1 January 2018
Photos scoopdyga.com
The rise of François Nicolle, the resilient domination at the top of a 14th time champion trainer Guillaume Macaire, the return to the top of the Papot Family, the Simon Munir and his partner Isaac Souede's prominent stable at the top among the owners, a 2nd Cravache d'or for Bertrand Lestrade and the amazing results of breeders Marie-Christine and Benoît Gabeur, top breeders thanks to their champion dam Westonne at stud made the news of 2017 over the French jumps.
In 2017, the Papot family regained its leadership in jumps races in France. The green and blue jacket presented 96 horses, providing 390 starters for 60 wins and €3.17m in prize money. The American owner Magalen Bryant follows with 50 victories and €2.63m. However, the two British partners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, had they merged in one single team, would lead with a total of 61 wins and more than €3.2m euros in earnings.
More trainers have now joined the top owners' lists with Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé lining up 104 horses to run 408 races and win 82 times. They earned nearly €1.4m in the process while Guillaume Macaire's Palmyr Racing won 99 races, being the winningest stable in the country, just beating the one million mark in returns.
Guillaume Macaire is sacred champion trainer for 14th time. The La Palmyre team declared 228 horses in training thorughout the year, launching 906 runners and winning 269 races, nearly double whate the number two François Nicolle managed in his outstanding season. In terms of earnings, we see almost the same differences since the Macaire team has increased to €8.5m against €4.3m for that of François Nicolle, which has however gained a more classic status with the Gr1 wins of Bipolaire, De Bon Coeur and Alex de Larredya.
Unsurprisingly, Marie-Christine and Benoît Gabeur lead again the breeders'list with only 14 horses, 59 starters and 23 wins for €228,895 in Breeders' Premiums. Their horses took €1.54m in prize money, including €1.15m for the Westonne amazing three So French, Device and Whetstone ...
The Haras de Saint-Voir run by Nicolas and Pascaline de Lageneste follows with 52 wins, €1.7m in prize money - the best mark in 2017 - and €195,224in Breeders' premiums. Then, we find the third-placed Thierry Cyprès, from the Nievre, with 18 winners and €1.1m in prize money, €123.517 € in breeders' Premiums.
Champion rider Bertrand Lestrade seizes a 2nd title with 92 wins in 2017, two years after his first title. He is ahead of Kevin Nabet, winner of 61 races and just beaten by a mere €16,000 by the Cravache d'or. Despite an absence of several months at the beginning of the year, Jonathan Plouganou comes back with a third place and 53 wins, just ahead of another long time absentee, James Reveley, the defending champion.
Martaline is the champion sire over jumps with 120 foals, of which 40 have won 65 races, for an aggregate €3.05m in racing, whilst 2nd-placed Poliglote's offsprinf made €3.02m. Kapgarde is third with 51 wins and €2.37m.
For 3-year-olds - the youngest age to run in France over jumps - four sires got at least ten winners over jumps: Martaline and the young No Risk At All (11 each), Saint of Saints and Sageburg (10 each).