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So I applied André Adèle ’ s methods almost slavishly . But the results weren ’ t the same . Not bad : I tell you , twenty-four wins two years ago ; forty-four last year : but not as good . Often , after the gallops , my wife would point this out to me : ‘ It ’ s amazing , the horses aren ’ t as well as they were at the boss ’ s ; we ’ re doing the same thing and yet it ’ s not the same ...’
Indeed , the horses were finishing their 6-furlong work both more nervous and less hardened . It came to me gradually . I understood I was giving them the same work but , obviously , not on the same track , not with the same riders : the pull of the sand , the profile of the track , the men ’ s handle , all these significantly modified the components of the work . So , I fumbled around to find the real equivalent of what we were doing at Maisons-Laffitte . We set off slower and from a different place on the track , 300m further on . Now , yes , I believe I ’ m doing ‘ André Adèle ’ exactly like André Adèle , not just in appearance .»
Galop Informations , September 83 , Gérard de Chevigny
« I persist in believing that American races are an objective well within our reach . It hurts our pride to see English runners , clearly ranked second-tier at home , coming over and winning our ‘ small ’ Group 3 races ; it ’ s because , for all their expertise and judgement , British horsemen don ’ t hold our racing in high regard ! This is a serious matter . Instead of moaning about this false reputation , the only answer for the French offended in this way is to go and take on the English on their home turf . Alec Head and François Boutin are doing it ; not a year goes by when they don ’ t have runners in the Derby , the Guineas or at Ascot . They run the risk of being beaten ... without which you never win .»
« The Frenchman , viscerally , dislikes competition and its consequences , namely selection .»
« Our profession is almost fully mastered when we can measure , to the nearest metre , the stamina of each horse .»
« I don ’ t look for complications .»
« Racing isn ’ t a charity .»
« If it ever happens that my rivals all throw in the towel simply because ‘ there ’ s a Fabre runner , so there ’ s no point competing ’, then I ’ ll be able to assess my success ! That ’ s what success is in France . Here , the key to success is to have people speaking well of you . Or fearing you ; it amounts to the same thing . I don ’ t pay much attention to the form book before declaring a runner . Or very little ... It ’ s my horses that decide to run .»
Week-end , September 1990 , François Hallopé
« I admit that I don ’ t have a very sociable outlook on life , because I think that in this profession , you succeed alone against the others .» « When I started out , I had no preconceived ideas and I played the game with all the journalists . But I quickly realised that my words were either invented , distorted or misinterpreted . I ’ m not interested in small talk , and I ’ m not cynical . So , I decided to cut ties with the French press .»
« Patrick Biancone long believed that , in a profession like ours , it was absolutely essential to play the media game . But who in the media helped him when he had problems ? No one . In racing , the best publicity is the winners you train . It ’ s not a newspaper that brings you owner-clients .»
« Like many of my colleagues , I wasn ’ t born with a stable of 200 horses . In this profession , there is constant competition and judgement ...»
« It ’ s the good lads that make the good horses , and the good horses that make the good trainers .»
« I ’ ve kept quite strong links with some former jump jockeys . Because it ’ s the best job in the world : there ’ s the risk , you have to be in excellent physical condition , you ’ re closer to the horses , the joy of winning is intense , life is exhilarating ...»
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