Kivala du Berlais Takes Leadership Among 4-Year-Old Hurdlers After a Magnificent Three-Way Finish
Prix Alain du Breil - Course de Haies de Printemps des Quatre ans
Kivala du Berlais Takes Leadership Among 4-Year-Old Hurdlers After a Magnificent Three-Way Finish
The closing stages of the Prix Alain du Breil - Course de Haies de Printemps des Quatre ans delivered a breathtaking duel between three young hurdling talents: favourite Six Figures (Harzand) in the centre, eventual winner Kivala du Berlais (Saint des Saints) on his outside, and Musique Maestro (Kapgarde), who flew home up the inside rail after being held up for most of the race.
The margins at the finish say it all: only a nose and a neck separated the three horses in an electrifying photo finish!
Just as in the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris, Bertrand Lestrade was meant to ride the winner, but due to injury, Félix de Giles stepped in to take the mount on Kivala du Berlais.
This victory for the homebred of Haras du Berlais once again shines a spotlight on this major breeding operation and the silks of the Szwarc family, also carried by top-class chaser Goliath du Berlais (Saint des Saints), now a sire himself. Both horses are sons of the elite stallion Saint des Saints (Cadoudal).
Official result
PRIX ALAIN DU BREIL - COURSE DE HAIES DE PRINTEMPS DES QUATRE ANS
1st KIVALA DU BERLAIS (F. de Giles)
2nd MUSIQUE MAESTRO (L. Philipperon)
3rd SIX FIGURES (L.-P. Bréchet)
Time: 4’23’’44. Margins: Nose – NK – 11.
Quotes
Marc-Antoine Lucas, breeder of Kivala du Berlais, 1st
“Stéphane Szwarc and Haras du Berlais have already enjoyed great success with Goliath du Berlais. It’s a partnership that works! David Cottin has done a fantastic job with this horse. At three, he lacked a bit of maturity and has since progressed in the right direction. He could be a bit tricky, and David is excellent with that type of horse. Today, he was all business — and he proved it.
It’s a shame for Bertrand Lestrade, who should have ridden him, but Félix did a superb job. He has also changed physically. The competition was strong today, but we were genuinely confident after his seasonal debut. The top three in this race are warriors — they fought like lions. It came down to a photo, and it’s always a pleasure to win a Group 1! This victory bodes well for the autumn… He’s a very good horse. I just spoke to David — he was very moved and happy. He truly deserves this win.”
Joël Boisnard, trainer of Musique Maestro, 2nd (Senonnes, Mayenne)
“He ran a really good race. No complaints. He showed how good he is. I’m very happy for the Papot family. They deserve to own horses like this. We’ll decide in the coming days what’s next on his programme…”
Thomas Sivadier, co-owner of Six Figures, 3rd
“The horse ran really well today. He showed his true level. It was like a second debut for him, since he fell on his reappearance. He’s a horse with a future. He’s not yet at 100%. We finished third, beaten by almost nothing. It’s a bit frustrating… The softer ground in the autumn will suit him. The steeplechase route will be a perfect fit for him in the coming years.