ENGLISH TEXTS
a fixture in the Vincennes stands thanks to Bold Eagle more than a decade ago, and Léopard du Berlais this year, Pierre Pilarski was often well surrounded and well advised on his way to the top. Though he had to spend € 500,000 for his silks to shine at Vincennes thanks to his champion, the richest French trotter in history with 21 Group 1 victories, the purchase of Léopard du Berlais happened at his breeder’ s Haras du Berlais:“ When I first saw him at the stud, I didn’ t like the horse at all. Coming from trotting, we often say that white feet are more fragile when running unshod, and Léopard du Berlais has four white legs— not exactly what we prefer. But Jean- Marc Lucas( his breeder) told me: trust me, take him. I guess I did well, didn’ t I?”
Stomping is winning Because we tend to talk more about victories than defeats, Pierre Pilarski has lived, like everyone else, through setbacks and unforgettable moments, memorable ones even, with his trotting cracks Bold Eagle, for his own silks, and FaceTime Bourbon as a partner. Over jumps, no one has forgotten the adventure he lived with Feu Follet, winner of the Prix Alain du Breil( Gr. 1) at Auteuil in 2019. Everyone also remembers April 28, 2018, when Kévin Nabet stomped, on Guillaume Macaire’ s advice— on the red silks before the amused smile of the owner. That day, Fiumicino was his first runner and first winner on the flat, in the coveted Wild Monarch( L.) run at Auteuil. Genmoss, on the flat, also marked the Pilarski saga. Like Bold Eagle, Pierre Pilarski did not acquire her at the start but after her first three victories. This Anglo-Arab mare achieved the feat of winning twelve consecutive races thereafter, remaining unbeaten in fifteen public starts. A first for an Anglo-Arab, doing better than Frankel, who won fourteen races. The comparison ends there. You will have understood it: Pierre Pilarski is a successful entrepreneur. A passionate man who thrives on challenges. A happy, lucky, and bold owner.
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IT’ S WIN O’ CLOCK MY FRIENDS
BY LOÏC STECHER CHOCRON
Racing is often a story of friends, discovery, conviviality and emotion. And that’ s perfect, because all these ingredients came together around the victory of It’ s Win O’ Clock in the Prix Renaud du Vivier at Auteuil. Jean-Marie Callier, the horse’ s co-breeder and co-owner, looks back with emotion on this Group 1 victory, a first.
“ Everything began with my friend Florent Couturier, whom I met at the Baden-Baden sales when I was still a student in Lyon. We later ended up working together in the United-States,” recalls Jean-Marie Callier.“ He owned a mare at the time, Change Partner, a triple Listed winner at Enghien when trained by Jean-Paul Gallorini. She would later become the granddam of It’ s Win O’ Clock. Her first foal was Changing Times, a Martaline filly born in 2008. Like her dam, she was very difficult to get in foal. After two foals, she remained barren for five consecutive years. A change of scenery did her good, I think. For our partnership with Florent, she produced Les Cerfs Volants, a son of Cokoriko, a Listed winner at Compiègne, very promising, but who sadly suffered a fatal injury. He had even beaten Losange Bleu and Amy du Kiff on debut, both future Group 1 winners, as well as Le Philosophe, a future winner of the Grand Steeplechase de Compiègne.”“ We chose Ivanhowe because I believed in him tremendously, I even own shares in the stallion. And that produced It’ s Win O’ Clock who, like all my foals, went through the sales ring, the ARQANA July two-year-old stores sale. That day in Deauville, the colt was bought privately for € 55,000 by Amanda Zetterholm and Noël George. And then, a problem: their client backed out! A partnership was formed- the one you know today- with Oscar Gonzalez Lozano, the trainers, Florent Couturier, Laure Callier, my partner Meryl Milton, my cousin Antoine Salamé and Samuel Vere. Oscar was a wonderful encounter; he has dreamed of winning a Group 1 for so long. On Renaud du Vivier day, everyone was there, overjoyed, singing and shouting. That day will remain etched in our memories. We shook the Auteuil grandstands! At the yard, It’ s Win O’ Clock is nicknamed‘ Winnie’, in reference to the teddy bear, he is so placid. He is a lovely horse who receives all the attention in the world.” A breeder in tremendous form this autumn, he is also behind Jachar, winner of the Prix Montgomery( Gr. 3). Jean-Marie Callier hopes to have a full brother or sister to It’ s Win O’ Clock soon.
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