Andre Fabre & Aga Khan Split

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jft2005

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TWO of the biggest names in French racing, Andre Fabre and the Aga Khan, on Sunday announced their separation due to “operational disagreement”.

Next week, 30 horses will leave Fabre's yard, ending an association that began in 2005 when the Aga Khan purchased the late Jean-Luc Lagardere's racing and breeding stock. Fabre, who has been champion trainer for the past 21 years in France, kept part of the Lagardere string, who subsequently carried the Aga Khan's red and green silks.

This year the owner is adding two younger trainers to his French team, and will have a string of around 175 for the turf season.

Fabre was in philosophical mood on Sunday, saying: “It's fair to say that this has happened due to operational disagreements, but beyond that I do not wish to comment further.

“I believe that in Britain, Sir Michael Stoute and Luca Cumani have previously been in a similar position. These things happen from time to time.”

The owner's spokesman George Rimaud said on Sunday: “There has been an operational disagreement with Andre Fabre.
“The horses will be distributed between Guy Henrot, Alain de Royer-Dupre and Jean-Claude Rouget. We are also adding Richard Gibson and Mikel Delzangles to our team, and are in the process of reorganising our dispatches to trainers.”

Fabre is no stranger to fallouts with international owners, as he no longer trains for the Niarchos family or the Wildensteins, for whom he won the Prix du Jockey-Club and the Arc with Peintre Celebre in 1997.

Now 62, Fabre enjoyed a flying start with the Aga Khan's horses, as he won the Prix d'Ispahan and Queen Anne Stakes with Valixir, the Prix Saint-Alary with Vadawina, and the Criterium International with Carlotamix in 2005.

One possible bone of contention may have concerned Christophe Soumillon, the Aga Khan's retained rider, who last year Fabre engaged only on the owner's horses. The other plum rides in the stable were given to Stephane Pasquier, which enabled him to become champion for the first time.

Rimaud also had news of the Princess Zahra Aga Khan's Darjina, who won the Prix du Moulin before ending her campaign with third place in the Hong Kong Mile.

He said: “She has done well and is likely to be aimed at the Dubai Duty Free.”


first he axes stoute & now fabre. if you want the best, you dont exclude the best two trainers in the world, from your corner.
 
As soon as I saw "operational disagreement" then I though of Soumi.

In fairness Alain de Royer-Dupre has done alright for him in the past.
 
I do! I can't stand Soumi, what an unpleasant little t*ss*r

And Fabre is the best trainer in France at the moment for my money, and might be the best in Europe [hard to gauge given the quality of horse some trainers eg AOB get]
 
I would have to think very hard before leaving Andre Fabre for any jockey on the planet.

In fact Soumillon would be one of only three or four I would bother even thinking it about it for.

Fabre is one of the best trainers there is. Soumi is probably one of the best jockeys that there is.

On balance I would probably agree with you.
 
I'm not denying Soumi is a very good jockey, but i wouldn't want him on any horse of mine!
I can;t stand his showboating, unlike Frankie's there always seems to be a kind of 'yah boo' quality to it. That 'arse-wiping/finger licking' incident a couple of years ago was vomit-making :rolleyes:
 
When you are talking about putting the best man on top of multi-million pound thoroughbreds then I am not sure personality should play as big a part as it probably does.

Purely from a fan's perspective, when it comes to Dettori or Soumillon, there is only one of them whose antics rubs me up the wrong way and it isn't the Belgian.

I respect arrogance in sportsmen. I have no time for smugness.
 
I wonder if so Sir Peter O'S would agree! That's a whole hornet's nest, that is :P
I'm old enough to know quite a bit about the 50s/60s old guard in France, but wouldn't know how to start comparing them to the current lot.
 
Well, Mr Fabre has been champion trainer in France for the last 18 years in a row. He has been the top trainer in Europe plenty of times as well. He also has a reputation of being difficult.

I started reading that article hoping to see that Jonh Oxx would be getting some extra ammunition, but it seems that all the horses concerned will be staying in France.
 
He is a very well known owner and breeder, who has horses in training in France [with several trainers] and Ireland [with John Oxx]. He used to have horses here in England but moved them all a few years ago, partly in response to low levels of prize money - iirc.

He is the latest of a racing dynasty, and some of the founding sires and mares in the stud in the early and mid C20th were brilliant performers and have produced important bloodlines. The Aga's daughter is now very involved as well in the family's racing interests.

Some info on the Aga here: http://www.akdn.org/hh/highness.html

Homepage opf the Aga Khan Studs here:
http://www.agakhanstuds.com/home/home.asp
 
His initial withdrawal from British racing was after ALIYSA, trained by Stoute, failed a dope test following her victory in the 1989 Oaks and the subsequent high court based failures to reverse the decision.

He did not return to british racing until he considered that testing procedures had changed sufficiently.

It was nothing to do with prize money.
 
Headstrong, I rather fancy Walsworth was pulling your plonker mate!!

Anyway, I think the Aga is perfectly entitled to move his horses. The "marriage" between the two only really came out of Lagardere's sad death, and it clearly was not meant to last.

In life very strong personalities always clash - and with these 3 you have VERY strong personalities.

We know the Aga doesn't take sh*t after the Alyisa affair.

Also, during the period Fabre has trained for the Aga he has hardly acquitted himself well for that owner. When the Aga sees Fabre winning Arcs for his rivals Abdullah and Tabor is it any wonder he has decided to refocus the string?
 
Headstrong, I rather fancy Walsworth was pulling your plonker mate!!

Anyway, I think the Aga is perfectly entitled to move his horses. The "marriage" between the two only really came out of Lagardere's sad death, and it clearly was not meant to last.

In life very strong personalities always clash - and with these 3 you have VERY strong personalities.

We know the Aga doesn't take sh*t after the Alyisa affair.

Also, during the period Fabre has trained for the Aga he has hardly acquitted himself well for that owner. When the Aga sees Fabre winning Arcs for his rivals Abdullah and Tabor is it any wonder he has decided to refocus the string?
 
There's no reason, useful, why any younger racing fan who has only recently got into racing should necessarily know who the Aga Khan is, so if someone asks a direct question I see no reason not to answer it [always provided I know the answer]. There are several very young members on a couple of the forums to which I belong, which is most refreshing. Part of the resaon they joined is presumably to learn something more about racing

Of course I don't know if Walworth was taking the mick - but why would he/she?
And why should I assume he/she was taking the *****? - that's a rhetorical question btw
 
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