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“ When you start , it ’ s like riding a moped : your eyes water . Later , the more you progress , the better equipped and comfortable you are — you know how to steer .”
Yannick Fouin
“ Winning a classic race , even for an organization as significant as S . A . Aga Khan ’ s , is always challenging .”
The royal blue and green diamond silks of the Papot Family have regained the top spot in the French jumps owners ’ championship this year . They are more than a million euros ahead of Haras de Saint-Voir , which dethroned them in 2023 after a twelve-year reign at the top . These days , it ’ s rare to see a major Auteuil meeting without Xavier Papot , the family racing manager , appearing on Equidia , the French Racing TV . Sometimes anxious , sometimes euphoric , but always modest , the fifty-and-change-year-old believes it ’ s his duty to speak on air . He undertakes this exercise for the good of the sport , which has become , almost by chance , the glue that binds this family of entrepreneurs from western France . He does it for the punters , another pillar of racing , who are also its main financiers . And finally , he does it to share the long experience of the Papot silks with those who , one day , will try to follow in his family ’ s footsteps . Fourteen titles in sixteen years is no mean feat , especially after spending a quarter of a century trying in vain to climb the ladder . In the beginning , nothing had prepared Patrick and Nicole Papot , and later their children , for such an adventure . Family legend has it that Patrick Papot , during a visit to the village butcher , promised the latter a helping hand when his son became a trainer . The son in question was Yannick Fertillet , and when Mr . Papot forgot his promise , his wife Nicole reminded him . Hence de “ Mrs Papot ” in the owners ’ section of the racecard .
� PAGE 10Georges Rimaud
“ Visitors will , for example , be able to interact with an avatar of Golden Sixty !”
BACK TO THE ARTICLE �WINFRIED ENGELBRECHT-BRESGES
“ Before HISA , it was difficult to know if the performance of American horses was achieved under acceptable conditions . This is a major step forward , and we welcome it .”
WINFRIED ENGELBRECHT-BRESGES
� PAGE 12“ In Australia , you end up being like the CEO of the training business ! That ’ s not what I wanted .”
MARK NEWHAM ,
“ I believe we need to demystify and democratize the world of racing . We are not disconnected from other spheres .”
Jean Brouqueyre
BACK TO THE ARTICLE �“ I love horses more than racing , no matter the discipline .”
Barbara Guenêt
“ I love the animal , the thrill of victory , but human relationships are truly what I value most .”
� PAGE 14Fabien Rycroft
OWNER
“ My goal is to win a Group 1 in all three disciplines as a trainer .”
Louis Baudron
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It was in 1985 that Yannick Fertillet then entrusted them with Princesse Étoilée , a 4-year-old AQPS mare who would go on to win three steeplechases in a row that summer at Loudéac , Pornichet and Questembert , then twice more the following autumn . The following year , she even won the second division of a handicap hurdle at Auteuil . Easy ! Not so fast ... For the next twenty years , the Papots would fumble around trying to rationalise this activity , which , over time , would occupy the few moments of free time that these serial entrepreneurs would allow themselves . But it wasn ’ t going smoothly . It wasn ’ t until the early 2000s , when Patrick Papot decided to organise and take his retirement , that things changed . Why ? Because the young retiree needed a substitute activity for the one that had kept him so busy until then .
Sharing his experience The rest is well documented , but the Papot family , rather than resting on their laurels , did not let their guard down . The recruitment channel that had enabled their success began to deteriorate under pressure from the English and Irish markets , whose offers exceeded those that had prevailed until then for the acquisition of well-bred and well-conformed foals . This was the beginning of a second revolution for the Papots : to launch themselves into breeding , again professionally . The first 3-year-olds from this restructuring were born in 2014 , and they appeared in the racecards three years later . There were four of them then , and 33 in 2023 , when they collectively reached one million euros in earnings , for a total of 2.24 million in prize money and premiums for the silks that season . Interviewed in May 2022 by a journalist from Ouest-France , just before Sel Jem won the third Grand Steeple-Chase for the family , Xavier Papot said he was ready to share his experience to boost the recruitment and especially the training of new owners . According to him , and undoubtedly rightly so , good training is essential to face a world of breeding and training fraught with pitfalls . A learning curve is characterized by a first plateau during which everything seems difficult , then comes the ascent , sometimes dizzying , and finally the plateau characterizing mastery . Other owners , perhaps luckier from the start , have felt that they reached the top of this curve very easily , but these sometimes tire a little quickly , perhaps jaded , perhaps lost . The Papot silks , probably a little in spite of themselves , had to respect all the necessary decompression stops to get their heads above water , but they have retained all the lessons of their adventure , and their success now stands as a model
An exceptional genetic lineage entrusted to the best trainers in the country . Suddenly , the family stable became the Papot Father & Son business . In a word , the stable began to think and operate professionally . Advised by Benoît Gabeur , a particularly astute and effective veterinarian and breeder ( he notably , and to be brief , bred three winners of the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris , including two for the Papots ), they began to invest in foals at the breeding stage . At that time , British demand was not so strong , and it was possible to acquire many foals without breaking the bank , even when they were by good stallions , because stud fees were also controlled : foals were not expensive to produce , and a quick return on investment for breeders was all the more appreciated as , certain to see their progeny race in France under the Papot banner ( who almost never sell ), they could count on breeders ’ premiums in case of success ! At the same time , the Papot family could thus access exceptional genetics , which they then entrusted to the best trainers in the country . Very quickly , the formula produced exceptional results . 122
ndin the 2003 standings with five runners , the silks entered the top 20 five years later , just after Kami des Obeaux ’ s victory in the Grand Cross de Craon , trained by Guillaume Macaire . 22
ndin 2006 , 11
ththe following year , they finished 6
thin 2008 before winning their first title in 2009 , the year of their first Group 1 , the Prix Ferdinand Dufaure 4yo Chase ( Gr . 1 ) won by Rubi Ball .
BACK TO THE ARTICLE � � PAGE 16HORSE
The horse that has taken the world by storm in recent months is Romantic Warrior . By winning a third consecutive
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Longines Hong Kong Cup ( Gr . 1 ) on Sunday , December 8
in front of 70,000 spectators at Sha Tin , Danny Shum ’ s charge became the richest horse of all time with HK $ 177,322,706 in his bank account , the equivalent of € 21.7 million . He thus surpassed his compatriot Golden Sixty , recently retired with HK $ 167.2 million . And Romantic Warrior is about to turn 7 , while his predecessor left the scene this year at the age of 8 . This may be just the beginning ! Indeed , the horse is the stuff of dreams . His now regular pilot , the New Zealander James McDonald , crowned “ world ’ s best jockey “ in the Longines rankings this year for the second time , calls him perfect , a perfectly tuned car that , like a Formula 1 speedster superior to the others , gives its driver and team room for manoeuvre . Romantic Warrior ’ s entourage has done nothing to spare that margin . Absolutely nothing encouraged his owner Peter Lau Pak Fai or his trainer Danny Shum to step out of their comfort zone . They could have been content to dominate the lucrative Hong Kong circuit , from 1,600 to 2,000 metres , as Golden Sixty had done in previous years . However , while Golden Sixty , who blossomed during Covid , was genuinely constrained to stay at home by circumstances , it is adventurers who are now organising Romantic Warrior ’ s programme . Danny Shum served his apprenticeship with Ivan Allan , a trainer straight out of an Ian Fleming novel , or a “ Pirates of the Caribbean “ casting call . The Wikipedia page devoted to him raises more questions than it answers . There is no mention of his career as a trainer and horseman , for that matter , and yet ... This globetrotter , born in Malaysia in January 1941 , less than a year before the Japanese invasion , became champion trainer in Singapore , then in Hong Kong , which he joined in 1992 . Also an owner in Europe , his colours won the St Leger in 1984 with Comanche Run , and the champion Godolphin stayer Classic Cliché belonged to him at the beginning of his career . He owned a nine-bedroom house in Newmarket , where his former mistress lived after they parted . It was with Ivan Allan that Danny Shum discovered England , when his boss sent him to Ascot to accompany his runners Indigenous ( 1999 ) and Firebolt ( 2003 ). Neither won , but the idea of returning on his own took root in Danny Shum ’ s mind , and he would go on to win the King ’ s Stand Stakes ( Gr . 1 ) in 2010 with Little Bridge . Fairy King Prawn , Hong Kong ’ s champion miler trained by Ivan Allan , also went on to win the Yasuda Kinen in Japan , and this is the second major international race that Romantic Warrior has won , last June , ahead of the best Japanese horses .
Purchased as a yearling in Ireland , resold in Hong Kong Previously , in October 2023 , Romantic Warrior , a colt born in Ireland and bought as a yearling for £ 300,000 at Newmarket by former champion jockey Mick Kinane , had won the Cox Plate ( Gr . 1 ), one of the three main races of the Melbourne Cup Carnival , on a left-handed track ( while they only race right-handed in Hong Kong ) whose very short home straight is not unlike that of Happy Valley , where he won his first two races , in the autumn of 2021 , at odds of 3.70 and then 1.40 . Purchased for around € 500,000 by his current owner at the Hong Kong International Sale , which offers for resale the yearlings that the Jockey Club has bought from all over the world , Romantic Warrior had already fulfilled his contract by winning the most important race in the eyes of Hong Kong owners , the Hong Kong Derby , in April . The 4-year-old ended this first season of eight starts with a seventh victory , also a 1
th stone in the FWD QE2 Cup ( Gr . 1 ), without any foreign competition . Romantic Warrior ’ s second campaign was initially limited to six starts , including two Group 1 victories , in the FWD QE2 Cup and then the Longines Hong Kong Cup for the first time .
An insatiable entourage But the following summer was devoted to his first expedition to Australia , with a 4
thplace at Flemington and then that victorious Cox Plate , at Moonee Valley , by a nose . Romantic Warrior followed up with another double in the Hong Kong Cups before winning over the mile in the Yasuda Kinen , last June . 24 years earlier , Danny Shum had accompanied Fairy King Prawn when he won the same Japanese championship , a first for Chinese racing . Was the follower trying to follow in the footsteps of his master ? With a third success in the Longines Hong Kong Cup , Romantic Warrior has just reached a new world peak . Peter Lau and Danny Shum are not satisfied yet , however . The horse has been vaccinated to begin the sanitary protocol that should allow him to hit the road again this winter . Last Wednesday , he left for Dubai where , if all goes well , he should start in a Maktoum Challenge race , followed by the Longines Jebel Hatta ( Gr . 1 ) on January 24
th. Then , it will be the Saudi Cup , the richest race in the world , on the dirt at Riyadh , in February , and finally an attempt in the Dubai World Cup ( Gr . 1 ) on April 5
th, again on dirt , but at Meydan , unless he returns to turf for the Dubai Turf ( Gr . 1 ) on the same evening .
128ENGLISH TEXTS
He would therefore not be able to win a fourth FWD QE2 Cup ( Gr . 1 ) at Sha Tin , staged too close to this last event . If he fulfils his contract in Arabia , who will care ? Romantic Warrior will no longer belong to Hong Kong , but to the whole world .
A Group 1 Winner and Top Price Within Weeks Just two weeks after this incredible Group 1 triumph , the Haras du Mont-dit-Mont made headlines again by achieving the co-top price at the Arqana October Sale . Bred at the heart of Didier Reed ’ s operation , which he purchased in 2009 with Neil Helliwell , the standout this time was a striking chestnut colt by Night of Thunder out of Paramount , a Group 3-placed mare . The final bid of € 500,000 was placed by the talented Deauville trainer Yann Barberot , who has been familiar with the haras ’ families for years , having trained several of their horses .
Among the eight lots presented at the Arqana August Sale 2023 was a bay filly who caught the eye of Paul Nataf for € 50,000 when she stepped into the Deauville ring . Nataf , an art school graduate , transitioned into horse transportation before becoming a bloodstock agent over forty years ago . His background has left him with a keen appreciation for aesthetics and observation , qualities he credits as the cornerstone of his outstanding career . Over the years , he has acquired legendary horses such as Triptych in the 1980s , the iconic Sistercharlie , and more recently , Sweet Lady . The filly , named Vertical Blue , is by Mehmas and comes from the family of Spinacre , a Listed winner and Group 3-placed horse from the Lagardère “ V “ line . Bred at Haras du Mont-dit-Mont , Vertical Blue joined the training yard of Francis- Henri Graffard . She debuted with a second-place finish on June 4 , 2024 , at two years old , representing the partnerships of Gemini Stud and Argella Racing owned by Francis and Benjamin Teboul . Three months later , she placed second in the Listed Critérium de Lyon before stunning as an outsider with an impressive victory in the Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac – Critérium des Pouliches at ParisLongchamp during the Qatar Prix de l ’ Arc de Triomphe weekend . A promising prospect for the Classics at three , she captivated attention in December at Tattersalls , where she was sold for 3.2 million Guineas . Her new owner is American and a client of Francis-Henri Graffard , under whom the filly will remain in training .
A Fieldside Encounter Before the next chapter unfolds , we meet Jenny Sassier in the pastures of Haras du Mont-dit-Mont . At the helm for over three years , Jenny emphasizes the importance of observation in her role as a globe-trotting professional . She reflects on the events of October , discusses the haras ’ new commercial strategy , and shares her insights and vision as a business leader .
BREEDING
TRAINER
A trainer ’ s talent is a curious thing .
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It can lie dormant for years , hidden from view , much like a plant biding its time beneath a thick layer of humus , waiting for the right conditions to unleash its unstoppable journey towards the sun . The François Nicolle seed took its time to germinate , perhaps starved of the necessary light . In the shadow of the mighty Macaire and Chaillé trees , his neighbours near Royan in Charentes , it patiently awaited its moment , surviving on the few rays of sunlight that pierced the canopy and the occasional drop of water trickling down from the branches above . There was no bitterness , no resentment ; he simply accepted things as they were .
Chase ( Gr . 2 ) on the closing day .
Santa Bamba , from Nemesis to Benefactor Of course , François Nicolle doesn ’ t do it alone . His wife Fabienne , his assistant Michel Houdouin , and more recently Artus de Boisbrunet , ensure that the ship stays on course , even in stormy seas . There are also the human connections , as highlighted in our second issue by Jacques Détré , one of the owners who has contributed most to the stable ’ s success . The grey and garnet striped silks were once François Nicolle ’ s nemesis , when his Queen des Places was beaten by Détré ’ s Santa Bamba in the Prix Duc d ’ Anjou , and then when Oculi defeated her in the Prix Ferdinand Dufaure ( Gr . 1 ). Years later , Santa Bamba would produce De Bon Cœur , one of François Nicolle ’ s finest achievements . The mare who had once blocked his path to a Group 1 victory would ultimately gift him three !
The craftsman was ready . What saves a trainer , of course , is the horses . But it ’ s also their resilience , honed during those challenging early years spent in the shadows of giants , where competition is fierce and every victory is a precious breath of fresh air rather than a new cup sitting on a shelf . François Nicolle , based at his Saint- Augustin yard near the Royan training centre , took time to blossom , but his progress has been steady and more gradual than one might imagine . The accompanying graphs bear witness to this . Exceptional horses , arriving at his yard , undoubtedly accelerated his rise . But the foundation was already there : skilled at shaping salvaged materials , those unassuming , fragile stones , the craftsman was ready when the first blocks of marble were placed on his workbench . Symphonique , Queen des Places , Quart Monde , and then increasingly exceptional horses like Farlow des Mottes , Un Temps pour Tout , Alex de Larredya , Bipolaire , De Bon Cœur , L ’ Autonomie , Figuero , Polirico – all contributing to the rising of a stable now boasting over two hundred horses running per year . Those who entrusted him with these gems were breeders like the Cyprès family , who bred Jolie Môme and Oranie Jolie , his best horses in 2001 , and many others who recognized in this unassuming trainer from the Charentes region the eye and the ear for a champion .
BACK TO THE ARTICLE �The milestone of a thousand runners in 2021 Then , one day , the stars aligned differently . With the sun shining and the rains falling , the plant began to grow , reaching ever higher . Between 2011 and 2015 , the stable climbed from 16
� PAGE 24JOCKEY
to 3
in the French jumps trainers ’ championship . In 2018 , they reached the summit , a position they held until last year . In 2021 , they surpassed 1,000 runners and approached € 10 million in earnings . But then , a virus struck , impacting the stable ’ s performance over the past two years . In 2023 , for the first time since 2011 , François Nicolle ’ s win percentage dipped below 20 %. The stable endured , and 2024 marks a resurgence , emphatically displayed at the recent Auteuil meetings . After Sain d ’ Esprit ’ s triumph in the Prix Cambacérès 3yo Hurdle ( Gr . 1 ), another rising star , Kingland , captured the Prix Renaud du Vivier 4yo Hurdle ( Gr . 1 ). Hermés Baie and Diamond Carl added to the tally with victories in the Prix Léon Olry-Roederer Hurdle ( Gr . 2 ) and the Prix Georges Courtois
Mickaël Barzalona didn ’ t win the “ Cravache d ’ Or ”, the French riders ’ title , in 2024 . He tried his best until the very end , but Maxime Guyon didn ’ t falter and kept his advantage to the finish line . Yet , it was Barzalona who made the headlines at the end of the season . Firstly , by adding spice to a trophy that , without this head-to-head battle ,