Losange Bleu to Kick Off the Weekend with a Bang

The Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris – Défi des Haras (Gr1) weekend will begin on Saturday at Auteuil, with the highlight being the Grande Course de Haies (Grade 1). The finest hurdle race of the year, it will be run over 5,100 meters, covering two laps of the Auteuil track. The star of the race is Losange Bleu, named after the silks of his owner-breeder, the Papot family. The reigning champion, he will attempt to make history by winning the race for the second time.

He will face eight rivals, including his stablemate Jeu de Thaix, a Group winner last year. The Grande Course de Haies will also have an international flair, with the presence of the Irish-trained Hewick, a horse purchased for only €850 but who has gone on to win some of the most prestigious jump races in the world, such as the American Grand National (Grade 1) and the King George VI Chase (Grade 1), run on Boxing Day (December 26th) at Kempton.

Hewick is no stranger to Auteuil either, having finished second in the 2024 edition of the Grande Course de Haies and fourth in 2023. Nyiri (by Scorpion), a hero at Cagnes-sur-Mer, has confirmed his quality at Auteuil and could be the deciding factor in the battle between Losange Bleu and Hewick. The tall El Clavel hasn’t raced much, but he passed his recent test at this level with flying colors and seems destined for a bright future. Supplemented for the Grande Course de Haies, Monmiral has proven to be a notch below the top hurdlers in his home country, but could still aim for a solid placing.

The Championship for 3-Year-Old Fillies

The meeting will kick off with the Prix Sagan (Gr3), the spring championship for 3-year-old fillies. Ten fillies will line up, including the division leader Delmegan, who is unbeaten in two starts. She will once again face Mille et Une Vies, an unlucky second in the Prix Girofla (Listed), as well as Selma de Vary, an encouraging runner-up in the Prix Géographie.

Olga de Kiev and Just Happy could also shake up the pecking order, which still needs to be confirmed.