€278,000 Cambacérès 3yo Hurdle (Gr1): Jigme goes to stud on a high note

Sunday, 12 November 2023, Auteuil Racecourse (Paris). - Jigme (Motivator), the hot favourite for the €278,000 Prix Cambacérès 3yo Hurdle race (Gr1), having consistently outperformed the other 3-year-olds over Auteuil's hurdles (with 4 victories in 5 attempts), stood firm on the highly demanding turf of this rainy Sunday. The representative of a syndicate headed by Phoenix Eventing, belonging to Swiss eventer Stéphanie Hoffmann, led the field throughout the race. He was then challenged in the back straight by Master d’Oc (Doctor Dino), another entire colt, but by the time they reached the final turn, Master d’Oc’s effort had already waned. Pistache Doré (Sommerabend) made his move between the last two hurdles after biding his time. Still, Jigme extended the gap, finishing more than six lengths ahead of Léon du Berlais (Authorized), who placed second here for the fifth time and thus remains a maiden. Kingland (Cokoriko) surged late to snatch third place from Pistache Doré.

Jigme was bred by Yeguada Centurion and sold as a yearling for €90,000 at the Arqana October sales to Frédéric Sauque, who became his co-owner along with Phoenix Eventing, the Haras de l'Hôtellerie, and Marc Bridoux.

His dam Simawa (Anabaa) was bred by the Aga Khan and won as a 2-year-old before producing Listed place-getter Silwana (Peintre Célèbre) and notably the good Sinawann (Kingman), who at 2 years old placed second in a Group 2 race won by Mogul before being exported to Australia, where he performed commendably from 7 to 10 furlongs.

Meanwhile, the mare was sold for €210,000 at the Goffs sales, in foal to Gleneagles. Jigme is her most recent foal.

Simawa is a sister to the champion Sinndar (Grand Lodge)...

Jigme is now set to enter stud. Both the first and second are potential sires...