Fabrice Chappet is set to have his first runner in Ireland and will send the G1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Onesto (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) to the G1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion S. on Sept. 10.
The first running of the race in 1976 was won by the Francois Boutin-trained Malacate, and the Irish Champion S. last went to a French runner when Almanzor (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) won in 2016 en route to becoming European champion 3-year-old.
Onesto, also three, landed the G2 Prix Greffulhe in May before running fifth behind Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}) from a difficult draw in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club.
“He has won over a mile and a half but he showed in the Prix du Jockey Club that he has enough speed to be going against the best horses over a mile and a quarter,” Fabrice Chappet told TDN in Deauville. “He stays, but not only that, he has a great turn of foot and I am sure he's as good over a mile and a quarter as he is over a mile and a half.”
Later in the season, the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe remains on the agenda for Onesto, who now runs in the colours of Almanzor's part-owner Gerard Augustin-Normand.
“It is three weeks to the Arc [after the Irish Champion] and that's perfect,” Chappet noted. “I've never raced in Ireland and this is a prestigious race to be going for.”
Chappet is enjoying a decent season, with stable star Onesto backed up by the likes of listed winner and Group 3-placed Machete (Fr) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) and dual juvenile winner Gain It (Fr) (De Treville {GB}), who, like Onesto, was awarded a 'TDN Rising Star'. He is currently in seventh position in the French trainers' ranks having sent out significantly fewer runners than those above him in the table.
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