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Friday 30th April 2010, Auteuil The hot favourite of the €50,000 Prix Loreto Chase (5yo+ -3,700m), Queen des Places (Sabrehill) wasbetween by Quarisandre (AQPS - Sleeping Car - Breeder Mme E.Ouvry)...His trainer François Cottin said "I would have been delighted with second place so I'm over the moon to have won! The horse was in great form and he jumps very well". Quarisandre had until this win, never run in a chase at Auteuil. His dam, Eurisandre (AQPS - Synefos), is a daughter of the talented cross country mare Gérisandre (AQPS - Monceaux), notably the winner of the Grand Cross de Dieppe in 1983.
Sortie de secours (AQPS -Trempolino - Haras de St Voir) win very pleasantly in Prix d'Arles (Hurdle -4and5yo - 3.600m). He is a brother of a Wildenstein Gr.3 Winner's Hard Rock (AQPS - Video Rock).
Monday, 26th April 2010 - Auteuil. A sunny weekday for two of the main prep races towards the Spring Auteuil classics were on the card. The best 4yo chasers first and then the penultimate prep race towards the French Champion Hurdle. Marcel Rolland saddled both winners but it was not exactly business as usual for the Chantilly handler.Beaten last time out because of an infection, Questarabad (AQPS-Astarabad) came back in front in the €175,000 Prix Leon Rambaud Hurdle (Gr2-3,900m). The Marcel Rolland-trained AQPS 6yo came to the fore in the backstretch as Irish raider Jumbo Rio (Ire-Captain Rio) and usual front runner Melcastle (Fr-Medaaly) were leading a tight pack towards the last turn. Edward O'Grady's 5yo was looking pretty good then as Philip Carberry let him go on his own while Questarabad seemed to struggle a bit between horses such as Vitray (Fr-Morespeed), the Hypothese Hurdle winner, and Grande Haya (Fr-Solid Illusion), making some progress outside.... "It is reassuring," admitted Marcel Rolland. "Regis Schmidlin rightfully made his move in the backstretch as the leaders were not going very fast. It could have ended up as a sprint. He had to come between horses but Questarabad did not pull hard then and I was pleased to see him finish like that after the other day's hiccup. We'll see how he comes back before deciding whether we go for the La Barka Hurdle (on Grand Steeple day) or not."
Thursday 22nd April 2010, Saint-Cloud. The talented So Young (AQPS - Lavirco) was successful in the €30,000 Prix Bango (AQPS-4yos-2,400m) on what was his last start on French soil before heading to Ireland, where he will be trained by Willie Mullins. He profited from an excellent run in the hands of Thomas Huet and after tracking Saint Gratien (AQPS - Fragrant Mix), he came through easily to take the lead despite a valiant effort from the grey horse. "He is one of the most talented horse in the yard", confided Thomas Huet. "
I already won with him on his first run back and here he had the race won from start to finish."
So Young was bred by his trainer Alain Couetil. His dam, Honey (Highlanders), won the Prix Louis Champion (a top class AQPS chase) at Enghien for Guillaume Macaire. She has also produced the talented jumper Ograndy (Cyborg), who was unfortunately fatally injured in the Grand Prix de Pau.
Thursday 22nd April 2010, Nantes. (www.leblogdeparisturf.com) Impressive on her debut on the 24th of November at Angers (winner by 5 lengths when eased up by her jockey Thomas Huet), Sweeny (AQPS - Lavirco) was the attraction of the day at Nantes when she made a winning reappearance in the €20,000 Prix du Croisic (AQPS -4yo Fillies-2,400m). Alain Couétil's representative caused no worries for her supporters when she won in a canter two lengths ahead of her stable companion Shifa (AQPS - Lost World).
"She wintered well but she needed this race," explained Alain Couétil, a few minutes after watching So Young win at Saint-Cloud on the television. "She is a classy filly. I will now prepare her for the Grand Prix des AQPS on June 17th, before heading to Ireland in the autumn where she will go into training with Willie Mullins. I sold Sweet My Lord to him last year ,and as that went well (he will run in the Champion 4yo Hurdle Gr1, on Saturday at Punchestown), our collaboration has continued. Shifa is a filly with quality who will soon head jumping."
Sweeny was bred by Alain Couétil. Her dam, Ilaska (Dress Parade) was a winner over jumps at Lion d'Angers and at Compiègne.
Quevega (AQPS - Robin des Champs -Elevage P.Rives) first in World Series Hurdle (Gr.1),at the 2010th Punchestown Festival !
Wednesday 21st April 2010, Auteuil Sire Collonges (AQPS - Dom Alco) made a winning start to his career in the €44,000 Prix Alcide Hurdle (4yo-3,500m). Guy Cherel's representative jumped perfectly and kicked clear with ease in the straight. Hillbilly (Kapgarde) had to be content with second place five lengths behind the winner despite a strong finish. "He confirmed my opinion of him", explained Guy Cherel. "He is a very serious horse and doesn't show a lot in the mornings. He jumped really well and I can find nothing wrong with his performance. He also schools faultlessly aver fences in the mornings and that will be his speciality in the future. I have not yet decided what will be the next step for him."
The half brother of Sire Collonges, Pacha Collonges (AQPS - Subotica) won over hurdles at Auteuil for Marcel Rolland. They come from the family of Baccarat Collonges (AQPS - Olmeto), second in the Prix La Haye Jousselin in the mid 90s.
Wednesday 21st April 2010, Auteuil The veteran Louping d'Ainay (AQPS - Saint Preuil) made a winning return to the track, after an absence of a year and a half, in the €50,000 Prix Quo Vadis Chase(5yo+ -3,700m), The grey dominated Queen des Places (Sabrehill), back over fences after a run over hurdles."It was an excellent first run back", confided François Cottin. "I know this horse well by now. I have no plans for him at the moment; I will see how he comes out of this race before looking to the future." A victim of leg problems, Louping d'Ainay had not run since his third place in the Georges Courtois (Gr2), in November 2008, the same year that he finished second in the Grand Steeple de Paris. In winning on his return he proved that he has lost none of his talent at the ripe old age of 11.
Louping d'Ainay was bred by Stéphane Milaveau, and is the best produce of his dam Evermine (Perrault).
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