AUTEUIL SUNDAY

ON Sunday, James Reveley had rotten luck on the odds-on favourite Device in the Grade 1 Prix Cambaceres.

The pair were travelling well but were badly hampered by the subsequent runner-up Indietir at the second last. There was a stewards’ inquiry but the order remained unchanged.

They never recovered and finished third to the filly Chimere Du Berlais who was giving Robert Collet a well deserved change of luck after his family’s Saint Firmin was fatally injured in the previous day’s big hurdle.

Reveley had better luck a little later in the afternoon when he won the Grade 1 Prix Maurice Gillois aboard So French who beat his more fancied stablemate Kobrouk by a length and a half.

Both four-year-olds are trained by Guillaume Macaire who had four winners during the weekend.

The Prix La Haye Jousselin was the big chase on Sunday and the Grade 1 event went to the favourite Milord Thomas who was flat out to beat Reveley and Saint Palois by a neck.

Winning jockey Jacques Ricou was banned for 12 days for hitting his mount 19 times in the straight and Reveley was fined €75 for tapping Saint Palois on nine occasions.

Milord Thomas is just a six-year-old and was picking up his fourth Grade 1 race and landing back to back victories in the Haye Jousselin for Dominique Bressou. He is also the sixth horse to land the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris/Haye Jousselin double in the same season.

Emmanuel Clayeux has a dream to win a race in England and Saint-Palois might be the candidate for such a venture. He has been entered in the King George at Kempton Park on Boxing Day but a tilt at the Cheltenham Gold Cup with a prep in England before is the more likely programme.

Nearly 10,500 fans turned up at Auteuil for the big jumps weekend which was an increase of 24% compared to last year. For a track which is virtually in Paris, that figure does not appear outstanding.