ENGLISH TEXTS would not have been as exciting . It all came down to the wire , with Maxime Guyon finally prevailing by three wins , but both jockeys animated the race to the very end . Then , it was in this context that “ Barza “ announced his departure from the Godolphin stable to join that of the Aga Khan in 2025 . At first glance , his choice may have seemed surprising : with Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum ’ s almighty venture , under the main training of André Fabre , he was assured of riding a large number of winners each season . However , the difference is not so clear-cut . In 2024 in France , Godolphin and its 63 wins are only six wins ahead of the Aga Khan ’ s stable , and the difference in prize money is € 850,000 in favour of the latter . On the other hand , if , under the impetus of Zahra Aga Khan , the family ’ s racing activity will undoubtedly be stronger in France than in Ireland and Great Britain in the long term , it is clear that today , at Godolphin , the best horses are destined primarily for Charlie Appleby in England and therefore entrusted to William Buick . Mickaël Barzalona ’ s calculation makes perfect sense , all things considered . Another event highlighted the Frenchman ’ s qualities : his resounding victory in the International Jockeys ’ Challenge , which he won on December 4 th at Happy Valley racecourse in Hong Kong . These challenges are sometimes biased because the allocation of the rides can be decisive , but the one in Hong Kong is designed to minimise this influence by distributing the runners in a balanced way . Moreover , Mickaël Barzalona ’ s individual odds to win the challenge this year were initially 33 / 1 ... He wasn ’ t given anything . That evening , even before the challenge began , he won with Good View Glory at 13 / 1 . Then he won the first leg of the contest at 38 / 1 with
Sergeant Pepper , a 7-year-old who knows the ropes and who had drawn stall 8 . Then he finished 2 nd at 21 / 1 with Forever Glorious , with stall 9 , after a ride that will no doubt be included in the lessons at the Hong Kong apprentice school . During the break , to keep himself warm , he took a 3 rd place at 10 / 1 before failing with the best chance in his IJC book , who had a poor start from the stalls ( a “ big no no “ on the Happy Valley merry-go-round ), to finally win again , at 6.80 , on Aurora Lady - who had a chance on paper but was starting from stall 12 , completely on the outside . By alle of the Hongkongers had become Barzalona ’ s followers , no matter what .
Nothing could stop him He was on fire that night . You ’ d have followed him to hell . Nothing could stop him . It was an absolute joy to see him weave through the field to reach the post at full speed . A real video game ! It reminded us of that now famous image , which all Englishmen hate - or love , it ’ s a bit like Napoleon - of a 19-year-old Barza standing in his irons at the finish of the 2011 Epsom Derby on Pour Moi , won by just a head . It wasn ’ t the Derby winner of the century , or even of the decade , but the image is iconic . And on that December 4 th under the Hong Kong spotlights , Barza was still 19 years old .
MAIN Resounding victory for Mickaël Barzalona in the International Jockeys ’ Challenge . © Hong Kong Jockey Club
RIGHT Mickaël Barzalona celebrated at the Hong Kong racecourse . © Hong Kong Jockey Club
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131
THE
BIG RACE
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By Bruno Barbereau
WHEN DATA REINVENTS RACEHORSE TRAINING
Imagine a world where every stride , every heartbeat , every moment of effort by a racehorse is measured , analyzed , and optimized . That world already exists . Thanks to data , racehorse training is entering a revolutionary era , where intuition and tradition give way to uncompromising scientific precision . Today , technology is transforming stables into performance laboratories , revolutionizing a centuries-old practice .
DATA : A REVOLUTION GALLOPING INTO STABLES Data analysis , once the exclusive tool of engineers and sports analysts , is now infiltrating racetracks . Like the legendary story of the Oakland Athletics and the Moneyball phenomenon , data has become an indispensable weapon to maximize performance and reduce risks . Racehorses , true elite athletes , now benefit from advanced technologies that measure heart rate , stride power , and speed with unprecedented accuracy . Trainers , often guided by experience and instinct , now have a new compass : data . This science allows them to