The Defi des Haras - Grand Steeple Chase de Paris - The horse Sel Jem regains his title four years later

Four years after his first triumph in the Défi des Haras – Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris, Sel Jem achieved the feat of winning once again France’s greatest steeplechase, held on Sunday at Auteuil Racecourse. Sel Jem has faced numerous health problems since his 2022 victory, but his connections succeeded in bringing him back to peak condition to triumph once more. The 9-year-old horse proved imperious from start to finish over the 6,000-metre course, winning by 13 lengths ahead of outsider Bon Garçon. Gold Tweet finished an excellent third.

Sel Jem is trained at Royan-La Palmyre by Guillaume Macaire and Hector de Lageneste. This is an eighth title for the Charente-based stable, an all-time record in this race. The two men had already won in 2022 with Sel Jem. Before joining forces with Hector de Lageneste, Guillaume Macaire had won six Grands Steeples: Arenice in 1996, Bel la Vie in 2013, Storm of Saintly in 2014, So French in 2016 and 2017, and On the Go in 2018. Sel Jem, as in 2022, was partnered by 45-year-old jockey Johnny Charron. Charron had also won in 2023 aboard Rosario Baron, trained by Daniela Mele.

Sel Jem is owned by the Papot family, the defending titleholders with Diamond Carl, for whom this marks a fifth victory. He was bred in the Orne region by Florence Lormand.

Technical result

1st SEL JEM (Johnny Charron)

2nd BON GARÇON (Charlotte Prichard)

3rd GOLD TWEET (Clément Lefebvre)

Connections’ reactions

Guillaume Macaire (co-trainer of Sel Jem, 1st) – Royan-La Palmyre Training Centre (17)

“I am happier than I have been in a very long time. It is a joy that is difficult to describe. All the difficulties we encounter are forgotten. On top of that, it brings our tally to an eighth Grand Steeple. Johnny Charron knows his horse perfectly, and Sel Jem has experience. He was the only one in the field to have already won this race! His greatest quality is his inexhaustible stamina. He keeps going, all the time… Today, because the ground was spongy but not heavy, he handled it well. He does not show his age because he has had several career interruptions. He suffered a tendon injury, he had a broken hip… And at the start of the year, he was very ill with flu, spending a month in his box with a high fever. Only exceptional horses can come back from that.”

Hector de Lageneste (co-trainer of Sel Jem, 1st) – Royan-La Palmyre Training Centre (17)

“The horse was extraordinary. We are very lucky to have him. It is a life lesson when you know everything he has been through. From the last hurdle down the back straight, when I saw him in front, I broke down in tears, thinking about how far he had come back from. Champions like him do not need anyone. This is also a victory for the whole team. Johnny came every day to ride him in the lead-up to the Grand Steeple.”

Johnny Charron (jockey of Sel Jem, 1st)

“He is my horse; he knows me inside out, and I know him inside out. I would like to thank a woman who worked very hard when the horses were ill at the start of the year. That is Patricia Le Tellier. She took great care of the horse. It is a huge team effort.”

Xavier Papot (owner of Sel Jem, 1st)

“This morning, when I saw the rain, I thought we had no chance. The weekend had already been wonderful, with Losange Bleu on Saturday and Huron Bleu earlier in the day. Once the race had started, the further it went on, the more we could see that we could win. This horse has come back from nowhere. His racing career came very close to being over. I cannot even cry because I have not even realised that we have won. It is the first time before a race that I could not imagine winning. What a weekend! Our silks are blessed; I really will have to go to church and light some candles. This horse has unbelievable class, something that cannot be explained. People love him very much. Honestly, I do not know what to say, because I cannot take it in — it is so powerful.”

Florence Lormand (breeder of Sel Jem, 1st)

“I still cannot believe it. It is incredible. It is a wonderful reward because this is certainly not an easy profession. Everyone knows that, but I still want to say it again! I think he is truly incredible. He is an exception among champions. Truly. And he is a horse who has come back from a very long way. He was seriously injured twice… and he came back! He has incredible trainers, who have done outstanding work. Mr Papot has always provided everything this horse needed. Hector de Lageneste and Guillaume Macaire form a magnificent team. And Johnny — there is not even anything to say, because Johnny… he truly forms a partnership with this horse.”

François Pamart (co-trainer of Bon Garçon, 2nd) – Royan-La Palmyre Training Centre (17)

“Bon Garçon ran a superb race. Charlotte, his jockey, gave him a very good ride. We are really very pleased with his performance.”

Gabriel Leenders (trainer of Gold Tweet, 3rd) – Jarzé Training Centre (49)

“Thank you, Gold Tweet! He is not the best horse, but he has always given us everything. I am happy for my friend Johnny, who wins today. On faster ground, Gold Tweet might perhaps have finished more quickly, but he was extraordinary once again. Hector de Lageneste and Guillaume Macaire have done a tremendous job with the winner. It is beautiful!”

David Cottin (trainer of Juntos Ganamos, 4th) – Chantilly Training Centre (60)

“Juntos Ganamos has always shown that he is a very great horse, and he showed it again today. He slightly caught the rail ditch again, and Quentin Samaria, his jockey, was very good. He sent him forward. I am proud of him. Kivala du Berlais, who fell, did not have a race: we were not beaten, he did not run! Our only consolation is that he was not hurt.”

Quentin Samaria (jockey of Juntos Ganamos, 4th)

“He is a superb horse, a champion. His mistake at the rail ditch probably cost us a little. We might not have won, but we could certainly have gained one or two places. I had incredible sensations. He is a star, a true champion on that kind of ground. Leading throughout in those conditions is not something every horse can do. I am very happy, very moved too, and my thoughts are with Philippe Cottin. After his big mistake, I managed to stay in the saddle. It reminded me of David Cottin in the old days with Mali Borgia. Above all, I hope the horse comes back well, but after the race he was barely blowing.”

Hugo Merienne (trainer of In Love, 5th) – Chantilly Training Centre (60)

“I am very pleased. He is a horse who is a little below the very best, but he always gives his heart on the track in the major events, when he arrives at 100%. Today we finished fifth. He flattened out a little after the final hurdle, which is a shame, but I am very pleased with the horse and he will come back for La Haye Jousselin. I think he is capable of quickening a little when the ground is more holding. As he gets older, he prefers that. But heavy ground like today is not prohibitive for him.”