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It’s worth approx £110,000, which is more than the Triumph Hurdle or the Aintree and Punchestown equivalents. And it’s almost three times the value of the Grade 1 Finale Hurdle at Chepstow next month.
But it passes by almost unnoticed here, because it will be run tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon at Enghien, north of Paris. Despite the massive, by our standards, prize fund of 130,000 Euros, this race, which goes by the magnificent title of the ‘Prix General de Saint-Didier’, is only rated a Grade 3 race in France.
Although there are no UK trained challengers (why?), there is a potential source of local interest, as one of the runners is owned by Mr Waley-Cohen, so we might see him here at some point, perhaps even in the Triumph.
So make a note of the name Rajdhani Express, a winner of his last two starts in France, the latest by ten lengths, when he beat previous winners.
Hopefully the race will be live on RUK – off time is 13:20 in Paris, which I think is 12:20 here.
AP
Nearly saw Radjhani Express win at Fontainebleu on a recent horse buying trip across the channel.
It’s like pretty much every other Graded race run in Paris – a lot more valuable than the various two bit races we pass off as graded races in the UK but the trainers won’t send a horse over as the owners will realise pretty sharpish that they’re being taken for mugs racing for 60-70k in a Grade 1 when they can run for twice that in a G2 or G3.
Not only that, but this is from the RP:
http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-ra … rnational/
It’s truly amazing. The amount of money on offer for races in France is far superior to that in the UK, and most other countries for that matter. The Prix Haye Jousselin steeplechase held a couple of weeks ago was worth 520,000 Euros, and the winner was Rubi Ball, who crossed swords with Long Run 3 times last year, Long Run winning two of the races. How ironic then, whilst Rubi Ball was winning such a big prize that, just six days later, Long Run was third in a race worth £140,000 at Cheltenham – about 30% of the prize money on offer for the Haye Jousselin.
Nick Williams ran Shalimar Fromentro in a conditions hurdle (4yo non-thoroughbred colts and geldings) at Auteuil on 30 Septemer, the 32-1 shot picking up almost £10,000 for finishing a 10-length second to the favourite. He ran in a Grade 2 hurdle at Chepstow next time where the winner, Silviniaco Conti, picked up just £14,000 for his troubles.
What are the typical travelling costs involved in running in France?
Edit:
and also are the entry fees much higher?
Not sure exactly what the entry fees are but I’d imagine they aren’t much more than the UK – as for travel costs the flat trainers are running for similar prize money and are regularly sending runners to the Paris tracks (where both major jumps courses are located) including in recent days Messrs Beckett and Makin.
FWIW the race was won by the Yanick Fouin trained, Magalen Bryant owned and Morgan Regairaz ridden Taikun Tino who I saw finish runner-up at Auteuil early last month – he’d finished in second in three of his four starts prior to today including in a listed hurdle at Auteuil.
The runner-up is the Waley-Cohen owned Rajdhani Express whilst the third was Le Tranquille who was victorious in the Prix Congress (Frances major race for 3yo Chasers) a Group 3 held at the International weekend.
Martin
No reason why it should cost any more for a Somerset based trainer to send a runner to Paris than it does to send one to Ayr or Perth.
But I think those questions (entry fees, transport) are part of the reason we don’t get more locally trained horses trying for these big prizes – sheer unfamiliarity and the the idea that it’s all a big unknown. I suggested this race to the trainer of a 3-y-old hurdler, who was keen, but his owners rejected the idea, preferring a day out at Cheltenham!
There’s plenty of evidence that these French hurdle races aren’t all won by superstars. Newmarket based Tidal Fury had a great deal of success at Auteil as a 3-y-old, although he only went there initially as he’d failed a stalls test and couldn’t run on the flat. But after winning in France, he was beaten in an early season juvenile race at Market Rasen by some very ordinary horses. He still went on to win at the top level in France, despite never getting much above a 140 rating here.
Second in the Saint Didier last year was a McManus owned, Doumen trained horse called Good Lord. He had his next two runs in Britain and made no impression at all on races at Newbury and Cheltenham.
AP
Just out of interest, Alan, where can you get a copy of the French version of the Programme Book? We’ve just bought a flat horse we’re thinking of sending hurdling and I quite fancy a day trip to France!
Can’t help with a program book as such but http://www.france-galop.com will have race conditions and meets for the next few months.
A friend of mine bought a horse at Doncaster sales in the spring who they’re looking at running in France, not with a big trainer but looking at a few 30k races at Compiegne for him.
Tuffers,
I use the website Martin named – this is the full page address I go to:
http://www2.france-galop.com/FGWeb/doma … drier.aspx
If you want help planning a run in France, you could also contact the International Racing Bureau for advice.
AP
Thanks, both. There’s just the small matter of finding out whether he can jump now…
Good luck Tuffers – not sure where your horse is trained but The Links in Newmarket have the French style hurdles for schooling over.
Martin
Good luck Tuffers – not sure where your horse is trained but The Links in Newmarket have the French style hurdles for schooling over.
Martin
Good point, Martin. I hadn’t considered that the hurdles are different.
Do you think our trainer will see the funny side if we ask him to find a race to coincide with our trip to EuroDisney?
When’s your trip to Euro Disney?
There are plenty of races over there – the two big tracks at Enghien and Auteuil (located in Ermont-Eaubonne and the Bois De Boulogne) are both coming to the end of their season now – they are the two jumps tracks located in Paris itself.
North of Paris is Compiegne which should be staging racing in Jan-Feb time and to the South of Paris is Fontainbleu – both of which wouldn’t take long to drive or on the train.
The tracks at Auteuil and Enghien will start racing again in Feb.
Martin
ps. i’m sure there’ll be races all year round for your horseWhen’s your trip to Euro Disney?
Martin
ps. i’m sure there’ll be races all year round for your horseUnbelievably, we really are going to EuroDisney in May. My parents (for reasons best known to themselves) have decided to celebrate forty years of marital bliss in the company of their three grandchildren and Mickey Mouse.
I nice little hurdle race at Fontainbleu on good ground would be an ideal diversion
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