Tag Archive for: Maxime Guyon

Sosie steals the show in Grand Prix de Paris

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The British and Irish raiders had to make do with minor honours as Sosie provided Andre Fabre with a remarkable 14th victory in the Grand Prix de Paris.

The leading French trainer has an exceptional record in the Bastille weekend showpiece, first striking gold with Dancehall in 1989 and most recently with Gallante a decade ago.

In between times Fabre saddled a trio of subsequent Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winners to land the prize in Subotica (1991), Peintre Celebre (1997) and Rail Link (2006), and a tilt at Europe’s premier middle-distance prize back at ParisLongchamp in early October may well loom large for his latest victor.

Sosie, who was last seen finishing third in the French Derby, was tackling a mile and a half for the first time in the hands of Maxime Guyon and after moving to the front halfway up the home straight, saw out the trip well to score comfortably by two lengths.

Aidan O’Brien’s Queen’s Vase winner Illinois emerged best of the rest in second, with the previously unbeaten favourite Delius making late headway from the rear of the field to beat David Menuisier’s high-class filly Tamfana to third place.

Paddy Power gave Sosie an introductory quote of 12-1 for the Arc, while trimming the odds of French Derby winner and ante-post favourite Look De Vega to 3-1 from 9-2.

“It’s amazing, I’m really happy for the team,” Guyon told Sky Sports Racing.

“It was the first time for him to run 2,400 (metres), but in the Prix du Jockey Club he finished third and 2,000 metres was a little bit too short for him. Today it was perfect.

“We had a really good race behind the leader and he showed a strong turn of foot.

“Just before the winning post he looked around a little bit. I hope he can win the Arc.”

Andre Fabre, trainer of Sosie
Andre Fabre, trainer of Sosie (John Walton/PA)

Pierre-Yves Bureau, racing manager for Sosie’s owners Wertheimer and Frere, added: “It was a superb race. He’s a colt we’ve always held in high esteem but, given his very massive physique, it has taken him a while to come to himself.

“He’s still a relatively new horse as this was only his fifth career outing. He ran a blinder in the Prix du Jockey Club. I was a bit worried when I saw the rain coming as he’s a top of the ground colt. However, in the Jockey Club, he handled the sticky ground.

“This victory is very important for breeding purposes. The Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, in the autumn, is the logical target for the colt.”

Survie also emerged as a potential Arc contender by landing the Group Two Prix de Malleret for trainer Nicolas Clement and jockey Stephane Pasquier.

A narrowly beaten second in the French Oaks on her most recent outing, the daughter of Churchill displayed a willing attitude to go one better on what was also her first start over a mile and a half.

“I’m delighted and relieved. She was placed in a Group One, a Group Two and a Group Three and we’ve got the job done in a Group Two,” said Clement.

“This is a filly in the making – I think she’ll keep improving.

“She’s got an entry in the Arc, which we might give some thought to, and there’s a nice Group One in September called the Prix Vermeille and we can go for that.

“French trainers like to give them a midsummer break and she’ll get August off. We’ll train her easy and look at the autumn.”

Last season’s Prix Royal-Oak hero Double Major made it third time lucky for the current campaign with a front-running success in the other Group Two on the card – the Prix Maurice de Nieuil.

Winning trainer Christophe Ferland said: “He was not as good as he was today at the beginning of the year, (but) now we’ve got the horse back to his form.

“The rain we had earlier on was really good for him as he likes the ground a little bit soft and he likes to get in front.

“The good turn of foot Double Major has when he’s in really good form makes a big difference – he’s one of the best (stayers) here in France at the moment.”

Double Major delivers commanding Royal-Oak success

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There was no joy for the British raiders in the Prix Royal-Oak as Double Major ran out a wide-margin winner of the ParisLongchamp staying contest.

Trained by Christophe Ferland, Double Major had seen off Dermot Weld’s Harbour Wind by just three-quarters of a length at the track in the Prix Chaudenay on Arc weekend.

However, the manner of victory was much more straightforward this time and having been in the ideal position at the head of affairs alongside Brian Ellison’s Tashkhan, the only three-year-old in the race surged well clear of his rivals when jockey Maxime Guyon pushed the button entering the straight.

Patrice Cottier’s Skazino kept on for second ahead of Tashkhan, who finished best of the raiding party in third, but Harry Fry’s Metier was never in the mix from a position towards the rear of the field and James Fanshawe’s Novel Legend also finished out of the money.

Having secured top honours in his very first outing in Group One company, connections of Double Major were content to savour their big-race success in the French capital before contemplating future plans.

“We are very happy and the big question was the ground because he has never run on that kind of surface,” Pierre-Yves Bureau, racing manager to owners Wertheimer et Frere, told Sky Sports Racing.

“We knew the horse had that quality, but he was the only three-year-old facing older horses who have much more experience than him, so what he did was very nice and we are very happy.

“Well done to Christophe, he is a nice horse who keeps improving each time and that is very good and promising for the future.

“He is a gelding so hopefully he can travel as well, but we are going to enjoy what happened today because it was a really nice performance. We will have to see about the future.”

Winning rider Guyon added: “It is the first time he has run on this ground – the ground is very sticky today, so before the race we did not know if he loved that or not. Afterwards I can tell you he does.

“The most important thing for him is the distance. At the start of the year we went more of a short distance and now he needs the long distance. Last time he won the Group Two and every time he runs at Longchamp he runs very good, this time he has won a Group One.

“I am very happy for the team, for Christophe Ferland and for Wertheimer et Frere.”