Prix Georges Courtois : Roxinela finally gets her turn
Photo scoopdyga.com
None of the top four in the Prix La Haye Jousselin Chase (Gr1) were taking part in the Prix Georges Courtois Chase (Gr2), last big assignment of the year for the French top chasers on Sunday at Auteuil. The winner Roxinela (Muhtathir), however, was 5th in the La Haye Jousselin and she managed to take a short head over the favourite, the front runner Edgeoy (Saddler Maker), 5 years old and certainly promised to a bright future at Auteuil. Bred by Thierry Cyprès and Jean-François Naudin, Edgeoy represents the association of Jacques Détré, François Seigneur, Edward Walsh, Olivier Rauscent and Thierry Cyprès. He had just defeated Ebonite in the Prix Hero XII Chase (Gr3) before she pushed Bipolaire to the edge in the "La Haye Jousselin" ...
Third on Sunday, Jubilatoire (König Turf) finished honorably at three lengths, ahead of Dalahast (Ballingarry), who has long galloped in the leading group.
Roxinela had not won since June 2018 but the 6-year-old mare, trained by François-Marie Cottin for her breeder Gheorghe Codre, was fourth in the Grand Prix Zeturf Grand Steeple-Chase in Paris (Gr1) and fifth in the Prix La Haye Jousselin. The Georges Courtois Chase is her first success at the Group level.
Her dam Grivette (Antarctique), also bred by Gheorghe Codre but raced by Jean-Paul Sénéchal, won the Prix Alain du Breil 4yo Hurdle (Gr1) 2008 at Auteuil, beating two monsters named Hurricane Fly and Quevega, multiple Gr1 winners in UK and Ireland after that.
Grivette finished her career at 5 in March after 21 races, eleven wins and more than €570,000 in earnings. At stud, she gave four foals, including La Mollière (Turgeon), winner in Enghien. Roxinela is her last foal to date.