A DEMOLITION. That is the only way to describe the victory of Il Est Français in the Grade 1 Prix Renaud du Vivier at Auteuil on Sunday.

The Prix Renaud du Vivier is for four-year-olds and run over a distance of 3,900 metres (about two miles, three and half furlongs). It is the winter championship event for four-year-old hurdlers in France, the last Grade 1 of their jumping year, and is also known as the Grande Course de Haies des 4 Ans. The race was first run in 1986 and is named in honour of Renaud du Vivier de Fay-Solignac, who was president of the Société des Steeple-Chases de France from 1968 to 1977.

The mount of James Reveley, Il Est Français is a son of Karaktar (High Chaparral), and he looked very comfortable as he beat Ine Anjou and Spirit Of The Moon by eight lengths and 10 lengths. The Prix Renaud du Vivier has been won in the past by many notable champions, and all the signs are that this year’s winner, trained by Tom George, could be right up there with the best of them.

The victory was also a bittersweet occasion, coming less than a fortnight after the tragic death of Haras de Saint Voir’s Pascaline de Lageneste. A most loved and respected member of the equine world in France, she was born Pascaline Vagne, and that alone tells you that she comes from a family steeped in jump racing.

Known for her kind words, her wisdom, her strength of character, and her honesty, Pascaline was a mother figure to many who spent some of their formative years at Haras de Saint Voir. With her husband Nicolas, the couple maintained the farm’s long history as a leading nursery, and Il Est Français, whom they bred and co-own with Richard Kelvin-Hughes, is just the latest in a long line of top-class runners produced there. Among the many stars they bred was the leading sire Saint Des Saints.

First crop

Il Est Français is from the first crop of the Aga Khan-bred Karaktar, and that sire will stand next season at Haras de Cercy for just €4,500, up from this year’s fee of €2,500. Given the start he has made, it is fair to say that Karaktar is exceptional value for money.

Il Est Français is unbeaten in his four starts over hurdles, and his fellow first crop members include Moka De Vassy who was runner-up in the Grade 2 JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle at Cheltenham, and You’re The Boss who was second in a couple of listed hurdle races in France.

Sadly, an injury while racing forced the early retirement of Karaktar, who was considered good enough to contest the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club-French Derby won by New Bay.

After being group-placed at two, he won the Listed Prix Francois Mathet at Saint-Cloud and the Group 3 Prix Noailles at Longchamp before running in the classic. He bounced back from that run to beat Sumbal in the Group 3 Prix du Prince d’Orange, before being injured on his final start.

Winner of four of his eight starts, and with a couple of placed efforts, Karaktar was spoken of by his trainer, Alain de Royer-Dupré, as a likely Arc horse. He is by the sire of Altior, and one of five winners from his dam. His siblings include the Grade 1 Champion Finale Juvenile Hurdle runner-up Karezak (Azamour). Karaktar ticks so many boxes for a potential champion sire in France.

Busiest season

The positive news is that Karaktar has covered good-sized books of mares, though not on the scale usually seen in Ireland or Britain. He had his busiest season this year with more than 140 mares covered, and in 2019 he had a book of 100 mares. He has averaged 88 mares for his six seasons at stud.

Placed second on all his starts on the flat at three, including an AQPS Group 1 at Saint-Cloud where he was beaten less than a length by the hugely exciting, Gordon Elliott-trained Irish Point, Il Est Francais was trained by Nicolas de Lageneste to win his first start over hurdles, before moving to join Tom George.

He is the ninth produce of the Video Rock (No Lute) mare Millesimee who raced twice without distinction. Eight of those offspring ran and all have won. Il Est Français was born exactly a decade after the best of the rest, Un Beau Matin (Sagamix). A listed winner over jumps in France, where he also won on the flat at three, he moved to Gordon Elliott’s yard and carried the livery of Gigginstown House Stud. Un Beau Matin won twice over hurdles, was placed four times in graded hurdle races, and then made a winning debut over fences as a six-year-old at Punchestown. Sadly he was badly injured next time out and had to be put down.

Perfect record

As mentioned earlier, just one of the offspring of Millesimee failed to race, Toque Rouge (Loup Solitaire), and she has already compiled the perfect record of producing five winners with her first five foals, the youngest of them being just a five-year-old.

Back for a moment to Millesimee. She was the only one of seven foals out of the unraced Briffault (Olmeto) not to win, and half of the six winners won blacktype races over hurdles and fences in France. Additionally, Briffault’s daughter Programmee (Kahyasi), a winner over jumps, bred JP McManus’ Dame De Compagnie (Lucarno) who won the Grade 3 Coral Cup at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival.

With a very bright future ahead, and in possession of such a symbolic name, Il Est Français (translates as He Is French) is set to be a poster boy for French racing and breeding. Hopefully he will be tested outside France too.

He will also keep the memory of Pascaline de Lageneste alive.