Je m’appelle…Verry Elleegant

Yearlings 2022
Written By George Allen

Newsletter #57

George talks…

French racing has been in the news all this week for many great and one not so great reason, it all concerns the same thing.

This weekend is Arc weekend at Longchamp.

The most coveted race is of course the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, but the weekend card is stacked full of top class races.

The news has been clustered with soundbites about one horse, the Aussie raider, Melbourne cup winning Verry Elleegant. The horse has been campaigned in France this year by the owners for the sole purpose of running in the Arc.

But the plan, well hasn’t gone to plan.

The filly has disappointed in her French campaign thus far, she finished last on her first run but improved in her second to finish third in a key Arc trial, the Prix Foy. As a result she has now been dropped out of the ratings cap for the big race on Sunday. Her owners, trainer and frankly nearly every racing fan are furious.

Read her trainer’s (Francis Graffard) thoughts below from the Racing Post.

Graffard said: "The planets really haven't aligned for us with the Arc being a 72-hour declaration. It's a very bad situation for French racing. The French authorities have put us in a very bad situation and I'm ashamed by their reaction and the way they have treated my owners and this mare from the day she arrived in France.

"I'm sure this will cost horses being sent to France by foreign owners in the future.

"We had to make a choice otherwise she would end up getting no run in the Arc or the Royallieu. At 11.30am I could see nothing had come out of the Arc so we had to keep her in the Royallieu."

The filly is now being redirected to the Prix Royallieu, a race over 1 mile 6 furlongs for fillies and mares. Not the Arc but a consolation all the same.

So the French, are being French. Nothing surprising there, a little Irish “ah sure that’ll be grand” is what was needed.

As of writing (Thursday 29/09) the favourite for Europe’s most important race is Luxembourg at 7-2, with Alpinista at 5-1. I’ve never placed a bet on the Arc, sitting and watching the French drama is sufficient entertainment for me. Each and every year you have the best of the best from a variety of distances be it stayers, 1 mile and half specialists to 1 mile 2 furlong champions coming together to compete.

Sit back and enjoy the highest peak of the French racing calendar this Saturday and Sunday at Longchamp.

As we gear up for the weekend’s action I wanted to do a special edition newsletter, a deep dive into all things courses hippiques françaises et pur-sang (French racing and bloodstock (Google Translate))!!

So, walk with me.

Je suis Francais

Everybody knows France for it’s regions. Typically, for Bordeaux wine or luxurious Champagne. But what about Normandy? A famous region for massive historical reasons yes, but this is the stronghold of French bloodstock. They have abundant limestone land, a warm climate and fresh sea air off the Channel. Normandy is home to all the major flat oreintated stud farms, if you aren’t close by to Normandy, accessing the finest French stallions is akin to climbing Everest.

For all the National Hunt buffs, I’m strictly talking about flat racing and bloodstock here, the AQPS breeding stronghold is situated south deep into the French countryside, examination of this region is for another days newsletter.

The FR prefix and the French flat breeding industry was in the doldrums only a decade or so ago. They were seen as a country for cast off stallions from the UK and Ireland. Stud fees were a fraction of what we had to pay and the only breeders using French stallions were the French themselves.

Don’t get me wrong, they have always produced good horses, France was and is home to some of the most influential breeders in the world. HH Aga Khan, Wertheimer brothers, Niarchos family, Al Shaqab, Monceaux, and the list goes on. But, the most innovative (and rich) French breeders were sending the majority of their best mares to Ireland and the UK to be covered and brought back.

How did they manage to turn this around?

The crafty French racing and breeding authorities rolled out French breeder’s premiums.

Read the extract below for a summary of how this works.

This concept has been nothing short of game changing. Instead of breeders taking mares away to be covered, breeders from other racing jurisdictions are travelling and boarding mares in France to qualify for the premiums.

Over €30 million is distributed through the system annually.

As humans, we will do almost anything if the incentives are strong enough.

If you breed a horse in France under the conditions above, when you sell your horse and it races for another owner.

You will receive:

  • 15% of prizemoney for horses born since 2014 onwards by a French based sire, otherwise 10% of prizemoney.

  • 19% of prizemoney in races restricted to French bred horses by a French based sire, otherwise 14%​ of prizemoney.

Outside France

  • 10% only applicable to winners and placed horses in Group 1 races

This innovative system had the knock on effect of rooting more breeders into industry and breeding from better mares. French farms also reaped the rewards of foreign breeders boarding their mares in the country, on their farms, providing additional farm income and cashflow.

But that’s only the start.

With breeders now brimming with confidence in the industry, another important facet clicked. The French stallion roster blossomed.

The turning point in my opinion was marked by Siyouni. Read this excellent summary by the TDN’s Emma Berry.

Champion French Sire, Siyouni

Siyouni started the French stallion revolution. We all know that horse racing’s biggest asset are the stallions. Successful stallion, more money, more money, more prosperity.

That’s what’s happening in French breeding right now.

Think of the Owners

While the stud farms of France are making hay, the owners haven’t been left out of the game either.

I’m not an expert in the varying racecourses of France but from my knowledge French racing is a two tiered system. There are the primary French tracks of Longchamp, Deauville, Chantilly and Saint-Cloud. Then a secondary system of racetracks referred to as “the provinces” dotted around the country.

5,000 races are organised in France on 142 racecourses with a total number of 13.687 individual runners. The total prize money reaches around 179 million euros, with an additional owner’s premiums of 48 million euros and breeder’s premiums of 30 million euros.

The majority of horses are trained in clusters or training centres similar to say the Curragh, Newmarket or Lambourn. From what I gather chatting to French friends there aren’t many trainers who have their own private training facilities, I will stand corrected on this if wrong.

French Training Centres - Credit: France Galop

But back to those beautiful premiums.

Not only do the breeders take the loot, the owners benefit in parallel.

French Owner’s Premiums Credit:French Racing And Breeding Committee

In monetary terms, what would this look like in your bank account as an owner.

A maiden winner for 2yo:

Prize money €27,000 – To the winner : €13,500 + 80% of owners’ premiums: €10,800

Total amount: €24,300

A winner of a Gr2 for 2 and/or 3yo:

Minimum prize money €130,000 – To the winner : €74,100 + 80% of owners’ premiums: €59,280

Total amount: €133,380

A winner of a major Handicap

Minimum prize money €70,000 – To the winner: €35,000 + 55% of owners’ premiums: €19,250

Total amount: €54,250

A winner of a Gr 3

Minimum prize money €80,000 – To the winner : €40,000 + 45 % of owners’ premiums: €18,000

Total amount €58,000

A winner of a Gr 1 (thoroughbred)

Minimum prize money €250,000 – To the winner : €142,850 + 35 % of owners’ premiums: €49,997

Total amount €192,847

These are mouthwatering incentives for owners to have horses in France. It’s no wonder trainers based in the UK such as Amy Murphy are setting up satellite yards “en France”.

So, how does the industry pay for all these juicy incentives?

The French racing model is something I’ve discussed before to readers, but basically the racing authorities have a monopoly on all French racing betting pools. They channel a fraction of the money wagered on their racing product to make life easier for their breeders and their owners. A virtuous cycle that benefits the industry rather than the shambolic case in the UK, where bookmakers suck the life out of the sport and pay their executives hundreds of millions for the pleasure.

Money which should be recycled back to the breeders producing the athletes at the centre of the sport and the owners paying the bills and enduring the heartache of getting those athletes onto the track.

So while we can all be angry at the French for being French with how they handled the Aussie mare, they have got values, morals and the neck to do things their way.

For most part that’s working.

If you want to follow French racing throughout the year the France Galop website is the best place to start, giving you news, results and cards. Click through to it here.

This week coming…  

  • British Future Champions Day - Dewhurst and Fillies’ Mile

  • Tattersalls October Book 1

All the best,

George

P.S.

I hope you enjoyed this longer version of our newsletter, as always your feedback is gold to us. Send me back your thoughts, positive or negative below, I read everything and reply.

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George Allen https://www.Brownsbarnthoroughbreds.com
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