THERE was one Grade 1 jumps contest last weekend in Auteuil, the Prix Renaud du Vivier (Hurdle) for four-year-olds and Paul Nicholls, who had won it with Ptit Zig a few years ago, sent over Pic d’Orhy, the mount of Harry Cobden for the two-mile, three-and-a-half-furlong contest run on heavy ground.

The gelding was still well in contention when he seemed to over-jump on the run down the back straight and took a crashing fall, but both horse and rider were none the worst for it.

L’Autonomie (Blue Bresil) went on to make all the running under jockey Angelo Zuliani and won very impressively by 18 lengths, beating Cotée Sud and Byzance du Berlais. The first three were all fillies.

Homebred by Catherine Coiffier, L’Autonomie has won seven of her 10 races over hurdles so far and was landing her first Grade 1 for François Nicolle.

The other fancied home-trained runner Feu Follet who had won the summer version of this race, the Grade 1 Prix Alain du Breil Hurdle, but doesn’t seem to find his marks this season after a few failed attempts over bigger obstacles.

L’Autonomie’s dam L’Automne subsequently had two Diamond Boy colts and the elder, now a gelding named Lautodidacte, was sold for €30,000 to JD Moore at Arqana Summer sales last year.