ENGLISH VERSION from a female line bought at the local livestock market. Prepared on the farm, he was used to round up the sheep, to go hunting and then, on Saturdays, it was race day! We would pile into the Land Rover with all the kit, plus a picnic and the dog, and had wonderful times surrounded by a rural crowd. I remember the tradition I shared with my best friend from the pony club: we picked our favourite according to the most beautifully plaited tail. Almost 40 years later, my friend, a nurse, and her whole family, who have no connection with racing, treated themselves to a festive day out at Royal Ascot as a Christmas present. I don’ t believe I am an exception. Scratch the surface of any horseman or horsewoman, trainer, breeder, stable lad, jockey or even one-day racegoer, and you will almost always find a story like this: a family horse, a country racecourse, a first thrill at the edge of a grass track. That is where racing was born. This is why the Princess’ s words resonate so strongly these days. At a time when the debate over the racecourse map is raging, it is essential to preserve a rural network. Admittedly, times have changed, and for safety reasons and financial constraints, difficult choices will have to be made. The fact remains that racing has its roots in the land, and that it should therefore be preserved. All the more so as it may well be the industry’ s best card to play. Today’ s public wants to know where things come from. People question what they eat, how animals are treated and the future of the countryside. We have a story that answers those questions. Behind a colt who wins the Arc, the Princess reminded us, dozens of people have taken turns, from the covering to the parade ring. Showing the studs rather than the VIPs, filming the lads at dawn, telling the story of small provincial meetings as much as the great Parisian Sundays: there is no nostalgia in that. It is a strategy, and probably the most modern one there is. Princess Zahra reminded an entire industry where it came from, and where Daryz came from. Horsemen and horsewomen already knew it. It now remains to tell the rest of the world and, to begin with, not to forget it ourselves.
IRE
BY VICKI GIBBINS
BACK TO ARTICLE
As Caballo De Mar crossed the line in front in the Prix du Cadran( Gr. 1), Longchamp erupted. The six-year-old, who had struggled to find his best form at the start of the season, was reminding the French crowds about his appreciation for Paris’ premier racetrack, nestled in the forest of the Bois du Boulogne.
He had not been expected to win. The weight of pressure had been sat on the shoulders of Aidan O’ Brien’ s Scandinavia, unbeaten in a historic staying campaign that had stretched from Ireland to Royal Ascot and ending in France, an unexpected additional stop on a whirlwind journey of Group 1 victories. It was all about Caballo De Mar and Scandinavia, as the pair jostled for position behind leader Queenstown in the early stages. Both travelling strongly, both courageous, they vied for the lead in the closing 200m, determined to not let the other pass. But Caballo De Mar loves Longchamp, and Longchamp loves him. The brave campaigner had secured his, and trainer George Scott’ s, first Group 1 victory in the Prix du Cadran twelve months earlier, then added a Prix Vicomtesse Vigier( Gr. 1) in May. Buoyed by the return to his favourite track, Caballo De Mar gave that little bit more and passed the line in front, a short neck ahead of his old foe.“ What an incredible racehorse!” said delighted trainer George Scott.“ He is a horse with a real personality. He is very particular and takes a lot of work at home. He is very lazy and difficult to read.“ To come back here and win the Qatar Prix du Cadran again is fantastic. I was very confident before the race. I thought that if there was an opportunity to beat Scandinavia, it was today. My
195 # 22