Prix Serge Landon - Grand Prix d'Automne - Kingland reigns supreme over Auteuil's hurdles

48H DE L’OBSTACLE – Auteuil

PRIX SERGE LANDON – GRAND PRIX D’AUTOMNE

Kingland reigns supreme over Auteuil's hurdles

Hot favourite for the Prix Serge Landon – Grand Prix d’Automne, the first Grade 1 hurdle race of the 48 Hours of Jump Racing, Kingland delivered in emphatic style. The six-year-old, trained by François Nicolle in Saint-Augustin (Charente-Maritime) and ridden by jockey Kevin Nabet, surged clear in the closing stages, leaving front-runner Zarakhan, who produced an outstanding performance at this level, seven lengths behind. Jet Blue completed the podium a further eight lengths back.

Kingland is owned by Scottish couple Mr and Mrs Maclennan, in partnership with his breeder Thierry Cyprès, based in the Nièvre department, Paul-Étienne Carrillon, and Olympic pole vault champion Renaud Lavillenie. Kingland had already established himself as one of the leading horses of his generation, notably winning the 2024 Prix Renaud du Vivier, a Grade 1 race restricted to four-year-olds. Sidelined for almost two years by tendonitis, he made a winning comeback this year at the age of six.

Official result

1st KINGLAND (K. Nabet)

2nd ZARAKHAN (A. Zuliani)

3rd JET BLUE (L. Philipperon)

Winning margins: 7 lengths, 8 lengths, 1¾ lengths

Reactions from the connections

Angus Maclennan, co-owner of Kingland, 1st

“With Kingland, it’s always incredible! Every time, we know he’s going to do something special... We would have loved to race against Losange Bleu. It would have been a fantastic contest. He is an absolutely extraordinary horse. There are simply no words to describe moments like these. We love racing in France. We’ve been coming to France for a very long time, and we genuinely enjoy having runners here. This is something huge, truly huge. He is probably the best horse we will ever own. And what a team! Yes, it really is a fantastic team. There are a lot of us, many owners and many people involved, and we are all very good friends. We’ve been through good times and bad times together. And today is a very good day.”

Thierry Cyprès, breeder and co-owner of Kingland, 1st

“What class! He’s an absolute star! He’s one of the best horses I’ve ever bred. He had a few health issues towards the end of his four-year-old season, so we gave him time throughout his five-year-old year. And today he has rewarded our patience: three races this year, three victories. Not every horse can achieve that. What’s more, he’s a horse who keeps improving with every race. Today, I’m fortunate to be involved alongside Mr and Mrs Maclennan, as well as Paul-Étienne Carrillon, a friend from Lyon, and our Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie. Together, with mutual trust, we’re able to fine-tune everything down to the smallest detail.”

Renaud Lavillenie, co-owner of Kingland, 1st

“It’s exceptional! I’m incredibly fortunate to have a horse like Kingland after such a short time as an owner. And especially this horse, with whom we share such an extraordinary story. After two years away from racing, there were inevitably questions. We still didn’t know what he was capable of against the very best. Today, he has just proved that he is still the king! I’m also here to experience these emotions to the fullest, without holding anything back. I’m lucky to be able to share all of this with Jules Cyprès and everyone involved with the horse. It’s magical!”

François Nicolle, trainer of Kingland, 1st, based in Saint-Augustin (Charente-Maritime)

“I’ve trained some outstanding horses, such as Hermès Baie and De Bon Cœur. Kingland belongs in that same category of champions. He’s a very good horse, with stamina and a strong cruising speed. I thought he was a little sluggish during the race, but Kevin Nabet assured me that the distance hadn’t been a problem at all. What makes the difference is his ability to produce a burst of acceleration between the final hurdle and the winning post. The others maintain the same pace, whereas he can find a genuine extra gear.

As for what comes next, we have a little idea in mind: England. We might go over there in March to see how he gets on, before coming back to race in France. We’ve also discussed the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but not as early as next year. That would be more of a target for 2028, if all goes well. Nothing has been decided yet. We only talked about it last night...”

Etienne d’Andigné, trainer of Zarakhan, 2nd, based in Le Louroux-Béconnais (Maine-et-Loire)

“This second place almost feels like a victory to me! I was under pressure because I knew Zarakhan was in good form, but to produce a performance like that... We were simply beaten by a champion. I’m very emotional, happy and relieved. I believed we could win right up to the end! He was beaten by a better horse, but he finished ahead of some very good horses, real champions. We certainly have nothing to be ashamed of with this second place, quite the opposite. It’s a wonderful performance and an incredibly emotional moment.”

Mickaël Seror, trainer of Jet Blue, 3rd, based in Chantilly (Oise)

“Jet Blue is like clockwork: he slows down on the straights and accelerates around the bends. However, he always picks up speed in the home straight. I’m not suggesting we could have beaten Kingland, but he would have preferred a much stronger pace, with another horse in front to tow him into the race. Under today’s conditions, he loses motivation, gives away lengths, and it then becomes difficult to make up that ground against good horses. But he ran very well. A trip to England or Ireland is a possibility, particularly as he really enjoys very testing ground. We would need to find genuinely deep ground. We’ll see, because his owner enjoys travelling and running her horses abroad, particularly in England and Ireland. If good opportunities arise, we’ll try to make the most of them.”