The “Grand Steeple-Chase Masters” are off and running!

The “Grand Steeple-Chase Masters” are off and running!

The Prix Robert de Clermont-Tonnerre (Group 3) will be the highlight of the first race meeting of the year at Auteuil, this Saturday, February 15. This 4,400-meter-long race is the first preparatory race for the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris (Group 1, May 18) ahead of the Prix Troytown (Group 3, March 8), Murat (Group 2, March 30), and Ingré (Group 2, April 26). All these races are part of the Grand Steeple-Chase Masters, a label celebrating its fourth edition in 2025. It brings together the four preparatory races for the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris, the ultimate challenge (a distance of 6,000 meters and 23 legendary obstacles) that will take place on Sunday, May 18, 2025, at the Auteuil racecourse. To prepare for this grand prize and reach their peak form, the best horses alongside the elite of jump jockeys test their form at each stage.

Horses and Theatre
This race commemorates the memory of Robert de Clermont-Tonnerre, who was a member of the committee of the Société des Steeple-Chases de France until his death in March 1929. He also owned a major racing stable, achieving top-level success in both jump and flat racing. But this was not his only passion: he also dedicated part of his fortune to organizing lavish theatrical and musical performances at his estate in Maisons-Laffitte.

A Duel Between Auteuil and Pau
The 2025 edition of the Prix Robert de Clermont-Tonnerre, a race created in 1930, has attracted Ain’t Got Wings, a 7-year-old horse who made a strong comeback in the autumn of 2024 after a long break. Highly regarded, he has lived up to the high expectations of his connections and is a serious contender for the final victory in the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris. He represents the colors of Irishman Sean Mulryan, who won all the major races at Auteuil between 2004 and 2009, notably thanks to champions such as Mid Dancer, Or Noir de Somoza, and Cyrlight. Facing him will be high-quality horses like Galleo Conti, third in the 2021 Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris, Kashdam, and Jazz Manouche, two well-established performers at Auteuil. This is precisely the appeal of the Prix Robert de Clermont-Tonnerre: competitors who excelled at Pau during the famous winter meeting (such as Kentucky Wood, Doctor Kaleo, and Le Listrac) meet the elite horses from Auteuil. In peak condition, they can take advantage of their current form to outperform horses who may be – theoretically – better.