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Sunday, May 9th – Auteuil. A faller last time out in the €240,000 Prix Murat Chase (Gr2-4,400m), Doumaja (Fr-Cadoudal) found a quick compensation in the €160,000 Prix Ingre Chase (Gr3-4,400m), beating 2008 Grand Steeple second Louping d’Ainay (AQPS-Saint Preuil) by one length with odds-on favourite Remember Rose (Ire-Insatiable) only third here for his seasonal return over the fences.
 Remember Rose led the field with Louping d’Ainay while Doumaja and Odeillo du Mathan (Fr-Balleroy) were trailing them. Ridden by regular partner Christophe Pieux, Remember Rose was unable to stay on between the two last obstacles and Louping d’Ainay took the lead then with Doumaja on his heels. Both fought their way to the post and the latter prevailed by one length. Yet Remember Rose got himself together in the run-in and finished well 1.5 length behind Louping d’Ainay.
The winner of the 2009 Grand Steeple Chase de Paris (Gr1) and La Haye Jousselin Chase (Gr1), Remember Rose had come back with a third place over hurdles and was naturally favoured here over Doumaja, who’d won the Prix Clermont-Tonnerre Chase (Gr3) and finished second to Mail de Bievre (Cadoudal) in the Troytown Chase (Gr3) before his fall in the Murat Chase. Doumaja did not respect the newly refilled rail-ditch-and-fence that day and his rider Erwan Chazelle paid the price for that mistake, but he was still very much in contention then. His stable companion Odeillo du Mathan had finished a distant (8 lengths) second to new chasing phenomenon Mail de Bievre in the Murat Chase.
Back at Auteuil in the Ingre Chase, the ultra-regular Odeillo du Mathan obliged in fourth, beaten 4.5 lengths this time. From a sheer statistical point of view, that makes Doumaja et al over three lengths behind Mail de Bievre…
Jehan Betran de Balanda has not made up his mind about Mail de Bievre’s participation in the Grand Steeple. The light cast by Remember Rose on Sunday might have helped him to think about it in a more positive way, although Christophe Pieux rides both horses, which could cause concern for Mail de  Bievre’s entourage.
Jean-Paul Gallorini, Remember Rose’s trainer, plays down any fast conclusion: “He made a few efforts to jump today as he was coming back over the bigger obstacles,” he said. “I am still very confiden t that he will run well in the Grand Steeple.”
“This run is better than last year at the same time,” says Pieux, noting that his partner had finished second to Mid Dancer in the race twelve months ago.
As for Guy Cherel, successful again today, he said of Doumaja that he’d have done well in the Murat had he not misjudged the rail-ditch. “He’s better than Odeillo du Mathan and would have finished closer in the Murat,” he said. “But I wouldn’t draw any conclusion on that. As long as they are fit to race, they will all compete in the Grand Steeple, unless it is too hot that day, which would be against Odeillo du Mathan.”
It’s now Jehan Bertran de Balanda’s turn to call.
Amadou – Bel La Vie still unbeaten over hurdles
 Guillaume Macaire’s Bel La Vie (Fr-Lavirco) let nobody dictate the pace in the €175,000 Prix Amadou 4yo Hurdle (Gr2 – 3,900m) and dominated again to remain unbeaten in three hurdle races this term despite a 8Lbs penalty here. Bred by Benoit Gabeur, the winner easily beat Solix (Al Namix), allowing Macaire to take a revenge on Guy Cherel after the latter defeated his two 3yos in the opener.
The well fancied Salder Roque (Fr-Muhathir), winner of his three last hurdle races, fell at the second last just when he was improving in fourth. His trainer Guy Cherel thought he’d had given the winner something to work on.
Irish raider Alaivan (Ire-Kalanisi) made his move entering the last bend and looked like a possible winner then but he suddenly lost his action and was eventually pulled up.
Bel la Vie is out of Bibelle (Le Balafré). Benoît Gabeur had explained in detail the story behind this mare after his first win of the season. “Bibelle ran in a claimer at Lisieux where Guy Petit bought her for €7,000. The next day when I saw in the paper that he had claimed her, I rang him and asked could I buy her off him. Guy Petit hadn’t bought her for a particular client so he sold her on to me. I had never seen her run but I was interested by her breeding potential.” Bibelle is out of Miss Tracy (Misti), who won notably the Prix Maurice Gillois Chase (Gr1). “She is currently in foal to Network after having produced two foals by Lavirco and two fillies by Kapgarde”.
Next stop for Bel La Vie should be the €270,000 Prix Alain du Breil (Gr1) on June 19th. There is also the €130,000 Prix de Longchamp 4yo Hurdle (Gr3) until then but Bel La Vie would have to give the maximum 11Lbs penalty to most rivals.
James Hennessy – Kauto Stone states his claims to chasing glory
 It was a very impressive chasing debut from Kauto Star’s brother Kauto Stone (Fr-With the Flow). The Jehan Bertran de Balanda-trained gelding ran away with style in the final stages of the €90,000 Prix James Hennessy 4yo Chase (L-4,100m). He passed the post ten lengths ahead of Dulce Leo (Fr-Priolo), who’d already won his chase last time out. Twelve months ago, Long Run (Cadoudal) had also won for his chasing debut there and the winner might also try to go straight for the top 4yo Chase, the €350,000 Prix Ferdinand Dufaure 4yo Chase (Gr1-4,100m) on the same trip and on Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris day (May 30th).“It is not impossible,” said his trainer. “I was a bit nervous today because he’s not an easy horse to train but I knew that he was made for this. He breathes well over the fences and he jumped as if he had known the place forever. It was a good field and a selective race. We can hope for the best now.” Christophe Pieux was even more positive about this : “He’s a very difficult horse,” he said. “One could think that he’s easy going seeing him over here but I can tell you that there has been a lot of work to get him right. To me, he showed today that he’s definitely Gr1-material.”
Owned by Mrs Louise Kemble and Patrick Atkinson from Britain, Kauto Stone proves his dam’s amazing ability as a broodmare. Who knows : he could jump on the trail of his famed brother Kauto Star, whose sire Village Star was just about as dull as With the Flow…
Girofla – Cherel on Macaire’s way
The €60,000 Prix Girofla 3yo Fillies Hurdle (3,000m) looked like a sure prize for Guillaume Macaire’s representatives Las Ventas (Fr-Poliglote), sporting the colours of Magalen Bryant, and Princesse Lucie (Fr-Poliglote). Both had already won their hurdle race while their 5 rivals hadn’t won yet. Guy Cherel is always a big threat in these young jumpers’ contests however and the Maisons-Laffitte handler once again stroke courtesy of Protektion (Fr-Protektor), who came by the favourites in the backstretch and prevailed after the last hurdle with Princesse Lucie –who’d beaten the winner last time out- finally outstaying Las Ventas for the second place. Macaire revealed that the latter, born out of the Edmond Barrachin Chase (Gr3) winner and Prix Ferdinand Dufaure Chase (Gr1) third Vie de Reine (Mansonnien), was in season and that she shouldn’t be judged on this simple defeat. Cherel was very pleased however with his filly, especially because she’s by Protektor, a sire he bought in Germany to bring him to the Haras du Chene Vert in Maine-et-Loire, where he stands at €1,200. His first French foals are 3 but the 1989 son of Acatenango, a multiple Group winner himself, has given a German 1,000 Guineas winner and an Premio Dormello winner since he entered stud in 1998.
Bred by her trainer, who also trains the generation leader Salsa Melody (Kingsalsa), Protektion is the first foal out of Lesoquera (Lesotho), who finished third in the 2005 Prix Congress 3yo Chase (Gr2) for Cherel.
The Prix Girofla Hurdle is a pretty nice race if you look at the recent roll of honour as Avenue Marceau (Enrique), Santa Bamba (Saint des Saints) and Kruguyrova (Muhtathir) have won it before making it to the top of their respective generations.
Wild Monarch – Under Gallorini rules
Jean-Paul Gallorini saddled his fifth consecutive €58,000 Prix Wild Monarch 3yo Beginners’ Hurdle (L-3,000m) winner as Jamal Malik (Fr-Lavirco) got the better of Domtaline (Martaline) and the front running Current Event (Fr-Muhtathir). Always very competitive, the race has become Gallorini’s specialty and the handler masters it as he told the winning owner Thierry Storme that Jamal Malik would win this 6 months ago. Since then, the €42,000 Arqana purchase (click here for catalogue page) by French bloodstock agent Bertrand Lemétayer (BLM) had run twice over the flat and finished 4th last time out. “It was not too complicated to name him for the race as he was the best I had at the time,” said Gallorini. Next stop would be the €115,000 Prix Aguado Hurdle (L-3,500m) on June 19th : Gallorini sent his last three Wild Monarch winners there. Kotkidy (Anabaa Blue) finished second last year, Viotti (Dream Well) won in 2008 and Telramund (Lahint) fell in 2007.
Jamal Malik was bred by Florent Couturier at his Haras de Bois-Carrouges in Normandy. The breeder had paid €200,000 at the 2006 Arqana December sales to secure his dam, Change Partner (Turtle Island), who had won 7 times over the obstacles.
Just for the record, the 4th placed Talent d’Estruval (Nononito) finished well, back from the rear of the field.
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