14 March 2021
Such is the magnitude of the modern-day Cheltenham festival and its influence on the French breed that it’s become an event that no French horseman can afford to miss. Even the most remote small-time breeder will turn on the Tv or show up at the local PMU outlet to watch it on Equidia.
It is their crunch, a soft version of the 6 Nations game. Counting the French-bred jumpers’ trophies and comparing Ireland’s and Britain is a popular March pastime with Gallic breeders.
The meeting is also the annual call of a stock market that’s driven by the will to win of Irish and British owners, trainers and talent scouts. Every one of us is looking for weanlings, yearlings, store horses and ready-made Cheltenham Festival jumpers. So every year, rain or shine, we all cross our fingers at the same time and support “our own”, since whether we still own or not these brave horses, we still feel they are a part of us. And indeed, every breeder involved, regardless of where they are watching the Festival drama unfold, feel the same when the Prestbury bell rings.
“Rain or shine”, but this year is so special. No public, no Cheltenham roar at the start of “The Supreme”, no fulfilling joy of ticking another box on the “Festivals attended” list. And no FRBC box at the Festival! We will miss it. French breeders will, too, as it is an excellent opportunity for us to meet again, to share our stories and our thoughts, our plans, to congratulate each other, to be reunited.
The FRBC will send you this letter every Festival day to keep you posted on the French perspective and remind you that we are here to share the event with you, support your horses, as they’re still ours, too.
The “French” Brigade on Tuesday
34 (36 last year) / 86 runners (42%, 109 in 2020).
Details below
Breeders of the day:
François-Xavier and Doulce Lefeuvre, breeders of Épatante
The breeders of Epatante didn’t make it to the 2020 Festival, and they did not see her mare win the Champion Hurdle for J P McManus. It’s not that they were not willing to go, only that they are a bit superstitious. They had made the trip a year before, and their darling Epatante had flopped as the beaten favourite in the Mares’ Novices Hurdle (Gr2). She’d completely recovered and won again at Kempton Park in the Christmas Hurdle, but they did not want to jinx her “again”.
So they saw her win on Equidia, but two of their daughters had defied the racing gods and were indeed at Prestbury park last year. They cheered louder than the whole stands and welcomed home Epatante at the end of a memorable, last-minute journey.
Based in the Sarthe, about two hours west of Paris on the road to Brittany, the Lefeuvres all live with horses. They raised their five children amongst the horses bred by their dad -he was also involved in breeding draft horses-while mom was training and riding them. As a result, the Lefeuvres are all somehow involved in horse racing today.
Whatever Epatante (which could translate into both “amazing” or “swell”) is up to on Tuesday against the mighty Honeysuckle, they no longer fear to jinx her and will surely sneak past the Covid patrol to live the event as a family.
Bérengère, François-Xavier & Anne Doucle Lefeuvre at home last Winter with Virfolette, a Denham Red sister to 2020 Champion Hurdle winner Epatante.
Bloodstock agent of the day:
Hubert Barbe
(HB Bloodstock & Horse Racing Advisory)
Hubert Barbe started as an assistant to his father, trainer Jack-Hubert Barbe, a 6-times Jumps champion trainer in France, before settling as a bloodstock agent in 1993. He was one of the first to source French jumpers to Britain and Ireland, mainly for Martin Pipe. They developed a very successful relationship until the trainer’s retirement. Hubert now works on the French market for patrons such as J P McManus, who won 6 races at the 2020 Festival with French-bred horses.
Hubert Barbe is based in Chantilly and is a member of the French Bloodstock Agents Association (AFC): https://www.courtiersafc.com/hubert-barbe
A French-bred to follow:
James du Berlais
5-year-old James du Berlais (Muhtathir) will start for the first time outside France in one of the most competitive races of the 2021 Festival, the Champion Hurdle (Gr1). Robert Collet formerly trained him at Chantilly. In June last year, he was purchased privately by Simon Munir & Isaac Souede after a commanding success at Auteuil in a handicap. For the famous #DoubleGreen silks, the Jean-Marc Lucas-bred (the “Berlais” label) chestnut went on to win two Gr3s after that and was 2nd in both the Auteuil 4yo Hurdling championships of 2020.
Now trained by Willie Mullins in Ireland, this fast jumper has never run on such a short distance (2m1/2f).
Tuesday Frenchbred entries at the Festival (on ITV)
1:20 Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Gr1) 2m½f
- 12/1 Blue Lord, owned by Simon Munir & Isaac Souede
Bred in Meurthe-et-Moselle by Mrs P Moruzzi & Mrs R Demaison
- 25/1 Irascible, owned by Gigginstown House Stud
Bred in Orne by Gestüt Kussaburg
1:55 Sporting Life Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase (Gr1) 2m
- 20/1 Franco de Port (AQPS), owned by Brutton Street V
Bred in Allier by Patrick Joubert & Haras de Saint-Voir
- 100/1 Eldorado Allen (AQPS), owned by J P Romans & Terry Warner
Bred in Allier by Bruno Vagne
2:30 Ultima Handicap Chase (Gr3) 3m1f
- 16/1 Alnadam, owned by Bryan Drew
Bred in Mayenne by Richard & Ange Corvellers
- 20/1 Cépage (AQPS), owned by the Bellamy Partnership
Bred in Allier by Hervé d’Armaillé
- 33/1 Délire d’Estruval (AQPS), owned by Simon Munir & Isaac Souede
Bred in Pas-de-Calais by Mrs Bernard Le Gentil
- 40/1 The Wolf, owned by McNeill Family & Prodec Networks Ltd
Bred in Maine-et-Loire by Mrs O Goupil
3:05 Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy (Gr1)
- 7/2 Épatante (AQPS), owned by J P McManus
Bred in Sarthe by Mr & Mrs François-Xavier Lefeuvre
- 4/1 Goshen, owned by Steven Packham
Bred in Calvados by Christophe Toulorge
- 10/1 Abacadabras, owned by Gigginstown House Stud
Bred in Moselle by E Van Haaren
- 16/1 Sharjah, owned by Mrs Susan Ricci
Bred in Vendée by Haras de Beauvoir
- 20/1 James du Berlais, owned by Simon Munir & Isaac Souede
Bred in Vienne by Jean-Marc Lucas
- 66/1 Saldier, owned by Mrs Susan Ricci
Bred in Calvados by Azienda Agricola Le Ginestre SS
- 100/1 Petit Mouchoir, owned by Noel & Valerie Moran
Bred in Mayenne by P Gueret
3:40 David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle (Gr1)
- 6/5 Concertista, owned by Simon Munir & Isaac Souede
Bred in Calvados by Wertheimer & Frère
- 6/1 Dame de Compagnie (AQPS), owned by J P McManus
Bred in Allier by Mrs D Berchon & Haras de Saint-Voir
- 16/1 Great White Shark, owned by Malcolm C Denmark
Bred in Calvados by Anne-Marie d’Estainville-Gedik
- 33/1 Floressa, owned by Just Four Men
Bred in Orne by Mrs F Lasseur
- 50/1 Dolcita, owned by Sullivan Bloodstock Ltd
Bred in Calvados by Pierre Goral
4:15 Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Gr3) 2m½f
- 5/1 Houx Gris (AQPS), owned by Booth Evans Giles & Sullivan Bloodstock
Bred in Nièvre by EARL, Olivier & Marc Trinquet
- 11/2 Saint Sam, owned by Edward J Ware
Bred in Orne by Mrs Irene Catsaras, Mrs Véronique Dubois & Mrs Manon Dubois
- 17/2 Busselton, owned by Chanelle Phar Ltd
Bred in Orne by Aleyrion Bloodstock
- 11/1 Rivière d’Etel, owned by Noel & Valerie Moran
Bred in Morbihan by Yannick Fouin
- 14/1 Youmdor, owned by the Mc Neill Family
Bred in Calvados by Head Ltd
- 14/1 Nassalam, owned by John Stone
Bred in Gers by Génétique Obstacle
- 16/1 Balko Saint, owned by Mrs Jane Williams
Bred in Calvados by Haras du Mondant
- 20/1 Hell Red, owned by Martin Broughton & Friends 6
Bred in Orne by Ms Kerry Ann & Ms Auregann Kepa
- 20/1 Homme Public (AQPS), owned by the Nevers Racing Partnership II
Bred in Nièvre by Jacques Cyprès
- 50/1 Elham Valley, owned by Caveat Emptor Partnership
Bred in Orne by Mrs S Dupray
- 66/1 Burgundy Man, owned by Miss V M Williams
Bred in Calvados by Ms E Petit & Ms H Petit
4:50 Sam Vestey National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices’ Chase (Gr2) 3m6f
- 11/2 Escaria Ten, owned by the McNeill Family
Bred in Maine-et-Loire by J Cesbron
- 8/1 Lord Royal, owned by Paul Connell & Alan McGonnell
Bred in Calvados by Bertran de Balanda Ltd & J Dias Gomes
- 50/1 Nestor Park, owned by Mrs S P Davis
Bred in Oise by Haras de la Faisanderie, Mrs D Chaussonnière, François-Xavier Chaussonnière & N Chaussonnière
- 50/1 Eden du Houx, owned by Prof Caroline Tisdall
Bred in Ille-et-Vilaine by C Ferchaud, E Ibara & Mrs M Aliane Séché