Qatar Prix du Jockey Club 2025 : Jean-Claude Rouget - The leading trainer
6 wins as a trainer in the Prix du Jockey Club!
After first forfeit, Jean-Claude Rouget could have two runners in the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club (Group 1), on Sunday, June 1, 2025, at Chantilly. He is simply the most successful active trainer in the great French spring championship: he has won the Prix du Jockey Club six times (*).
The first time was in 2009 with the remarkable Le Havre – who will be represented in 2025 by his son Leffard, trained by the same man (Jean-Claude Rouget) and with the same co-owner (Gérard Augustin-Normand). It would be a beautiful story if the son were to follow in his father's footsteps.
This has already happened in the history of this challenge: to name only recent examples, Look de Vega (winner of the Jockey Club last year) followed in the footsteps of his sire Lope de Vega, winner in 2010 – himself a son of Shamardal, winner in 2005; Reliable Man (2011) stepped into the shoes of his sire Dalakhani (2003)… who had himself replicated the feat of his sire Darshaan (1984)! This perfectly illustrates the primary aim of horse racing: to select the best individuals to improve and perpetuate the Thoroughbred breed.
Based in Pau (Pyrénées-Atlantiques), Jean-Claude Rouget rose to prominence in French racing from the late 2000s, becoming the first regionally based trainer (at the time with two establishments: one in Deauville and one in Pau) to win the greatest French races: the four classics (Prix du Jockey Club, Prix de Diane, Poule d’Essai des Poulains and Poule d’Essai des Pouliches) as well as the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (in 2020 with Sottsass and in 2023 with Ace Impact, both of whom had previously won the Jockey Club).
In recent months, Jean-Claude Rouget has battled illness and has refocused his operations in Pau, his historical base, with success. He has said he is very happy at the prospect of being present next Sunday at Chantilly to watch his two (probable) runners take part in the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club, Tipinso and Leffard:
HIS QUOTES
“Leffard and Tipinso worked together this morning. Their gallop gave me complete satisfaction and, if nothing goes wrong between now and then, both horses will be at the start of the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club on Sunday.
As for Leffard, he discovered the Chantilly Racecourse in the Prix de Suresnes, on May 2nd. That day, we simply wanted to see whether he was suited to the track and whether he was able to compete with that level of opposition, and he answered both questions with a yes. Moreover, we especially didn’t want him to have a tough race. That’s why his jockey Jean-Bernard Eyquem didn’t ask him for more than a solid effort. He might have been able to win, but that wasn’t the goal.
On the evening of the Suresnes, I felt reassured on the points I’ve just mentioned, and I was also happy, because Leffard’s story is a bit special. When I bought him, I immediately thought of a partnership between Gérard Augustin-Normand and Antonio Caro, for whom I won the Prix du Jockey Club in 2016 with Almanzor. Furthermore, he is a son of Le Havre, who also won the Jockey Club in 2009 for Gérard Augustin-Normand… and Leffard looks just like his father! Everything is going well so far. Hope it continues on Sunday!
(*) Jean-Claude Rouget’s 6 victories in the Prix du Jockey Club:
2009 : Le Havre
2016 : Almanzor
2017 : Brametot
2019 : Sottsass
2022 : Vadeni
2023 : Ace Impac