€247,000 Georges Courtois Chase (Gr2): Gold Tweet, always versatile, only better

Saturday, 2nd December 2023, Auteuil Racecourse (Paris) – Beaten by a head by Spes Militurf (König Turf) in the Grand Steeple-Chase de Compiègne (Gr2) before heading to the start of the €247,000 Prix Georges Courtois Chase (Gr2), Gold Tweet (On Est Bien) assumed the role of challenger against the representative of Jamonières Élevage du Cellier, a fellow 6-year-old and the race favourite.

That's precisely how Gold Tweet was ridden – behind the leading two, including Spes Militurf, whom he didn't boldly challenge until after the final hurdle. While the other race leader, Grandioso (Samum), was still in contention, it was in the run-in that the acceleration of the gelding shared by AGV Karwin Stud, trainer Gabriel Leenders, Mickaël Lasry, Seror Racing Management and Laurence Baudouin, made a clear difference. Spes Militurf had to settle for a very respectable second place, more than seven lengths behind the winner but six ahead of Grandioso, who put up a good show over the 2m6f meters of this consolation race for the La Haye-Jousselin Chase.

Bred by Elie Lellouche, Gold Tweet was racing for the 23rd time, two years and nine months after winning his only French Group race to date, the Hopper Chase (Gr3), at age 4 at Compiègne. He has since won at the Group 2 level but at Cheltenham last January in the Cleeve Hurdle (Gr2), before a misstep at the Festival. He has raced only four times since, thrice this autumn, and exclusively in steeplechase.

This versatile and talented jumper was purchased for €14,000 by AGV Karwin Stud (Grégory Vayre) and Damien de Watrigant at the Osarus sales at 2 years old. More recently, in November, his yearling brother by Kapgarde was bought back for €45,000 at Deauville. Their dam, Goldance (Goldnevev), won on the flat at Compiègne under the colours of Elie Lellouche and is out of the accomplished Jance (Agent Bleu), winner of the Prix Léopold d'Orsetti over hurdles, as well as in steeplechase and hurdles at Auteuil.

This year, Goldance produced a filly by Bande.