By Emma Berry
Back in March, TDN interviewed Fabrice Chappet following a terrific start to the year and, with the season now at its peak, his stable's good run shows little sign of abating.
The highlight to date is of course the trainer's first Classic–and Group 1–victory in last month's Poule d'Essai des Pouliches with Brendan and Anne-Marie Hayes's homebred Precieuse (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}). This was followed 24 hours later by a runner-up finish for Vue Fantastique (Fr) (Motivator {GB}) in the G1 Prix Saint-Alary behind Godolphin's Sobetsu (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Still a maiden after four starts, Martin Schwartz's filly is nevertheless the highest-rated in France for her sex and distance, while her stablemate Precieuse is the top-rated filly overall.
Brametot (Fr) (Rajsaman {Fr}) augmented his Poule d'Essai des Poulains victory that same weekend with his second Classic success in Sunday's Prix du Jockey Club, but Precieuse will not take aim at the G1 Prix de Diane as she is instead steering a path for the G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot. Though Chappet will not be able to emulate his colleagues Aidan O'Brien and Jean-Claude Rouget by bagging a Classic brace with the same horse this season, he will still attempt to land France's Oaks equivalent a week on Sunday with Vue Fantastique.
An audience with the Chappet stable's two star fillies on Monday morning finds them both as relaxed as their trainer, who, when drawn on his rich vein of form, merely says, with the hint of a grin, “I can't complain.”
Indeed he can't. His Lamorlaye yard is at its strongest numerically, with plenty of heads over doors, nodding contentedly in the sun. While trading blows near the head of the French trainers' table with the likes of Rouget, Andre Fabre and Henri-Alex Pantall, Chappet has sent out Chiverny (Fr) (Whipper {Ire}) and Uni (GB) (More Than Ready) to add to his tally of stakes winners this season, and in his raiding party for Ascot alongside Precieuse will be the dependable sprinter Finsbury Square (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}).
“He's never been out of the first four in France,” Chappet says proudly of Berend Van Dalfsen's 5-year-old, who was beaten just a length by Muthmir (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) on Sunday when second in the G2 Prix du Gros-Chene, having finished third in the same race last year after winning the G3 Prix de Saint-Georges.
The one chink in the gelding's armour is that his two trips outside France have resulted in disappointing runs at Goodwood and Meydan.
“He's versatile over five or six furlongs so we haven't decided yet whether he will go for the [G1] King's Stand or the [G1] Diamond Jubilee,” adds the trainer.
While Finsbury Square takes it easy after Sunday's exertions, his stablemates are out in force. Vue Fantastique accompanies the group for first lot and after an easy canter with her regular rider, jockey Sylvain Ruis is legged up for a stronger piece of work on the uphill sand gallop known as the Piste des Lions alongside Roc Angel (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), a dual winner over a mile this season who holds an entry for the GI Secretariat S. in August.
Chappet declares himself very happy with the filly's build up to her first Classic engagement, saying, “She ran a very good race before the Saint-Alary [in the G3 Prix Vanteaux] and was only beaten by one length so I thought that the extra 200 metres would help her and I knew she would run a good race. Sobetsu is still coming for the Prix de Diane even after she ran in the Oaks but our filly is in good form and she deserves to run.”
In between first and second lots, Jose Serra, who rides and looks after Precieuse, makes time to mix his charge her own special 'salad' of carrots and apples to supplement her regular feed. When she emerges from her box for a steady canter behind Finsbury Square's half-brother Bakoel Koffie (Ire) (Naaqoos {GB}), she's not quite wrapped in cotton wool but she is carrying a fair amount of sheepskin on her reins and martingale.
“She's great–very relaxed and I'm happy with her. We're going for the Coronation at Royal Ascot, which makes sense,” says Chappet, but it's what he doesn't say that is more telling. While assessing the other members of the string, his eyes keep darting back to his Group 1 winner. Though not as physically imposing as some of her stablemates, she has the poise and elegance of movement which make her worth more than just a cursory glance. A first Classic winner for the stable is, after all, precious.
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