Françoise Chaunion
Françoise Chaunion, breeder of the champion Idao de Tillard, who soared to victory in the Prix d’Amérique (Gr.1) for the second consecutive time on the Vincennes cinder track.
A horse
IDAO DE TILLARD
A racecourse
Vincennes or Dozulé
A restaurant
Le Baligan
Cabourg
Oh Barbecue
Moult
A musician
Johnny Hallyday
A place
Yearling Sales in Caen
There’s only a short leap from horse racing to hip-hop, and Japan’s seven-time Cravache d’Or winner Christophe Lemaire has made it. In this venture, his country of the rising sun builds a bridge between Los Angeles and Seattle, with Lemaire co-producing music alongside rapper Nitty and thoroughbred owner and entrepreneur Greg Conley.
Already nicknamed the “Dr. Dre of horse racing, ”Christophe Lemaire has been listening to rap since his pony-riding days. His noble project aims to connect the racing world with youth culture and “promote horse racing to younger generations.” Nitty entrusted his protégé Young Gritty with kicking things off with the first single, “Let’s Ride.” The album, titled “The Winners Circle,” is set to release on Valentine’s Day. After basketball’s flirtation with hip-hop, could it now be the racehorses’ turn to embrace the trend?
This little chronicle might bring back some memories for Jean-Claude Rouget. Twenty-five years ago, under his training, a certain mare named Goodbye Marylou galloped across the tracks. She even shows up in the studbook of Goken through her fifth dam, Famed Princess. Admittedly, that’s a deep dive, but after all, Polnareff’s “La Poupée qui fait non,“ his very first hit, dates back to 1966—the same year “Bon Mot“ won the Arc de Triomphe.
This double equine digression shouldn’t overshadow the main point: Michel Polnareff is making a comeback on February 28th with his 11th studio album, which will accompany his farewell tour humorously titled “Ma dernière tournée” (“My Last Tour”). At 80 years old, the Admiral leans into a highly polished pop sound, lightly self-parodies, but retains his signature creative freedom.