ENGLISH TEXTS
Dufaure … Son of the great rider Marc de Balanda, brother of Gilles, twice Team Show Jumping World Champion, father of Nicolas, now a bloodstock agent, Jehan de Balanda is one link in a great equestrian dynasty. He had not won a Group race since 2012. One must admire his sense of timing!
BY LOÏC STECHER CHOCRON
LANFRANCO DETTORI: ONE LAST FLYING DISMOUNT By announcing the end of his sporting career in the United States in 2025, Lanfranco Dettori has once again turned a page in the history of racing. The prodigy is already missed. Two years earlier, in 2023, the superstar jockey had already announced his intention to hang up his boots, at least in Europe. He had, in fact, won the Champion Stakes aboard King Of Steel for his final ride at his beloved Ascot, where he has been immortalised twice in statue form, and where, 27 years earlier, he achieved his incredible“ Magnificent Seven,” probably one of the greatest race days ever. In 1996, as in 2023, an entire racecourse, and the entire racing world, was at Lanfranco Dettori’ s feet. Let us also remember his six-win day at Santa Anita in 2024. Before becoming the showman we know today, Lanfranco Dettori had to prove himself the old-fashioned way, with Luca Cumani in 1985 in England, where he was sent from Italy by his father, Gianfranco Dettori, himself a distinguished jockey in the 1970s. What a journey it has been since his beginnings, including the 2000 plane crash that nearly cost him his life. Frankie Dettori has won Group 1 races in 16 different countries. He has made the King George his own on 7 occasions, the Prix de l’ Arc de Triomphe 6 times, and the Prix Jacques Le Marois 8 times- records! And the list is far from exhaustive. His life deserves to be brought to the screen. The 54-year-old superstar is now expected to focus on a handful of rides in South America and has been announced as an international ambassador for the Amo Racing organisation.
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BY CÉLINE GUALDE
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THINGS ARE GOING SMOOTHLY FOR JUMP RACING
The statistics from the 48 Hours of NH in France, featuring seventeen races including five Group 1 races on 15 and 16 November at Auteuil, are soaring. Attendance rose by 67 % compared to 2024, with 8,500 spectators on Sunday, more than double the previous year. Catering revenue shot up by 145 %, nearing € 100,000. Even more positive: betting turnover increased by 18 % on Saturday and by 11 % on Sunday, despite competition from an excellent trotting meeting at Vincennes. Auteuil’ s transformation into a ski resort, the event’ s theme being“ a weekend in the mountains”, clearly paid off. Sled runs, curling lanes and cross-country skiing tracks had been set up, all with a view of the Eiffel Tower the Alps could envy! The surroundings of the parade ring smelled pleasantly of tartiflette. The theme of the entertainment won over the press, which widely promoted the event, one of the keys to its popular success.
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BY MÉLODIE JANVIER
THE FRENCH TROPHÉES DU PERSONNEL DES COURSES ET DE L ' ÉLEVAGE: 10 TH EDITION
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As they have every year for a decade now, Godolphin and its partners, including France Galop, honour the men and women who, behind the scenes, contribute to the magic of racing. Whether they are promising young jockeys, team managers, stud staff, administrative personnel, exercise riders, or veterinarians, all help, through their expertise, skills, and dedication, to uphold the prestige of French racing.
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BY MÉLODIE JANVIER
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FRENCH CRAVACHE D’ OR 2025: MAJOR FIRSTS?
Since 2022, the Jockeys’ Association has decided to change the reference period used to determine the Flat Cravache d’ Or standings. For the past three
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