THE champion mare in France, De Bon Coeur won as expected in her prep race for the Grade 1 Grande Course de Haies over hurdles in the Prix Léon Rambaud (Grade 2), the feature race on the card at Auteuil last Sunday.

The favourite followed the front-running Galop Marin into the final turn and she took command on the near rail between the last two obstacles and was pushed out by jockey Kevin Nabet to hold off the challenge of Berjou close home, who was beaten a length and a quarter, with Galop Marin two and a half lengths back in third.