By Serge Okey
A model of longevity and himself a trainer of international renown, the former trainer of the Aga Khan Studs stable is not a close acquaintance of Jean-Pierre Dubois. But we couldn’t resist asking this legendary trainer to speak about the “chef,” even if only through the lens of his daughters, who also enjoy the trotting discipline.
Galorama. Do you know Jean-Pierre Dubois well?
Alain de Royer-Dupré Honestly, no. Once, I had a horse of his, about twenty years ago. It ran very well, but for some reason, he took it back. After that, we met on a few occasions, even recently. We all admire his work. Everything he’s touched, he’s succeeded with.
G. You’ve rubbed shoulders with the best of the best, is there anyone comparable?
A.R.D. No. Such eclecticism is truly a unique signature. He managed to create a system that is both basic and efficient. I don’t know whether one should try to imitate him or not, but one can only admire him.
G. What are his main qualities, in your opinion?
A.R.D. He does nothing superficial. What matters to him is what’s natural. He’s a very pragmatic person, perhaps a more common trait in the trotting world. Jean-Pierre Dubois is a man with his feet on the ground. He’s not after what looks good, but what works.
by Paul Casabianca
Ask For The Moon (2001)
Dr Fong – Lune Rouge
8 starts
5 wins including 1 Gr.1
Earnings: €187,080
The Prix Saint-Alary marked a first Group 1 victory for the filly, her jockey Ioritz Mendizabal, and sire Dr Fong. But above all, and of greatest interest to us here, it was also Jean-Pierre Dubois’s first flat Group 1 winner. Bred by Aliette Forien and Jean-François Gribomont at Haras de Montaigu, Ask For The Moon was purchased as a yearling by Jean-Pierre Dubois at the ARQANA August 2002 Sale for €110,000. Trained by Jean-Claude Rouget, the daughter of Dr Fong finished second in her first two outings before stringing together five consecutive wins, including the Group 3 Prix Pénélope before her triumph in the Prix Saint-Alary. Her seventh-place in the Prix de Diane Hermès that same year would be her only misstep, after which the filly retired. As a broodmare, Ask For The Moon notably produced Sandro Botticelli, by Galileo, a Listed winner and Group 2-placed in the UK, as well as Astrology, her full brother, a Group 3 winner and third in Camelot’s Epsom Derby.
Stacelita (2006)
Monsun – Soignée
12 starts
8 wins including 6 Gr.1
Earnings: €1,090,595
From the exceptional Von Ullmann bloodline, this daughter of Soignée was crowned best 3-year-old in France after dominating the field by four lengths in a memorable Prix de Diane (Gr.1). It wasn’t until the 2009 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe that the daughter of Monsun would lose her unbeaten record, having claimed six straight victories. Sold to the United States in the summer of 2011, Stacelita won two more Group 1 races there in the colors of Martin Schwartz before retiring as a broodmare for Shadai Farm. For the record, Stacelita is the dam of Japanese Classic winner Soul Stirring (by Frankel), a dual Group 1 winner who captured the Japanese version of the Prix de Diane in 2017 under the same jockey as her dam, Christophe Lemaire. That same year, Lemaire became the first non-Japanese jockey to win the coveted Cravache d’Or. Stacelita’s nephews also include Noble Truth, presented by Les Capucines and bought for €1,100,000 by Godolphin at the ARQANA Select Sale in 2020. Bred by Jean-Pierre Dubois, this son of Kingman finished second in the 2021 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère (Gr.1) at ParisLongchamp and won the Jersey Stakes (Gr.3) at Ascot.
Sauterne (2020)
Kingman – Salicorne
12 starts
5 wins including 1 Gr.1
Earnings: €550,875
Owned and bred by Jean-Pierre Dubois himself, Sauterne is out of Salicorne, who was unraced but is a daughter of the famed Soignée, making her a niece of Stacelita. True to her bloodlines, Sauterne won a Group 1 at age 3, just like her aunt, defeating older horses in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (Gr.1). This single top-level success was enough to see her auctioned for $4.5 million at the Fasig-Tipton sale in Saratoga at the end of her 3-year-old season. A mile specialist, this daughter of Kingman ended her career with an eighth-place finish in the Qatar Prix de la Forêt, before departing for the United States.
Sparkling Plenty (2021)
Kingman – Speralita
10 starts
5 wins including 1 Gr.1
Earnings: €1,090,451
“She’s an exceptional filly.” These were the words of M.V. Magnier after purchasing Lot 200 for €5,000,000 with his partners at the December 2024 ARQANA Sale, held in a packed auction room, a reflection of Sparkling Plenty’s star power. An outstanding filly indeed, by Kingman (a stallion frequently used by Jean-Pierre Dubois) out of Speralita, herself a daughter of Soignée (once again). Sparkling Plenty won the 2024 Prix de Diane (Gr.1) after a sensational final stretch. Having also taken the Prix de Sandringham, she gave the “chef” a coveted Classic win as both breeder and owner. She is set to be bred to Justify, with her next chapter eagerly awaited. Her full sister Sofia (Kingman) will step into the spotlight at the exclusive Jean-Pierre Dubois Auctav Sale on August 13, in foal to Starspangledbanner (lot 41).