Racing TV Grande Course de Haies: France vs Ireland in a blockbuster showdown!

Presentation of the 2026 edition and statements from the entourages of the starters

The 2026 Racing TV Grande Course de Haies d’Auteuil has all the makings of a European summit. More than just a Group 1, it is shaping up to be a genuine France v Ireland clash, refereed by Great Britain! It takes place this Saturday on the Butte Mortemart, pitting together two national hunt nations, two racing philosophies, and several champions at the peak of their powers. Over 5,100 metres on ground expected to be testing, France’s best staying hurdlers will attempt to repel the Irish challenge led by the phenomenal Home By The Lee.

The French team is spearheaded by its current standard-bearer: Losange Bleu. Spectacular in his latest outing, Dominique Bressou’s star arrives in sparkling form and could find the heavy ground a further advantage. His connections are making no secret of their intentions: “The race needs to be made tough”, explains his trainer, determined to play to the gelding’s greatest strength: his ability to wear rivals down through relentless pace.

Standing in his way is an almost mythical figure: Thélème. A dual winner of the race, absent for nearly two years before returning to the highest level, Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé’s champion will attempt to reclaim his crown at the age of nine. “There’s the boss… and then there’s the former boss,” perfectly sums up Bertrand Le Métayer. Rarely has the Grande Course de Haies offered such a generational clash between two French superstars.

And yet Ireland may arrive with the most in-form horse in Europe: Home By The Lee. At 11 years old, Joseph O’Brien’s runner is enjoying the best season of his career. A shock 33/1 winner of the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in March, he confirmed that performance a few weeks later in the Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree, once again defeating the best of Britain and Ireland thanks to his extraordinary stamina. His owner Sean O’Driscoll even points out that “the three best performances of his career… are his last three.”

This trip to Auteuil is far from insignificant. For decades, British and Irish horses have dreamed of conquering France’s greatest hurdle race, but the Butte Mortemart remains notoriously difficult to master. Its unique configuration, long straights and very different obstacles compared to Cheltenham or Leopardstown demand immediate adaptation. Home By The Lee, however, possesses a rare profile: a battle-hardened veteran capable of maintaining an infernal gallop for a very long time. Exactly the type of horse who could thrive on Saturday’s deep ground.

Around this leading trio, the race boasts exceptional depth. Jet Blue, kept fresh by David Cottin, could act as the spoiler. Illusion Machine represents the emerging younger generation, while British-trained runners Henri The Second (trained in England by Paul Nicholls) and Apple Away (trained in Scotland by Lucinda Russell) add even more international flavour to the contest.

The 2026 Racing TV Grande Course de Haies promises a top-class showdown — perhaps one of the strongest renewals seen at Auteuil in recent years.

GOING UPDATE

Probable going at the start of Saturday’s card: STICKY.

QUOTES FROM CONNECTIONS

Racing TV Grande Course de Haies d’Auteuil: 11 runners

Bertrand Le Métayer, racing manager for JDG Bloodstock Services, owner of Thélème – Royan-La Palmyre training centre (17)

“Thélème is in good form. He has continued his preparation in order to arrive in peak condition this weekend. The weather conditions should suit him and we can’t wait to see him attempt to regain his title. He definitely needed his last run. You know Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé: the targets remain the targets, and the prep races are not the most important thing. This time, they have increased the intensity in the mornings so the horse arrives at his best on Saturday. We did not want to go too hard in the prep race because, had the ground not suited us, we might not even have decided to run. In the end, it was the ground conditions that changed our decision. Most recently, Losange Bleu was extremely impressive. Despite the weight, he showed everyone that he is the current boss. But there’s the boss… and the former boss. It’s wonderful for racing to witness this type of clash. These are the matchups we want to see, between horses of this calibre. Age is against us, but the horse is happy and we hope he can rediscover his very best form. It would be wonderful, both for him and for the whole team around him. During those two years off the track, a real challenge was undertaken, and this time the conditions seem ideal.”

Dominique Bressou, trainer of Losange Bleu – Dragey training centre (50)

“Losange Bleu is doing well. The forecast rain will be an advantage for him and perhaps a slight disadvantage for some of the others. Home By The Lee will be in the field, and his connections have changed the way he is ridden by placing him prominently — and of course there’s Thélème. On our side, we won’t change Losange Bleu’s tactics. Every time we have tried to hold him up, especially on seasonal reappearances, we have often been beaten. We’re not going to reinvent anything: the race needs to be made tough. The horse is well, everything just needs to go smoothly and may the best horse win!”

David Cottin, trainer of Jet Blue – Chantilly training centre (60)

“Jet Blue is in very good shape. We have kept him fresh for the Grande Course de Haies. He’s a horse with stamina. I hope to see him run very well. Obviously there are some very good horses in the race, but he is fresh and doing well.”

Noel George, trainer of Illusion Machine and It’s Win O’Clock with Amanda Zetterholm – Chantilly training centre (60)

“In the Grande Course de Haies d’Auteuil we will run Illusion Machine and It’s Win O’Clock. Illusion Machine has matured enormously since his four-year-old season. We will arrive at the race with freshness on our side. He made quite a statement on his comeback. We decided to wait for the Group 1. His preparation has gone very smoothly. We are excited to see him run. As for It’s Win O’Clock, the original plan was not to run in the Grande Course de Haies. But the rain came and the horse loves heavy ground. Since his steeplechase run, he has freshened up nicely. We will ride him as usual, with the aim of finishing strongly. Our runners should be following the leaders in the race. Obviously, Losange Bleu and Thélème are champions. It should be a great race.”

Sean O’Driscoll, breeder and owner of Home By The Lee (Ireland)

“The three best performances of his career… are his last three. It’s remarkable to say that about an 11-year-old horse. So yes, I hope you will see a different horse this May compared to the one who finished sixth behind Losange Bleu. But in any case, he is a horse who keeps achieving incredible things. The Stayers’ Hurdle is, as you know, one of the four great races of the Cheltenham Festival. And Home By The Lee became the first horse in Cheltenham history to win one of those four races at the fifth attempt. So if he could win in France and continue making history, it would be remarkable from a sporting perspective. But there will be extremely high-quality horses in the Auteuil race. Still, Joseph [O’Brien, his trainer] tells me he came out of Aintree very well. He is doing great at home. In Paris, we hope to enjoy a wonderful day and see our horse run a great race. We are coming to face a champion. A very serious horse. He proved it again recently. We know it will be difficult. But we will travel in the hope of witnessing a great race — and hopefully being good enough on the day. We can’t wait to be there. As owners, we all have happy days and difficult days, as you know. But we always go racing with enthusiasm. And when a horse delivers, it makes up for everything else. If the horse doesn’t succeed, of course we are disappointed. But you have to keep perspective — it’s still sport. Nobody died. And then you start thinking about the next race…”

Joseph O’Brien, trainer of Home By The Lee (Ireland)

“He has had a fantastic season and we are delighted to run in such a prestigious race. We are looking forward to seeing how he performs. He seems in great form since Aintree and everything has gone smoothly in his preparation for this race. Home By The Lee has been in tremendous form this year. He outstayed everyone at Cheltenham and then again at Aintree. He’s a superstar, but he’s also a complicated horse, you know, and not the easiest to train.”

Lucinda Russell, trainer of Apple Away (Scotland)

“Apple Away was simply incredible at Perth. I must admit that halfway down the back straight, victory looked genuinely unlikely, but the mare suddenly found another gear and, at the line, she was pulling away again! It was a fantastic comeback run and we can now look towards the Grande Course de Haies d’Auteuil with a fair degree of optimism. It’s a slightly different discipline, but the race is usually run on softer ground, which should suit Apple Away. She will also benefit from the mares’ allowance. The idea would be to travel early in the week before the race. I think Derek Fox [her regular rider, editor’s note] will also make the trip in the horsebox. That way he can ride her once on site and have her spot-on for the race. We still have around three weeks before the contest. We are currently finalising all the tests and administrative procedures. God willing, we’ll be on the road to France!” And she did make the trip!