Il Est Francais warms up at home canter ahead of its Kempton assignment. Photo: The Jockey Club
For those of us who are nostalgic, there will be shades of the late eighties/nineties when Il Est Francais lines up for the Kauto Star Novices' Chase at Kempton.
Trainers Tom and Noel George, father and son, nurtured the Anglo-French model. strategy for their training operations three years ago, and the arrival of their superstar this afternoon is the end of the beginning of their inspired plan.
It's also a throwback to those years when Francois Doumain crossed the English Channel and hit us on the King George” together with Nupsala, followed twice by “Fellow”, “Algan” and “First Gold”.
It's not hard to see why Tom George looked across the English Channel for his boy's future back in 2000. However, there were two main fly in the ointment in this story. First, Noel had to learn to speak French fluently, the first subject he dropped out of school. Secondly, he had to pass very strict exams from French coaches. Like most candidates, it took him several attempts to overcome this obstacle.
A quick look at the prize money shows why the Georges made a shrewd choice. The total prize money on offer at Haydock on the day of the Betfair Chase, one of the most important first grade three meter chases of the season in the UK, was approximately £515,000.
But a day later at Auteuil, in Paris , the card, which featured an unimportant grade one steeplechase race, had a total prize fund of £940,000. So it's not hard to understand why we don't see many French-trained horses here.
Even the Cheltenham Gold Cup can't compete. His total last year was £610,000, compared to the £795,000 up for grabs at the Grand Steeple Chase in Paris.
Going to France to ply your trade and dine efficiently isn't easy. , and this should be done. you can't imagine any old Briton could survive there.
Reavely is the ideal jockey to help Il Est Francais adapt to the English fences
The French can be difficult company, but if you learn to speak their language fluently, drink a bottle of Calvados and admire the Limousin cattle, they can also be very helpful.
Noel has also found a great ally in the French. James Reevley, jockey at Il Est Francais.
Reaveley is England's most successful hunt jockey at present, having been crowned French champion three times. He also passed his trainers' exams, which shows he has brains and talent in the saddle. He is the ideal jockey to help Il Est Francais adapt to English fences.
There are three good reasons to believe it will be electric. Firstly, I saw a video of him learning over English fences in France. And he looked very agile and fast away from them.
Secondly, his half-brother Un Beau Matin once won the Punchestown steeplechase, starting in France. Thirdly, the great Dowman himself, who trains the horse with Noel, believes he is bringing the right horse to Kempton. So if that's not a vote of confidence, I don't know what is.
“I worked with Francois when he had a lot of good horses,” recalls Tom George. “But not all of them could be transported to England.”
Today will be only the third time that Il Est Francais, still only five years old, has crossed the fence. Naturally, his connections are cautious as to what his next immediate target will be.
Presumably this will be partly decided by his astute co-owner Richard Kelvin-Hughes, who has had many good horses in training in this country. but clearly saw the merits of this endeavor.
You would think there was a good chance Kelvin-Hughes would want to see him perform at the Cheltenham Festival before he resumed his career in France.
< p>The Paris Steeplechase will take place in May if the plan continues. If it's possible, why not take part in the Gold Cup in March rather than the Brown Advisory?
It may seem a little bold, but Mark Bradstock's Conigry accomplished the same mission as a rookie in 2015. , so why not?
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