum has become the ultimate symbol . The former is fully committed to making racing “ popular ” ( just turn on Equidia — read his interview elsewhere ). What is less well known , however , is just how enamoured another NBA star , the Serbian Nikola Jokic , is with horses . “ I even almost quit basketball for racing when I was 13 ,” confides the “ MVP ” ( the best player of the US championship in 2021 , 2022 , and 2024 ). “ My dream is to return to
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