André Michel Mares Hurdle: Raffles Sainte avenges herself

Sunday, November 28, 2021, Auteuil racecourse (Paris). - Third a year ago in this very André Michel Mares Hurdle (Gr3), Raffles Sainte (Saint des Saints) prevailed this time. Trained by François Nicolle for her owners-breeders, Isaac Souede and Simon Munir, she travelled with the leaders Nuryadame (Martaline) and Rock Me (Sea the Moon) and took off in the run-in, leaving a closing Kolina Has (Saint des Saints) at 4 lengths with Madame Moonie (Sea the Moon), who had also been ridden rather close to the pace. The latter had just won the Bernard Secly Mares Hurdle (L), beating some of today’s foes.

It was a 5th victory for Raffles Sainte, who has also won twice chasing.

She is the first foal out of Loxlade (Sholokhov), a mare bred by Jean-Etienne Dubois sold for € 8,000 at the Deauville sales and winner of seven consecutive races over hurdles and fences between August 2013 at Riochefort-sur-Loire and April 2014 at Enghien. She was a faller in the Ferdinand Duyfaure 4yo Chase (Gr1) and was soon retired to stud. After Raffles Sainte, she gave Raffles Lox (Muhtathir), a maiden filly, and Raffles Monte (Martaline) and was then sold by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede for € 85,000 €, in foal to Saint des Saints, to Écurie Papot. She gave a filly, and another by Buck’s Boum. It is a Wildenstein bloodline, that of Verveine, Vallée Enchantée, Vespone and the Coronation Stakes (Gr1) winner Maids Causeway.