€140,000 Richard & Robert Hennessy Chase (Gr3): Il Est Français back in winning &

Saturday, September 28, 2024, Auteuil Racecourse (Paris). – After accumulating victories over hurdles and then in steeplechases, even reaching the highest level among novices in Great Britain, the 6-year-old AQPS Il Est Français (Karaktar) had been defeated twice in the spring, raising doubts about his future. However, he dispelled those doubts by triumphing from start to finish over the 4,400 meters of the €140,000 Richard et Robert Hennessy Chase (Gr3) for his return after a 175-day absence. Despite a very cautious jump at the big open ditch, the representative of Richard Kelvin Hughes and Haras de Saint-Voir, his breeder, left his closest rival, Toscana du Berlais (Shantou), who was always in second position, no less than seven lengths behind, with the outsider Losange Vert (Montmartre) twelve lengths back.

Il Est Français is part of the first crop of Karaktar (High Chaparral), an Aga Khan homebred, winner of the Prix Noailles (Gr3) and the Prix du Prince d'Orange (Gr3). His dam, Millésimée (Video Rock), did not do so well on the course. At stud, howevern before Il Est Français, her ninth and last foal, she produced eight winners from eight runners. Among them is Un Beau Matin (Sagamix), a listed winner who was then exported to Ireland, where he has been placed in Group races. In his close family, we also find Hard Rock (Video Rock), winner of an edition of the Prix Edmond Barrachin (Gr3), as well as Sortie de Secours (Trempolino), who won two listed races before becoming the dam of Général en Chef (Martaline), winner of the 2021 Prix William Head (L) and fourth in the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris (Gr1).