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Thursday, 03 December 2009 15:42 |
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Franck Blondel has signed a contract as first jockey to owner Jean-Claude Seroul in 2010. Blondel, who is 5th in the jockeys’ table for 2009 with 96 wins had this to say about his new opportunity; “I had many different propositions but this is too good a chance to pass up. It will mean riding some very good horses and I’m also looking forward to the yearlings that Mr Seroul has invested in this year. I will no longer have to ride at the small provincial tracks but I will be busy all year round.”
Alexis Acker will follow in the footsteps of fellow jump jockey Regis Schmidlin when he leaves this week to pass a few months in England during the winter. However 24 year old Acker will be based with Jonjo O’Neill in the Cotswolds where his champion Rock Noir (Mansonnien) will be based from next spring. “It is thanks to JP McManus and Marcel Rolland that I have received this amazing opportunity. I will spend at least a month and a half over there, riding out in the mornings and hopefully having a few race rides as well”, said Alexis, who had an amazing day at Auteuil in 2009 when he lost his claim when winning his first Gr1 at the same time with Rock Noir, in the Renaud du Vivier.
Jump jockey Benoit Gicquel has decided to leave Guillaume Macaire’s yard in Royan where he has been based for almost 15 years. “Many things have contributed to me making this decision and it is not one that I made lightly. I have given Mr. Macaire almost 90% of my career and it is time now to turn the page but we are still on good terms.” At the age of 33, Gicquel and Macaire have won nearly 700 races as a partnership both in France and abroad, on the flat and over jumps. His best wins have come thanks to Tempo D’Or at Chepstow and Merano both in Group 1s, and also with Douze Douze and Japhet at Auteuil.
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