23 May 2022
Photo scoopdyga.com
May, Auteuil
Prix Alain du Breil 4yo Hurdle race
Group 1, 4-year-olds, Hurdle Race, 3,900m/19.5f, €250,000
Created in 1961
Last winner: Hawai du Berlais (f4, FRA par Martaline et Hilton du Berlais, par Saint des Saints), appartenant à Famille Bryant, élevée par Haras du Berlais, entraînée par Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé, montée par Pierre Dubourg.
The « Course de Haies d’Eté des 4 Ans » - Prix Alain du Breil will be run in 2023 for the 38th time
The 2022 edition
May 22, 2022, Auteuil Racecourse (Paris). Horses trained in the Charentes, near Royan, won the four Gr1 races of the Grand Steeple weekend at Auteuil, the last being the Alain du Breil 4-year-old Hurdle race (Gr1). Conditioned by Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé, Hawai du Berlais (Martaline) got the last word with the late Magalen Bryant's colours, and so her trainer has now won every one of the 9 French jumps Gr1 races.
Hawai du Berlais had previously won the Amadou 4-year-old Hurdle race (Gr2), bating most of her rivals here. She was the odds-on favourite to double down here. She just needed to be shaken up a bit to get rid of a fierce West End Girl (Great Pretender), who couldn't keep up after the last and finished second at six lengths, well safe from any return with eight lengths to spare over Norville (Air Chief Marshal), who just caught home a brave Imprenable (Chœur du Nord) for third-place. The race was led early by Royale Margaux (Doctor Dino), pressed by a free Kyrov (Dark Angel), who unseated his rider at the 3rd jump. In the backstretch, Hawai du Berlais and West End Girl took over when she started to fade.
Hawai has now won 5 of her 7 races. Last Autumn, she ducked from the boys in the Cambacérès3-year-old Hurdle race (Gr1) as her trainer elected to keep her record clean with a third win in the Haras d’Étreham Magalen Bryant 3-year-old Fillies Hurdle race (Gr2). Yet, the filly got beat by Kyrov and then Ine Anjou (now out of training) for her first two trials this term, but she ran to her true form again in time for the big one.
Hawai du Berlais was bred by Jean-Marc Lucas, at Haras du Berlais, like the other major 4-year-old winner today, Altesse du Berlais in the Ferdinand Dufaure 4yo Chase (Gr1). She is the second foal out of Hilton du Berlais (Saint des Saints), a Group3 winner over hurdles at Auteuil, and also the dam of another Martaline filly now aged 3 in training with Yannick Fouin. Two Doctor Dino colts follow.
History
This race was given its name in 1988 to honour Alain du Breil, who was chairman of the Société des Steeple-Chases de France committee from 1977 to 1987.
Its origins go back to 1961, when 4 year-olds were excluded from the Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil. At the time, a special event was created for them named the Grande Course de Haies des 4 Ans, contested on the same day as the Grand Steeple. In 1986, it became the Course d'Eté des 4 Ans, while the name Grande Course de Haies des 4 Ans was made the subtitle of a new race, the Prix Renaud du Vivier held at the end of the autumn meeting. In 2009, the Course d'Eté des 4 Ans - Prix Alain du Breil will be run for the 24th time.
Only five horses have won both the summer and autumn events: Marly River (1987), Silbertal (1995) and Le Coudray (1998), Nickname (2003) and Blue Dragon (2015).
As for the winners of the summer event reserved for 4 year-olds, only one (Orvilliers, in 1967-1968) has succeeded in winning the Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil. None have been victorious in the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris.
The 2004 Prix Alain du Breil was notable for all of the first three places being taken by fillies: Mésange Royale, Ma Royale and Maia Era.
For the first time in 2005, the race was won by a foreign horse, Strangely Brown, trained by Eric McNamara in Ireland. Since then, Willie Mullins scored twice with Diakali (2013) and Footpad (2016).
When the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris was brought forward by three weeks in 1998, the link was broken with the Prix Alain du Breil, which kept its place in mid-June alongside the Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil and the Prix des Drags.
In 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the race was postponed to June and moved to Compiègne.
Alain du Breil (1919-1987)
Elected to the board of the Société des Steeple-Chases de France on 19 December 1973, Alain du Breil succeeded the Marquis du Vivier as its chairman on 15 November 1977.
He came from a family with a passion for all things equestrian, his father Charles du Breil having been chairman of the Club des Gentlemen-Riders from 1946 to 1951. His grandmother, Eira du Breil, was an intrepid horsewoman and his uncle, Georges du Breil, an officer of the Haras National, was amateur jumps racing champion five times between 1928 and 1933. A minor breeder himself, he produced an excellent horse in 1978 called The Wonder, a winner of four Group I races.
During his chairmanship, he oversaw the completion of Auteuil Racecourse’s renovation in 1985, the repair of the tracks having been undertaken in 1967 and the reconstruction of the stands having commenced in 1973. Alain du Breil’s priority as chairman was to forge strong links between Auteuil and the provinces so as to provide the racecourse with plenty of starters. In order to break down the barriers dividing Paris and the provinces, he had the idea of creating the Coupe d'Or, a veritable Tour de France of jumps racecourses which would leave a good memory after eleven years of existence (1980-1990). During the ten years of his chairmanship, Alain du Breil was unstinting in his efforts to promote non-thoroughbreds and to showcase Auteuil and jumps racing as a whole at a time when spectator numbers were falling sharply.
Owners
- Bryant Family (3 wins): Salder Roque (2010), Blue Dragon (2015) for Magalen, Hawai du Berlais (2022) for the family.
- Sylvia Wildenstein (2 wins): N’Avoue Jamais (2000), Nickname (2003).
- Simon Munir & Issac Souede (2 wins): Footpad (2016), Prince Ali (2017).
- Mrs Patrick Papot (2 wins) : Usual Suspects (2012), Hermès Baie (2021).
Trainers
- Jean-Paul Gallorini (7 wins): Sarh (1990), Silbertal (1995), Villez (1996), Silver Top (1999), N’Avoue Jamais (2000), Nickname (2003), Roll On Has (2014).
- Guy Cherel (4 wins): Rendons Grâce (2009), Salder Roque (2010), Usual Suspects (2012), Blue Dragon (2015).
- Guillaume Macaire (3 wins): Prince Ali (2017), Feu Follet (2019), For Fun (2020)
- Jean Lesbordes (2 wins): Trebrook (1988), Lake Powell (1994).
- Bernard Sécly (2 wins): Gabarret (1991), Kadalko (1992).
- Willie Mullins (2 wins): Diakali (2013), Footpad (2016)..
Riders
- Thierry Majorcryk (3 wins): Silver Top (1999), N’Avoue Jamais (2000) et Nickname 2003) ;
- Cyrille Gombeau (3 wins): Rendons Grâce (2009), Salder Roque (2010) et Usual Suspects (2012) ;
- Ruby Walsh (3 wins): Strangely Brown (2005), Diakali (2013) et Footpad (2016).