FRENCHSUCCESS ATTHECURRAGH

from Curragh Racecard - Sunday 28th May

TODAY’S RACE CONDITIONS

There is a very welcome French runner at the Curragh today, with Jean-Claude Rouget’s Vadeni taking his chance in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup. The son of Churchill ventured outside of his native France on two occasions last term, landing the Coral Eclipse Stakes at Sandown before a close third in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown, and arrives at the Curragh with as good a chance as any.

There is precedent for a French winner in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, as André Fabre landed the spoils back in 2006 with Hurricane Run. Under Kieran Fallon, he dominated the ﬁeld that day, making all in an impressive seven-length victory. That wasn’t his only victory at the Curragh either, as the same jockey steered him to victory a year earlier in the Irish Derby and the four-time Group 1 winner ended his career two from two at the track. That was André Fabre’s second success in the Irish Derby here at the Curragh, as he also saddled the 1995 winner Winged Love, who came out on top in a thrilling battle with National Stakes winner Deﬁnite Article that lives long in the memory.

John Hammond also adds his name to the history books of Frenchtrainers to win at the Curragh. Montjeu was an exceptional horse for Michael Tabor and he won the Irish Derby in emphatic style, kicking clear by ﬁve lengths. Success didn’t stop there too, as he went on to land The Tattersalls Gold Cup the following year. A truly remarkable training performance from Hammond. Montjeu ended his career with 11 wins from 16 runs which entailed six Group 1 victories, before standing at Coolmore Stud.

The last French runner to try his hand at the Curragh was Waldgeist, who was unsuccessful in his travels as he ﬁnished fourth in the Irish

Derby back in 2017. He didn’t return to The Curragh after that, but it was onwards and upwards as the son of Galileo matured into a top-class older performer who signed off a scintillating career with a victory in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

We are treated to the Irish 1,000 Guineas, which in 1983 was won by the Olivier Douieb-trained L’Attrayante. The ﬁlly is still to this day the only horse to win both the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches and the Irish 1,000 Guineas, an incredible feat with the races just three weeks apart from each other that year.

Saturday’s Irish 2,000 Guineas has also seen a French-trained winner in the shape of 1996 victor Spinning World. Then based at Chantilly, Jonathan Pease would saddle Spinning World to become the ﬁrst, and only, French-trained winner of the race as he cruised to a two-length success under Cash Asmussen to justify favouritism.

Before moving stables to Aidan O’Brien, Chicquita was trained to Irish Oaks success at the Curragh by Alain de Royer-Dupré in 2013. Despite being a maiden, the French trainer opted to send the ﬁlly over for a crack at the Irish classic and connections were rewarded for their boldness as she took the step up in distance in her stride to come out on top in a strong Irish Oaks ﬁeld.