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It’s back! After a worrying few hours on Friday last, French racing was finally given the go ahead late in the evening. Rumours had been swirling during the day that the football fraternity were disgruntled as racing had apparently been given special status and not been discarded to the September bin along with other sports.

In the end, coming under the fold of the Ministry of Agriculture (and Finance curiously) as opposed to the Ministry of Sport saved their bacon and it was with some relief that having been gated since March 17 racing was allowed out.

The intervention of Francois Bayrou and Philippe Augier directly with President Macron clearly made a difference. Bayrou, a lifelong racing enthusiast, owner and most importantly breeder would be considered a heavy weight in the French political world. Initially a teacher then author he was a minister for education(1993 to 1993) before having three stabs at the French presidency, scoring a respectable 18.6 percent of the vote in 2007. A centrist, he was also a founder member of the Democratic Movement.

Augier, mayor of Deauville had spent his early years in the political world before becoming the managing director of the French agency for the sale of Thoroughbreds in Deauville, precursor to Arqana. That Macron in three short years at the Banque Rothschild rose to be a partner, probably also meant that he would look favourably on an entreaty from Edouard Rothschild head of French racing.

It is ironic that French racing though having limited national following compared with Ireland or the UK clearly has considerably more political clout. The French political elite is a relatively small clique and being able to pick up the phone to the President who is the executive head of state gives you a heavy club in the lobbying stakes bear fight.

Forgive Ludorum and Sottsass defeats

And so, lucky us, we were treated to a feast of high class racing at Longchamp on Monday afternoon. Odd though it might have been to see jockeys wearing face masks and deserted grandstands (yes, even more than usual, before someone cracks the joke) we were glued to our tellys as France’s best two-year-old colt of last year, the aptly named Victor Ludorum, swung back in to action in the Prix de Fontainebleau and Sottsass last year’s prix du Jockey Club winner made his annual debut in a competitive looking Prix Harcourt.

As it happened both were to be beaten and the story of the day was the bias to those horses who raced on or close to the lead and benefitted from a low post position.

When the running rail at Longchamp is at ‘zero’ an easy lead is gold dust if your horse is relaxed. On other days when the rail can be pulled out by as much as 15 metres it rides like a different racetrack. Victor Ludorum was drawn eight of eight and found himself stuck three wide running keen in his first race for seven months. In the circumstances, albeit losing his unbeaten tag, I thought he ran a decent race to be third.

Meanwhile the winner The Summit from the one hole (as the Amercians say) lobbed around on the lead with his ears pricked before sprinting clear in the straight. He also benefitted from having had a run in March but it would not be a surprise to see the placings reversed when they next meet.

It was a similar deal for Sottsass. A little anxious prior to loading he settled well enough although a fair way off the lead but never landed a blow on the tough and high class Shaman who like The Summit benefitted from controlling the race on the lead, glued to the fence and winning well.

However Sottsass threw in a similarly uninspiring effort for his first start last year and his trainer would have left plenty to work on so we’ll surely see a different horse next time.

Victor Ludorum Expect better things from Victor Ludorum next time

Although his horses wouldn’t be fully cranked up yet after the enforced lull in racing champion trainer André Fabre still landed a group 3 with the stunning looking Tropbeau who was given a judicious ride the Prix de la Grotte (fillies trial for French guineas) winning snugly and looking like there was a little more left in the tank than the winning distance of half a length would suggest. She looks to be one in line for a good year.

Horses for the notebook

For those who want a couple of horses to follow from the day, the winner of the second division of the big handicap called My Charming Prince would be one for the notebook. Handed a pig of a draw, 17 of 18, he was dropped out and only had one behind him turning in, not a good position to be in on a day when those on the lead were favoured. He produced an impressive turn of foot in the last three hundred metres to win going away. Only on a handicap rating of 77 here he looks one to keep on the right side of.

Likewise Speak of the Devil, a daughter of the red hot Wootton Bassett, another to be dropped in from a poor draw, she only saw daylight late but ran on well close home to be second to impressive all the way winner Shining Ocean in the three year old conditions race.

On Tuesday at St Cloud the winners of both newcomers races, Hurricane Cloud (Frankel) in the colts and Beauté pour Toi (Camelot) in the fillies’ race caught the eye and look to be stakes horses in the making while the Class 1 Prix Tourbillon which looked more like a Listed race on paper was won impressively by the Rouget trained Port Guillaume. However, he had run and won twice in Cagnes so had a fitness advantage over his rivals and consequently might not make much more improvement.

I would take the Fabre-trained mare Australis as one to follow from this race. He was stuck three wide without cover on the long St Cloud bend and consequently faded in the last furlong but will surely leave that form behind next time, particularly when the stable really hits form which it hasn’t yet.

Andre Fabre Andre Fabre - Yet to get into full swing

Wednesday at Chantilly threw up a couple of useful looking three year old six furlong horses in Hurricane Ivor and Wooded, winner of the Group 3 Prix Texanita, who came home in the handy looking time of 1:08.90 for six furlongs. Probably having none of the usual Brit invaders made this a weaker contest than normal but the way he did it looked good to the eye, settling well then quickening on the bit before going clear when asked. Early days yet in this truncated season but the races were run on good ground so there is no reason for the form not to hold up.

For the moment we are still restricted to watching racing from our sofas at home but isn’t it great that its back on here? Fingers crossed we can get back underway in the UK and Ireland at the start of June as hoped.


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