19 June 2022
Photo scoopdyga.com
Sunday, June 19, 2022, Chantilly Racecourse (Oise). – Seventh in the Prix de Montretout (L), three weeks earlier at ParisLongchamp over the mile against some of the opponents he found again in this Prix Bertrand du Breuil Longines (Gr3), Djo Français (Intello) took brilliant revenge. The Jean-Claude Rouget-trained 4-year-old horse took the lead and he kept going in the final stages when the favourite Dilawar (Dubawi), who’d been held in the field by Christophe Soumillon, was able to get out and dive on the front runner, only to be denied by a neck, while Jeri (Lawman), the winner of the "Montretout", stayed on in third, also at a neck, the next two failing by a head...
It was the eleventh outing and fifth victory of the Joseph Lesguer-owned Djo Français, who had never finished further than third before his misfortune of the Prix de Montretout, even at 2 years old: his winning debut was followed by a second-place, both at Deauville in August and October. He won his first Listed race at 3, in July at Chantilly, then finished third in the Daphnis (Gr3). He won again a Listed race for his return, in the Jacques Laffitte (L) at ParisLongchamp.
Djo Français was bred by the Haras de Montaigu, Bénédicte Ferry Abitbol and Lylia Cadet. He was bought as a weanling for € 45,000 by Yvan Lemonnier. At the end of his 3-year-old year, he returned to the ring, at the Arqana Arc sale, but did not reach his price at € 150,000.
His dam Nazlia (Polish Precedent) was bred by the Aga Khan, for whom she won two races. She was sold at 3 for € 62,000 to FIPS, then withdrawn by the Haras de Montaigu at € 14,000 at 9 years old, in 2012. She gave twelve foaled of which five won, including the good Shutterbug (Soldier of Fortune), winner and placed listed several times but always 4th as soon as he tried his luck at Group 3 level. His younger brother has already done better! More recently, Nazlia has given a Wings of Eagles filly in training with Markus Nigge -Shutterbug's trainer-, and a Taj Mahal yearling colt.
The family is well linked to Jean-Claude Rouget since he has trained two good foals out of Keira (Turtle Bowl), the second foal out of Nazlia, namely Aubevoye and Port Guillaume, both by... his former trainee Le Havre!