24 February 2024
Photo scoopdyga.com
Saturday, February 24, 2024, Auteuil Racecourse (Paris). - The top two finishers from the €154,000 Grand Prix de Pau Chase (Gr3), held twenty days earlier over the Pont-Long steeplechase, started as favourites for the first leg of the Grand Steeple-Chase Masters, the €150,000 Prix Robert de Clermont-Tonnerre Chase (Gr3). However, in a race run under the rain and led by a heroic Gallipolli (Gleneagles), neither In Love (Great Pretender) nor Youtwo Glass (Joshua Tree), who had finished first and second three weeks prior, could get involved in the action.
Gallipolli remained undaunted despite a cautious jump at the water jump. He was still well ahead, leading up to the 2nd last. Initially, the pack was led by Toscana du Berlais (Shantou), then Marie Coastala (Coastal Path), and notably Ginja des Taillons (Masterstroke), who would fall at the 2nd last as he was closing in dangerously. From that point, the 5-year-old AQPS Jazz Manouche (Nom de D'la) took over and caught up with the leader. The outcome of this chase seemed uncertain until after the last hurdle, and Jazz Manouche ultimately triumphed by ¾ of a length. Only in the final thirty meters did the gelding bred by Jean-Louis Berger and his daughter Alexandrine overcome his two-year senior, who started at equal weight due to the race conditions. Last season, at 4, Jazz Manouche, third in the Ferdinand Dufaure 4yo Chase (Gr1), ended his season by winning the Morgex 4yo Chase (Gr3). The winner is trained in Maisons-Laffitte by Lucie Pontoir, marking her first jumps runner of the year!
1er #GrandSteepleChase Masters de la saison à #Auteuil, le Prix Robert de Clermont-Tonnerre (Gr3), a vu le 5ans AQPS @TheFrenchChaser élevé par Jean-Louis Berger Jazz Manouche (Nom de d'La) aller chercher un héroïque leader Gallipoli (Gleneagles), courageux 2e. pic.twitter.com/BH4D4qDbGc
— France Galop (@francegalop) February 24, 2024
The winner's dam, Tinapalo (Epalo), failed to place for trainer Jean-Paul Gallorini. Nevertheless, she is a sister to the champion mare Kario de Sormain (Gunboat Diplomacy), winner of the Georges Courtois Chase (Gr2) and the Héros XII Chase (Gr3) at Auteuil. Before producing Jazz Manouche, she also gave birth to Étoile du Berger (Network), a winner of three provincial races under Patrick Klein's colours. Thus, the new victor of the Robert de Clermont-Tonnerre (Gr3) is her top foal to date. Following are a 4-year-old in training with Pascal Journiac, Kregiel (Cokoriko), who made his debut at Auteuil in the autumn for his fourth outing, another year-younger son of Cokoriko withdrawn from an Auctav sale in the Autumn, the 2-year-old Monsieur Eddy (Bande), and the yearling colt Ni Queue Ni Tête (Headman). Two older, unraced females, including a full sister to Jazz Manouche, are being bred by Jean-Louis Berger.
What connections said:
Lucie Pontoir (the trainer of Jazz Manouche, 1st) – (France)
"It was the first time that Jazz Manouche was up against older horses. It was also his reappearance. Was it a surprise to see him win? Yes and no... These are true races. Good horses and great trainers were on display. I'm just a mere youngster! I'm very lucky, and I'd like to thank the Berger family and jockey Damien Mescam for their trust in me. I went to school with Damien Mescam. We've known each other since we were 13. He's a good friend of mine. Given how the race unfolded, I thought I'd be happy with second or third place. However, Damien heard me from the stands and told himself I shouldn't give up. Undoubtedly, the heavy ground is to Jazz Manouche’s advantage. However, he’s still a great horse. We talked a lot about the horse’s programme, and we said to ourselves that if we won this race, we'd have no choice but to go for the Grand Steeple via the Prix Murat."
Damien Mescam (the jockey of Jazz Manouche, 1st) – (France)
"There was pace in the race, and fortunately so because my horse raced freely. At the end of the backstretch, I could see that Gallipoli was far ahead. That's when I thought to myself that he was going to take some catching. However, Jazz Manouche has so much heart that he pursued Gallipoli. The horse has matured since last autumn. He needs to race and so get tougher with his racing. I think he'll act on a sound surface as he matures."
Noel George (the trainer of Gallipoli, 2nd) – (France)
"You must be positive with him constantly as he’s a creature of moods, and Baptiste Le Clerc rode him very well. He loves to dominate [from the front] as he did today and is best when fresh. I think he'll be better on good ground, and we'll give him plenty of time to recover. He could be heading to the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris. We'll think about it, depending on how he comes out of the race."