Auteuil

Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris (Grade 1)

RACHAEL Blackmore has dominated most of this year’s big jump racing festivals but in Paris last weekend she was relegated to the role of bit part player as two other females, the ‘L Team’ of L’Autonomie and Louisa Carberry, stole the limelight at the biggest fixture on the French calendar.

L’Autonomie was imperious when landing her first all-aged Grade 1 victory in Saturday’s €350,000 Grande Course de Haies d’Auteuil.

Twenty-four hours later trainer Louisa Carberry glowed with pride and happiness after her beloved Docteur De Ballon came up with an astonishing late burst of speed to land his second €820,000 Grade 1 Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris.

Docteur De Ballon deserves top billing as this was his third Grade 1 chase success in seven months, a unique distinction made possible by Covid -19 as France only stages two top level races over larger obstacles in a normal year.

Overdrive

And, having responded perfectly to exaggerated waiting tactics when landing his first Grand Steep’ last October, this time onlookers were able to anticipate his sudden employment of overdrive and enjoy it all the more.

The racecourse commentator even flagged up what was going to happen when referring to Docteur de Ballon as a “steeplechaser-sprinter” during the early stages of the race.

The uninitiated would have feared for the Docteur’s wellbeing during most of this three and three-quarter mile contest. Dossing about at the back of the 10-runner field from the start and at times seemingly needing jockey Bertrand Lestrade to nudge him along for a stride or two to maintain contact, it would have been easy to have been sucked into the belief that he was struggling to keep up.

Greyhound

Such an impression might have remained right up until landing over the fourth last fence, at which point he was still in last place.

Suddenly, Lestrade flicked the switch and his mount was straining every sinew to catch the leader, like a greyhound in pursuit of a hare.

Allowed something of a breather after he had latched on to the back of the three leaders rounding the final turn, he was a close third jumping the 23rd and final obstacle and then simply stormed up the run-in, drawing five and a half lengths clear of the gallant 2019 winner, Carriacou, in second place.

Out on the course straight after the race an overjoyed Carberry exclaimed: “What Docteur De Ballon has just done is not normal, it’s utterly extraordinary. I’m just so glad that some kind of crowd (numbering 1,000) was allowed in today as I want to share him with as many people as possible.”

Carberry was left to conduct post-race interviews alone as her husband, Philip, the dual Grand Steep’-winning rider and brother to Paul and Nina, had superstitiously made a last minute decision not to travel up from their yard 200 miles away in Senonnes, remembering that he had also been absent for both of Docteur De Ballon’s big autumn triumphs.

“Philip was going to come, everything was organised, but just as we were about to leave he turned to me and said, ‘no, I can’t do it’,” she revealed. “I’m not even sure if he’s seen the race yet, I haven’t had a chance to call him!”

Jockey’s instructions

Quizzed about her pre-race riding orders for Lestrade, she said: “Philip and I just asked him to take it fence by fence, ride him for a place and not worry about the other runners. We know what he’s capable of, but to come from last place in the back straight, with so many good horses in front of him, it’s difficult to predict how it’s going to play out.”

“Hats off to Betrand, he rode the perfect race – and Bertrand and Docteur are the perfect partnership.”

Lestrade added: “It was a dream race for me – Docteur De Ballon loves it when they go a proper pace and there is time for him to find his feet.

“I’ve chanced upon a number of champions during my career, but none of them have ever been able to pull off a repeat victory like that at the very top level.”

“Louisa and Phil just wanted me to look after him, they didn’t put any pressure on me at all.”

Le Berry, the hitherto unbeaten favourite, made much of the running before fading into sixth and was later reported to have been suffering from a breathing problem.

Carriacou’s performance, under a wonderfully quiet ride from James Reveley, showed that there is no substitute for previous Grand Steep’ experience - he has now filled each of its top four places during his career.

The French programme for top chasers is odd, to say the least, as literally all the Grand Steep’ prep races are over much shorter trips and even the solitary other Grade 1, November’s Prix La Haye Jousselin, is run over shy of three and a half miles. So the only chance that anybody gets to find out if their horse will stay is in the race itself.

Blackmore’s spin

Blackmore had a great spin on Ajas, who had beaten Docteur De Ballon when they met over two miles, six furlongs in early April, before weakening to be last of the seven finishers.

“Ajas jumped extremely well and knew exactly what he was doing, it’s just a pity that he didn’t get the trip,” she said. “These fences are very impressive and it was a real thrill - I’d love to come back and have another go one day.”