Grand Steeplechase de Paris

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Sara

At the Start
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Jul 25, 2006
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Sunday 4pm, showing live on ATR

Pomme Tiepy is the only foreign raider in this - does anyone fancy her chances? If she won she'd be the first horse not trained in France since Mandarin - and given Mullins' form this season you have to give her a chance

The race is on Sunday at 4pm, and will be shown on ATR. it's a cracking lineup - Princesse d'Anjou, Mid Dancer and Cyrlight all declared and some promising younger horses. Details here:

http://www.racingpost.com/news/hors...rench-jump-stars-in-grand-steeple/188558/top/
 
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Shame that there'll be no Oculi who was travelling well (most likely winner IMHO) when coming down at the last last time out.

Surprised they've not realised Cyrlight doesn't stay - Peldero would be the best of the young contenders.

Have had a few quid each way on Oniraloin at 66's with Bluesq - he's been running well off big weights in handicaps prior to running Mid Dancer, Remember Rose (both multiple G1 winners) and Objectif Special to 10 lengths in his prep, in which his trainer reported that he blew up. Think the trip will be right up his street and the price is far too big.

Not overly keen on Pomme Tiepy's chances but she stays the trip well enough and will love the ground.

Quevega and Kempes oppose Or Noir De Somoza and the rising star of French hurdling Questarabad in the Prix La Barka over 2m 5 1/2f.

Jumbo Rio goes up against two of the top 4yos in France - Rendons Grace (Champion AQPS horse of 08/09) and Blue Bresil (three times place in Graded hurdles) whilst the second foal of French Champion Hurdle winner Karly Flight (Garry Flight) goes in the 3yo Hurdle.

The other big race on the undercard is the Prix Ferdinand Dufaure (G1, 4yo's) which seems the Henderson bound Long Run make his second start up against seasoned campaigners Rubi Ball, Moncadou and Miserable. Personally would love to see Miserable follow up his Prix Congress win last November for his young trainer :)
 
I've done Objectif Special to place at 13/2.

Remember Rose seems a worthy enough favourite, having just failed to give weight to Mid Dancer last time, and being better suited by this trip.
 
And a worthy winner - though it was awful to see Cyrlight crash out like that when he'd been enjoying such a brave front run. Hope to God he's OK - he reminded me a bit of those old Pathe films of Arkle - really headstrong! Good run too form Mid Dancer.

Wherre did Pomme Tiepy finish?
 
Cyrlight ran better than I expected - didn't think he'd be up there for that long but the front two had it between them from about half a mile in.

I think we lost Oniraloin in the big one - collapsed in the home straight :(

Worried about Kempes too who seemed distressed after his fall in the Barka - stopped his stablemate Quevega to a walk also.

Jumbo Rio ran on really well to take second behind Rendon's Grace who gave trainer Guy Cherel a first and second race double after Temple Lord (gorgeous dark grey horse) had won the opener.

Rubi Ball bounced back from a disappointed last time out to just hold off the late surge of Long Run in the Ferdinand Dufaure whilst Enghien specialist Portal's Toy gave Nathalie Desoutter a much deserved win in the previously mentioned Prix La Barka - first woman to ride a Grade 1 jumps winner next month?

Will update more and hopefully have a few pics of the earlier races when I'm back in the UK :)

Think Pomme Tiepy finished 8th or 9th HS.
 
CYRLIGHT ran wonderfully but that was one helluva somersault he made - for a terrifying moment I thought he'd bought it. A good race, although the interest in it was really all at the front throughout, with a lovely finish by Rose. Look forward to seeing your photos, Martin!
 
Thanks IS, hope you had an enjoyable trip. Maybe it was a bit hot for the horses? - it always worries me a little, to see them running and jumping so far in the summer, and it was damn hot here in East Angular today

That's a bummer about Oniraloin - he was considered a rising star wasn't he? Hope the Mullins horses are OK - esp Kempes who won on TH day at Navan, the creature. It was a bit hard to follow what was going on, as I didn't have a racecard with colours so was relying on the rather inadequate commentary
 
Great day out thanks HS - hottest days racing I've ever been to, including the Derby, King George, Ebor etc. must have been at least 35C there yesterday. They were still hosing the horses down on the course from the GSDP when the Barka was starting.

Connections of Portal's Toy mentioned that a trip to the UK could be the order of the day next season so excited to see him - probably won't be First Gold class but he beats Millennium Royal regularly and the Enghien horses seem to do well in Britain.

Ground was a fair bit faster than the official description too IMO given the types of horses who were winning there.
 
Just an afternote on the GS

If you watched the race you may have seen Remember Rose swerve badly coming out of the bottom turn. The horse ran into the running rail.
What you probably don't know is that Christophe Pieux broke his foot in the incident and still went on to win the race.

 
Ouch. Having never ridden a horse, I can only imagine that that would be pretty excruciating?
 
It'd be excruciating whether you'd ridden or not! Really skinned his toes, by the look of it, too. Jockeys' boots are made of very fine, thin material - some are vinyl, not leather - the purpose being to prevent chafing of the inside of the legs, not any real protection against serious impact. Poor soul, that's him out for a while.
 
Broken foot - owwww! Poor fella. There are so many small bones and joints in a foot, although he would be better breaking toes than a heel bone.
 
21 days in fact Kri - he wants to ride in the Grande Haies De Auteuil (French Champion Hurdle to you and I) towards the end of June :)
 
I thought Quevega ran a mullish race on Sunday. Dropped herself out and then stayed on when she felt like it. Has been a bit tricky at the starts this season and its something to be a little weary of next season if she starts off at very short prices for the staying hurdles in Ireland.
 
Only three weeks, Martin? Crumbs, that's not long, all being well. Jumps jocks are hardy stuff, though, whichever side of the Channel they race on!
 
Galileo said:
I thought Quevega ran a mullish race on Sunday. Dropped herself out and then stayed on when she felt like it. Has been a bit tricky at the starts this season and its something to be a little weary of next season if she starts off at very short prices for the staying hurdles in Ireland.
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Possibly Gal but she was nearly walking after being taken out by Kempes so she's done well to stick in there as most other horses would have been pulled up shortly afterwards, she finished eighth or ninth in the end, was stood about 50 yards past the finish post myself and was shocked at how well she finished up the straight - my own personal opinion is that her most impressive performance this season has been on good to soft ground at Cheltenham so I don't think a soft/heavy surface is likely to suit her and we won't see her at her best until Cheltenham next year.
 
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