Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris: Docteur de Ballon bounces again

Sunday, May 23, 2021, Auteuil Racecourse (Paris). - Winner of a Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris moved to the Autumn last year, and the of the La Haye Jousselin Chase (Gr1), 9-year-old Docteur de Ballon (Doctor Dino) litterally sprinted home in his usual fashion to win another Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris, over 5 lengths ahead of Carriacou (Califet), winner of the 2019 renewal of the race. 5-year-old Galleo Conti (Poliglote) finished well in 3rd, beating Général en Chef (Martaline), who led most of the second circuit.

Docteur de Ballon became the 10th double winner of the €820,000 French Gold Cup, run over 3m6f.

The three runners saddled by David Cottin led the race, 5-year-old favourite Le Berry (Gemix) showing the way without holding anything, jumping to his right on a few occasions, along with stablemate Ajas (No Risk At All), ridden by Rachael Blackmore, and Général en Chef, who took over before the rail-ditch-and-fence, at the second lap, when Figuero (Yeats) lost his jockey. Feu Follet (Kapgarde) lost his soon after while Docteur de Ballon, who had travelled in last and jumped solwly at the rail-ditch, came by in 4th position into the last turn, behind Général en Chef, Le Berry and Carriacou. He passed them one after one as if they were standing still and made his thing while a tiring Général en Chef was passed by Carriacou and Galleo Conti, always travelling cosily in 5th or 6th position.

Docteur de Ballon was running his second race of the season after finishing 2nd to Ajas in the Murat Chase (Gr2).

Docteur de Ballon's dam, Nile Breeze (Phantom Breeze), ran 65 times from 3 to 9 years old, won 7 races over jumps, including two chases run at Enghien. Docteur de Ballon is the first of her four foals to date, two of which have won. A 4-year-old Barastraight filly is in training with Louisa Carberry but she has failed five times over hurdles - she was pulled up on October 2 at Nantes ...

Going back further, we find a second dam, Nile Turgeon (Turgeon), co-bred by the Gasche-Lucs and winner at Auteuil for her hurdling debut in March at 4, out of the Wildenstein homebred Nile Palace (Crystal Palace), the second dam in particular of Scarlet Row (Turgeon, the same crossing as Nile Turgeon), a second in the Maurice Gillois 4yo Chase (Gr1) who also gave birth to the champion chaser Politologue (Poliglote).