Kashdam Wins the First Stage of the Grand Steeple-Chase Masters
The 4th edition of the Grand Steeple-Chase Masters, consisting of four races leading up to the pinnacle event- the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris on Sunday, May 18 - was officially launched on Saturday, February 15, at the Auteuil racecourse with the Prix Robert de Clermont-Tonnerre. This Group 3 steeplechase was decisively won by Kashdam, ridden by jockey Gaëtan Masure and owned by the Hervé Guérin stable as well as Richard Corveller, who also bred him.
This marks the first Group victory for Kashdam's trainers, a newly formed partnership in early 2025 between Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé and François Pamart, who was initially his jockey before becoming his assistant. Both trainers are based at the Royan-La Palmyre racecourse.
Kashdam secured the biggest win of his career, finishing ahead of Jazz Manouche, last year’s winner of this race, and the young Kentucky Wood, who was among the top contenders of his generation last year, just behind… Kashdam’s younger brother, Kaadam!
Official Results
1st KASHDAM (G. Masure)
2nd JAZZ MANOUCHE (G. Meunier)
3rd KENTUCKY WOOD (A. Zuliani)
Reactions from Connections
Richard Corveller (Breeder & Co-owner of Kashdam, 1st) – Royan-La Palmyre Training Center
"This is a horse I have always loved and believed could shine among the elite as early as his 4-year-old season, but things didn’t always go well for him. He never made a mistake during morning training, yet in the afternoon, he would. He needed time. A remarkable job has been done with him, particularly by his jockey, Gaëtan Masure, because the horse was not easy to handle! We don’t have any set plans. I don’t know if he has what it takes for the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris. We’ll run the next prep race and see where we stand…”
Hervé Guérin (Co-owner of Kashdam, 1st)
"This is my first Group victory in jumps racing. It’s an incredible joy and happiness. It’s the culmination of a 60-year journey in the horse racing world. Ever since I was 2 or 3 years old, I used to go to the racetracks in Brittany with my parents, who ran a PMU bar. I started by investing in a share of a horse. As my professional career progressed, I was able to buy a stud farm and acquire more horses, mostly trotters…”
Gaëtan Masure (Jockey of Kashdam, 1st)
"The team around this horse took their time with him, and they are now reaping the rewards of their patience. I rode him with confidence. When he goes to the front like this, he doesn’t exert much effort. He still had plenty of energy when the others tried to catch up with us.”
Lucie Pontoir (Trainer of Jazz Manouche, 2nd) – Maisons-Laffitte Training Center (78)
"He’s a good horse who keeps improving with each race. He needs time to reach his full potential. For a moment, I thought he could win, but I believe he still has room for progress. We will follow the classic route and head towards the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris. Last year, we had to rethink everything. Our number one priority was the horse’s well-being. He had gotten injured, and we took our time bringing him back to the track. We didn’t want him to hurt himself again and remember it.”
François Nicolle (Trainer of Kentucky Wood, 3rd) – Saint-Augustin Training Center (17)
"I was quite pleased with the horse. I would have preferred him to start his effort earlier, but he ran well. We weren’t sure where we stood, especially after his race in Pau (7th in the Grand Prix, editor’s note). He will likely run another prep race before heading to the Grand Steeple."