19 October 2020
Photo scoopdyga.com
Sunday, October 18, 2020, Auteuil. - It is after a very lively 3m6f that the outsider Docteur de Ballon (Doctor Dino), trained in Senonnes in Mayenne for his breeders, the Gasche-Lucs, and ridden by Bertrand Lestrade, won the 143rd edition of the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris (Gr1), competed this year with a five months delay.
The 8-year-old gelding had only raced once this Autumn when he unseated his rider in the Gascogne Chase (Gr3) at Compiègne. But he had already shown he was entitled to high expectations at the highest level when winning the Ingré Chase (Gr3) last year before unseating his rider in the Grand Steeple. Out since June 2019, and deprived of a real comeback, he was ridden by the rear by Bertrand Lestrade, already victorious in this Grand Steeple in 2013 with Bel La Vie.
In the home stretch, Docteur de Ballon sprinted to catch and beat the 5-year-old Figuero (Yeats), thrown forward by Angelo Zuliani at the double barrier jump, 22nd and penultimate obstacle of the race. Roxinela (Muhtathir) and Feu Follet (Kapgarde), who had followed the front-runner On The Go (Kamsin), were still around back then- the favourite Bipolaire (Fragrant Mix) had lost his rider on the jump of the big open-ditch, the only incident in the race, at the 10th jump.
Finally, Docteur de Ballon never slowed down and came out on top by completing the run-in in 17''25, ¾ of a second less time than the second-best final sprinter, Feu Follet. The last kilometre (1,057 meters from the middle open-ditch to the post) was completed in 1,12’7 by the winner, compared to around 1,14’6 for his next two ...
Figuero finished second, five lengths behind the winner, half a length ahead of Feu Follet. Defending champion Carriacou (Califet) managed to take fourth place from Roxinela at the very end.
Docteur de Ballon's dam, Nile Breeze (Phantom Breeze), ran 65 times from 3 to 9 years old, won 7 races over jumps, including two chases run at Enghien. Doctor de Ballon is the first of her four foals to date, two of which have won. A 4-year-old Barastraight filly is in training with Louisa Carberry but she has failed five times over hurdles - she was pulled up on October 2 at Nantes ...
Going back further, we find a second dam, Nile Turgeon (Turgeon), co-bred by the Gasche-Lucs and winner at Auteuil for her hurdling debut in March at 4, out of the Wildenstein homebred Nile Palace (Crystal Palace), the second dam in particular of Scarlet Row (Turgeon, the same crossing as Nile Turgeon), a second in the Maurice Gillois 4yo Chase (Gr1) who also gave birth to the champion chaser Politologue (Poliglote).