By Tom Frary
The tears were flowing following a dramatic finale to Sunday's G1 Cygames Grand Prix de Paris, with Jean-Claude Rouget pulling off an upset with Leffard (Le Havre). Rested since beating only one rival in the Prix du Jockey Club, Gerard Augustin-Normand and Ecurie Antonio Caro's 15-1 shot was able to run down Ballydoyle's favourite Trinity College (Dubawi) in the dying yards under Cristian Demuro for a short-head success.
Rouget, who is in an ongoing battle with lymphoma, said, “Of course this is a very emotional moment for me. I was always high on this horse, but he had a bad draw in the Jockey Club and was bumped badly and was very quickly out of the race so was unable to show his true form. He had been doing great since and I didn't hesitate to supplement him. He was brave and rewarded us for being courageous. We'll see how he comes out of this one and decide on his future.”
Two-for-two after educative runs at Cagnes-sur-Mer and Toulouse in January and March, Leffard who is one of the last of the Le Havre brigade had split Nitoi and New Ground (New Bay) when runner-up in Chantilly's Listed Prix de Suresnes over a mile and a quarter in May before failing to figure in the 10 1/2-furlong Classic back there the following month. Granted an honest pace on his first try over a mile and a half, he needed every yard to reel in the 3-5 favourite and provide his trainer with a third renewal. New Ground was 5 1/2 lengths back in third, having run too free in the early stages.
This race forms part of the Arc Races series, which grants the winner a direct qualification for the course-and-distance Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in October. Rouget is dreaming the impossible dream once again. “It's incredible to win this race after such a difficult year,” he added. “It's wonderful, a rightful reward. Gérard [Augustin-Normand] asked me to supplement him and his workout on Thursday morning was outstanding. For Gérard, this win has a special flavor, since Leffard is a son of Le Havre, his favourite and the horse that started everything.”
“This is a great moment for my team in Pau. It's hard to sum it all up in a few words. Their support is what has kept me going, as without them I would have quit. My assistant, Jean-René Dubosc, has done a remarkable job. He took two weeks off and will be returning from vacation a happy man! Of course, Leffard has all the qualities needed to run in the Arc. He's likely to go for the Qatar Prix Niel beforehand.”
Aidan O'Brien simply said of Trinity College, “He ran a very good race. I don't think there's much more to say. The distance wasn't an issue.” Henri-François Devin said of New Ground, “He was very sharp throughout the race. He's a somewhat tricky horse. The pace was too slow for him, but even so he finished very well, which is impressive for a horse that pulled so much. For now, we'll shorten him up. Once he settles down more, we might revisit longer distances.”
LEFFARD WINS THE GRAND PRIX DE PARIS! 🏅 pic.twitter.com/Xk7nTuzmaW
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) July 13, 2025
Pedigree Notes
Leffard's unraced dam Let's Misbehave (Montjeu) is already responsible for War Front's Listed winner Sippinsoda who was also runner-up in the G3 Prix Chloe. More importantly, she is also a half-sister to the Ballydoyle goliath High Chaparral which accounts for the winner's staying power in evidence here. High Chaparral's full-sister Chenchikova produced the Prix de Diane and Nassau Stakes heroine Fancy Blue (Deep Impact), while this is also the family of the G2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup winner Hunting Horn by Montjeu's son Camelot. Let's Misbehave's two-year-old filly by Siyouni is named Noble Honour, while she also has a yearling filly by Frankel.
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