It has been along time since a horse got me to the edge of my seat whilst watching a race but on Boxing Day I saw such a horse.
IL EST FRANCAIS won the Kauto Star Novices Chase pulling a caravan and in doing so produced a performance that had RPR suggesting that he was at least 10lb superior to your average winner of this race.
He also clocked a time nearly five seconds quicker than the King George itself and, unsurprisingly, he now sits top of the Novices’ tree for this season.
He is trained in France by the son of Tom George and Amanda Zetterholm. They share the training licence.
I cannot recall a novice chaser that jumps a fence as well as this horse did, and that he kept up the gallop from the moment the tapes went up until he passed the winning post was quite something else. Paul Nicholls was so impressed he announced we’d seen the new KAUTO STAR!
IL EST FRANCAIS winning the Kauto Star Novices’ in brilliant style
It looks doubtful he will race at Cheltenham this spring as one of the joint owners has a vision….win the French Gold Cup this season, then the King George next December, and then the 2025 Gold Cup at the Festival.
Jockey, James Reveley, got off saying, “He’s potentially the best I have ever ridden. I’d rather he went for the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris than head to Cheltenham next year”.
I cannot wait to see him over here again, whenever that might be!
