When André Fabre chose to focus on training Flat horses in 1983, the big names in the weighing room were Yves Saint-Martin, Freddy Head, Alain Lequeux and Lester Piggott. Then came Cash Asmussen, Thierry Jarnet, Olivier Peslier, Christophe Soumillon, Pierre-Charles Boudot, Mickaël Barzalona and Maxime Guyon, all of whom won the Cravache d’Or (French champion jockey title), mostly thanks to the horses entrusted to them by André Fabre. There were also less successful trials, such as Gary Stevens and Bauyrzhan Murzabayev, because although horses do almost everything, no stable, which is also made up of owners, has enough leeway to train a jockey for very long.
He was able to secure the services of one or two riders for a long time, but had to contend with his owners’ contracts, and seems to have always favoured a certain discretion. For example, he only gave the explosive Lanfranco Dettori 48 rides!
François Mathet, André Fabre’s predecessor at the top of the French rankings, did not seek performance on the morning of the races. Nor did his successor. «My team of work riders in the morning gives me complete satisfaction. We know each other well. I’m happy with this situation,» he told François Hallopé in the columns of Week-end 34 years ago.
«For a jockey, riding a ‘Fabre’ is a treat,» explains one of those who has done so on numerous occasions. It’s as if there was an extra gear to engage, always a little something extra in the fight. The horses are primed and ready, and they don’t need anyone to get the best out of them. Besides, we don’t like to challenge a ‘Fabre’ too closely. It’s better to surprise them by making your move as far away from them as possible.»
• Yannick Fouin, one of the leading jumps trainers at Maisons-Laffitte, having previously been among the top jockeys in that discipline, was an apprentice with André Fabre in the 1980s...
«I’d love to relive that time now because I really wasn’t mature enough to make the most of the opportunity. I arrived at André Fabre’s yard at the age of 14. My father, who was a jockey in the west of France, had been an apprentice in the Paris region. He used his connections to choose a top-class trainer for my apprenticeship. It was between Patrick Biancone and Monsieur Fabre. In the end, it was the latter. I had the chance at that time to ride champions with legendary jockeys like Lester Piggott, Pat Eddery, Yves Saint-Martin, Freddy Head and Cash Asmussen. I didn’t appreciate those moments at their true value. André Fabre doesn’t say much but he speaks wisely. He gives you a few pointers in terms of attitude and aptitude. Sometimes, during a race, I thought he was wrong. But at the end of the race, the result and the way it unfolded very, very often proved him right! He’s a master of it all. Since last year, I’ve been training for Madame Fabre. One day, in May 2023, I was in the horsebox and I get a call.
I couldn’t hear very well... ‘Who is that? Elisabeth? Elisabeth who? Elisabeth FABRE!’
‘Do you remember me?’ ‘Um... Yes, Madame!’
The next day, I went to pick up the filly myself. It made me feel young again and I was obviously very proud of this new recruit. Especially since things went rather well with Apaniiwa. Winning with her was like a culmination for me.»