ENGLISH TEXTS
• Christiane Head has also pursued her career in parallel with André Fabre ’ s , since she took over from her father in 1978 , the same year that her rival set up in Chantilly .
« André doesn ’ t mix , it ’ s in his nature , but he ’ s the best trainer we ’ ve had in decades . The way he perceives his horses , trains them , the way he races and wins , he ’ s a formidable trainer . When I started training in 1977 , avenue de Chartres ( in Chantilly ), Dad had all his horses on the other side for Wertheimer , and André lived in a small apartment behind my house , on the main avenue , with Elisabeth . He rented 10 or 15 boxes . He has an extraordinary horse culture . For me , he ’ s a real horseman . When he sees a horse , he perceives it . That ’ s what a good trainer is : someone who understands his horse perfectly and adapts to him . Not the other way around . It ’ s not the horse that adapts .»
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THE SILKS ROAD
A large stable can only maintain its position at the highest level with the support of top-class owners and breeders . Since the late 1970s , and the arrival of André Fabre , this population has been almost completely replaced . The Gulf princes arrived at this time , and foremost among them were two who would almost never cease to send the Chantilly trainer an extraordinary and substantial selection of foals : Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum of Dubai and Prince Khalid Abdullah , a member of the Saudi royal family . They represent the largest share of the Fabre stable ’ s high-level winners , and its main suppliers of yearlings . Anthony Stroud , manager of Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum ’ s horses in the 1980s , and regularly in the service of the ruler of Dubai , confided in Julian Muscat for his profile of André Fabre , published in October 2019 in the British daily Racing Post . He explains how the Sheikh and the heir to André Adèle got along : “ At that time we were looking for our own man in France but we also wanted to have two-year-old runners in England . Andre was all for it . Within eight years he had won two Middle Parks [ Lycius and Zieten ] and a Dewhurst [ Pennekamp ] for us .”
The Frenchman was then only following the ideas already developed in 1983 in the columns of Galop Informations , according to which it was necessary to constantly challenge the British on their home turf . He also announced that American races were within our reach , and proved it ten years later with Arcangues , winner of the Breeders ’ Cup Classic on the dirt at Santa Anita at odds of over 120 / 1 . Did you say he had long-term vision ?
Despite the quality of his method and his experience as a horseman , André Fabre would not have been able to stay at the top for so long if he had not been able to cultivate the interest of his clients , from the greatest to the most modest . He has always managed to keep owners from all walks of life and to organise his stable without creating conflicts of interest between his clients , including with his own horses since he has been involved in breeding with his wife and daughter Lavinia . While the numbers sent by the Gulf silks have fluctuated over time ( see statistics opposite ), particularly when the Godolphin stable was set up at the Evry racecourse instead of sending its foals to Chantilly in 1998 , André Fabre has always been able to maintain a stable number of horses in training . This is the sine qua non condition for achieving consistent results and maintaining the activity of a valuable workforce - the stable has even appointed a human resources manager , simply to avoid having to deal with the vagaries of modern-day management and the French appeal for red-tape . However , some high-profile divorces have punctuated his career , notably with Mahmoud Fustok , the Aga Khan and the Wildenstein family . André Fabre has principles and undoubtedly non-negotiables that no one can challenge . Except , perhaps , his horses . He has the faults of his qualities . Patient , he cannot stand being in a hurry . Hardworking , he cannot suffer dilettantes . Rigorous , he does not tolerate approximation . Observant , he is not there to dream . His horses must be happy . So must his owners , but not at any price .
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