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perstitious, had almost stopped believing. Yet luck finally smiled upon him, in theatrical fashion. Act One: Diamond Carl, bred by Laurence Gagneux and running in the Papot family’ s colours, returned to competition at the end of 2024 after two long years away to heal an injury. An exceptional comeback. Act Two: Diamond Carl’ s jockey, Bertrand Lestrade, had an accident the day before the Grand Steeple. Another blow, thought François Nicolle. Act Three: the trainer called upon Clément Lefebvre to replace him, Lefebvre himself had only just returned to racing after a three-month break due to injury. He should have been riding Gran Diose, with whom he won the 2024 edition, but the horse’ s connections chose to entrust that responsibility to Thomas Beaurain, deemed to be in better form. Epilogue: a resurrected Diamond Carl and a just-repaired Clément Lefebvre triumphed with insolent ease. In the theatre, one would call that a“ deus ex machina”! François Nicolle’ s record is now complete.
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BY MÉLODIE JANVIER
COCORICO!
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Cocorico at Ascot! By capturing the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes( Gr. 1) during the Royal Meeting, Lazzat, trained by Jérôme Reynier and racing in the colours of Wathnan Racing just days after changing ownership, became the first French-trained runner to make La Marseillaise ring out in one of the most prestigious Group 1 races at Royal Ascot. Created in 1868 under the name Cork & Orrery Stakes, the race later evolved alongside the Queen’ s various jubilees before taking on, in 2022, a special significance as a tribute to Her Majesty in the very year of her passing. A historic success, and a Lazzat now engraved in … royal legend.
VIDEO Step behind the scenes of a historic victory, and of a fall just as memorable! On this day of firsts, the son of Territories must surely have thought he needed to“ make it count”…
08
BY LOÏC STECHER CHOCRON
AMO RACING, A YEAR AT FULL SPEED
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Who wouldn’ t want to be inside the mind of Kia Joorabchian, the Iranian-born football agent? The Briton has made a name for himself in recent months in the sales rings and on the racecourses by investing fortunes. € 75 million spent since summer 2024, not counting his recent purchases at Tattersalls, Keeneland and Fasig-Tipton. Because yes— the day after the Del Mar Breeders’ Cup, Amo Racing spent another $ 6.2 million on Streak Of Luck, the dam of Ted Noffey, winner of the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile just hours earlier, and in foal to Not This Time.
The announcement at the end of August of a £ 40 million loan from an American investment fund caused quite a stir( with an interest rate of more than 10 %). One day in Kentucky, the next in Deauville spending nearly € 5 million in just over an hour— including € 3 million for the sale’ s top price— Kia Joorabchian is determined to dream bigger. In August 2025, his operation collected another Group 1, the Vincent O’ Brien Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh with Power Blue. Five weeks later, on the same track, Arizona Blaze won the Bar One Racing Flying Five Stakes( Gr. 1). He will stand as a stallion from 2026 at the Irish National Stud for € 12,500. The ultimate goal is to win a classic. Kevin Philippart de Foy, the stable’ s number-one trainer, certainly has his work cut out.
09
BY PAUL CASABIANCA
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A RECORD- BREAKING SUMMER IN DEAUVILLE
The 2025 season was marked by an emotionally charged and heavily attended summer meeting in Deauville. In the stands, a record crowd descended upon the Normandy coast, with more than 74,000 spectators present at the Deauville – La Touques racecourse throughout the month of August. On the track, the show was delivered by the French: 20 of the 27 Stakes races in August fell to tricolour runners, including two Group 1s. Among the finest
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