ENGLISH TEXTS
person I share my life with now during one of those recoveries. I’ m a believer, and God has brought me a lot. In 2020, after an open fracture in my right ankle, the surgeons told me I was done and that I wouldn’ t be able to ride in six months. I lost mobility and had to change my riding style, but I’ m still here. I’ m grateful to everyone who supports and trusts me. There have been tough moments, like in any profession, moments of doubt too, but with experience, I’ ve learned to never give up. You could say I’ m a warrior!
G. You’ ve won the female Cravache d’ Or eleven times. You hold the record for most wins by a female jockey in France( 749 victories to date). What are your best memories?
D. S. My apprenticeship years with the Guillemin family and Bruno de Montzey really shaped my career. I received the Étrier d’ Or( Best Apprentice in France): that was an unforgettable moment, just like winning my first female Cravache d’ Or. I remember the ceremony in Deauville, I was warmly welcomed.
G. You turned 46 on February 28. What can we wish you?
D. S. Not to end up with four kilos of plaster, that’ d be a good start( laughs). And of course- to achieve my goals!
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TOP 5
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STALLION RANKINGS
By Paul Casabianca
Each month in GALORAMA, find the top 5 stallions in the disciplines of Flat and NH racing( in France). For this first ranking, established from January 1 st to March 31 st, 2025, performances of 3-year-olds on the flat and 4-year-olds over jumps were considered. Next month, 2-year-olds( flat) and 3-year-olds( NH) will join the ranks, as most of them have run little or not at all during this first quarter of 2025.
Goken produces early types Let’ s be clear: seeing stallion Goken at the top of the 3-year-old flat rankings as of March 31 st, 2025, is not exactly a surprise. Known for producing precocious offsprings, Goken- who himself won the Prix du Bois( Gr. 3) as a 2-year-old- boasts more than satisfactory results as a sire: 12 wins and 61 places in just three months( a 64 % strike rate for top-three finishes).
Hello Youmzain and Wooded, ranked second and third, are close in terms of wins and places, though the former has banked more earnings
(€ 219,415 versus € 202,720). Notably, Kingman, ranked seventh, has the highest win-to-runner ratio( five wins from sixteen starts!) so far this year. More importantly, he has two black type performers already: Flaming Stone( Prix la Camargo L.) and Tajlina( Prix Pénélope Gr. 3), both at Saint-Cloud.
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Goliath du Berlais Takes Center Stage Over jumps, the standout stallion( among 4-yearolds) for this first quarter in France is Goliath du Berlais. And it’ s no wonder: with Sobriquette, a dual Group 3 winner at Auteuil, this 2019 Prix Ferdinand Dufaure( Gr. 1) winner is proving as precocious in the breeding shed as he was on the track. With an 81 % strike rate for topthree finishes, Goliath du Berlais has nearly double the earnings of Beaumec de Houelle( 6 wins and 30 placings) and Doctor Dino, third in the rankings but leading in number of wins( 7)! And take note: among the top five stallions in this ranking, all have produced at least one black type performer during this first quarter of 2025— all except one: Doctor Dino.
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