ENGLISH TEXTS closely . It ’ s better to surprise them by making your move as far away from them as possible .»
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• 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 .»
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HAPPY HORSES
It ’ s no small feat to ensure that the horses in a stable of over 200 are happy . Yet , from the very beginning , this desire to have happy horses seems to have never left the trainer . He evokes it with admiration when paying tribute to François Mathet in a message to his wife , revealed by Theresa Revay in her biography « The Perfect Race »: « Of course , we were nothing to your husband but occasional acquaintances , but he represented much more to us . For me in particular , the honour of his profession and the one with whom the horses were happiest .» Refering to André Adèle , in 1973 , he also said : « He seemed to have understood his horses so well that they looked happy despite the crowded universe in which they lived .» This little extra soul of the Fabre runners , which punters and jockeys appreciate at its true value , perhaps comes from this equine well-being which , if preserved , can drive the horse to go a little further in its effort . But there seems to be more than just a practical transaction in this concern for happiness . Without wishing to indulge in magazine philosophy ( although ...), one can thus note the annoyance perceived on the day of the Moulin de Longchamp , won from start to finish by his charge Tribalist last September at ParisLongchamp . This is a Group 1 , the 200-and-somethingth for André Fabre , but interviewed on Sky Sports Racing , he can ’ t help , after paying tribute to his chestnut , from slipping in an ironic comment about the fact that he had also beaten Facteur Cheval , the « national hero »... What the devil had Facteur Cheval done to Mr André to deserve such
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