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Seems to be very shrewd with his French raiders. Almost had a double yesterday and picked up some nice prize-money for a thursday afternoon. Took home about 39k and raced his horses on very good jumping ground and just against modest company. Why aren’t there more British trainers going over to make that kind of money? Tom has done this quite successfully in the past as well. Now compare the prize-money at Southwell or Worcester with the money on offer in France and just think of the much superior race conditions in France.
Are cost of going over too high? Or has Tom got a satellite yard in France that makes things a lot easier? Any thoughts?I keep getting told costs are too high but Tom George does it, Nick Williams is big on racing at the more provincial Northern tracks, Kevin Tork took a couple over (all expenses paid mind) to the International meeting a few years ago (Zhukov and Karingabay Queen IIRC) whilst Alex Hales took Custer’s Last Stand to contest a Chase in the provinces earlier this Summer – these in addition to the usual raids on XC races by the likes of Denis Murphy and co.
I really don’t understand why more trainers don’t take horses to France, as someone who handicaps French NH races closely they really are one of the best betting mediums not to mention the prize money even at the lowest levels is ridiculously good.
Martin
You ae right about the prize money. At Enghien a "normal" novice hurdle is wort about 20k to the winner and at Auteuil even 25k. We ae talking about novice hurdles and not the Tolworth Hurdle. Which incidentally happens to be worth around 25k as well.
Spot on Ruby Light – I’m actually over in France for a couple of days racing at those two tracks next month.
Normally a good card, there’s a very decent listed hurdle for unraced 3yo’s (won last year by G1 winner Usual Suspects) whilst the 3yo hurdle on the Enghien card featured Prix Congress winner Roi De Treve.
These are the exceptions though – there’s plenty of prize money going around even in the claiming hurdles, with tags of around £6,000+ and most UK runners likely to have been untested under French conditions before it might be worth sending a runner or two over for that.
The Prix Finot (the listed race I referenced earlier in this post) is a decent affair normally run in two divisions for each sex so hopefully a UK runner will target that at some stage.
Martin
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