ENGLISH TEXTS
Hunt store sale, with the intention of encouraging National Hunt horses to participate in racing at an earlier age – a concept which is familiar to France, who commence their jumping season for three-year-old in March. It appeared to be an instant success, with a Walk In the Park colt selling to Coolmore’ s Gerry Aherne for € 230,000, top lot amongst the two and three-year-olds. Aherne was keen to support the new initiative:“ I’ ve been beating the drum of getting National Hunt horses doing more at an earlier age for a while now, I think it’ s massive. It’ ll probably take a bit of time to get people into it and understand it, and for the race programme to pick up. Our greatest wish would be to race those three-yearolds we’ ve put in training in France in Ireland instead.” Whilst the final prices of Part Two lots did not reach the dizzying heights of Part One, business was still very positive with an increased turnover of 42 % for the section. The median rose to € 16,000, which was a rise of 14 %.
GOFFS LONDON SALE 16 JUNE The Goffs London Sale, held at Kensington Palace Gardens, has traditionally provided a last-minute opportunity for leading owners to purchase horses with entries at Royal Ascot. The Group 2 winning Ghostwriter topped the twenty-eight lot sale( 20 lots sold) at £ 2,000,000, selling to Kia Joorabchian, continuing the Amo Racing vast spend at sales worldwide.“ I’ ve been extremely unsuccessful at this sale in the past years but listen, it’ s a nice sale, a beautiful atmosphere to buy a horse in,” said Joorabchian.“ This horse is proven and we think he can have a huge future. Fingers crossed we’ re right and we’ ll go forward and see how it happens.” Despite selling five more lots in 2025 than 2024( 15 lots sold), turnover was down by approximately £ 300,000 but the quality of lots available at the sale appears to be improving considerably with a 2025 median of £ 300,000 compared to the 2024 median of £ 200,000.
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REPOR- TAGE
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By Véronique Verva for Karisma Consulting
BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE CHANTILLY RACECOURSE OF THE PRINCES OF CONDÉ
1 minute to 1 minute 30 to empty a box, 132 boxes in total on-site, 51 race meetings hosted at the oldest race- course in France- not counting the gallops held on several Tuesdays each month, and an average of one to two race meetings per week throughout the year.
Welcome behind the scenes at Chantilly, the racecourse of the Princes of Condé, where a team of around ten people work relentlessly to strip and disinfect the boxes after each meeting, lay fresh straw, blow clean and seal ahead of each new event. The race day routine begins long before the first horse even arrives! Véronique Verva had the pleasure of meeting Marin Le Cour Grandmaison, Director of the Chantilly training center and racecourse, to discuss its history and the daily upkeep of the track, as well as Frédéric Delalande, who works in the stables alongside François-Xavier Petellier, Bruno Theret, Pascal Barthelemy, Romain Tryoen, Gaetan Faucon, and Amélie Foulon. An invisible ballet, perfectly choreographed.
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