The great stories from the world of racing are legion. That of Gazelle de Valan unexpected candidate at the start of the meeting, certainly is. Coming from his house stallion, Viking de Val, Gazelle de Val can offer the Holy Grail to his 62-year-old Mayenne trainer. With the status of a provincial grand prix mare, the one who has just entered her 9 year old year is at the start of her first group I with limits unknown to this day. His coach explains: “If someone had told me three months ago that she would be one of the favorites for the Prix de Cornulier, I would not have believed it. I’m not surprised to see her succeed on the climb, but rather to see her reach this level so quickly. Mathieu Mottier tried it in the summer when he was 5 years old in Pornichet, during a heat. I wanted to introduce her to the show at 6 years old but Mathieu had Gachette Montaval (trained by Aymeric Thomas). Also, I waited last spring and Lisieux because she is better right-handed.”
“I don’t know its current limits”
How far we have come since his victorious debut on May 13 in Normandy: “She won twice this summer at Vincennes under saddle and I had in mind to run a few “old guys” races during the meeting. She progresses with each outing. In the past, she was prone to ulcers. On the advice of Charles (Dreux), I modified his diet, switching to complete diet. In the past, it was oats and barley. Now she is at “Red Mills”. It suits it perfectly and it retains its condition much better..” Winner with style in the Prix de l’Île de Ré in November, she was to do two races at ten days in December but after her success in 1’10”4 on December 7, it was decided to go to the “Calvados”: “I have complete confidence in my jockey. He wanted to qualify it for the Prix de Cornulier. Also, we ran the Prix du Calvados. She won by moving forward. It was not a predestined tactic, but she knew how to adapt to the circumstances of the race and the lack of pace with one lap to go. The others were maybe tired, I don’t know, and some were absent or had other objectives. We therefore find ourselves at the start of the Prix de Cornulier, without having aimed for it at the start of the meeting. I don’t know its current limits. Maybe we’ll see them on Sunday. It is practical, has a lot of speed. The ideal is to preserve it. If she finishes in the top five, I will be satisfied” explains Eric Lambertz who was able to appreciate the victory ofVal Impalathe younger brother of “Gazelle” last Sunday in the Prix Djerid, as breeder and co-owner. The Mayenne coach did not hide it from us at the beginning of December: “I have no fixation on the Prix de Cornulier. For me, she is the real mare for “L’Île-de-France” (group I over 2,175 meters, February 2).”
Viking de Val, the horse of my life
The candidacy of Gazelle de Val in this Prix de Cornulier also represents enormous personal satisfaction via the house stallion Viking de Val about which Eric Lambertz speaks with the eyes of love and to whom he has presented almost all his broodmares: “This is the horse of my life. He had crazy class and impressive speed. It was a potential placed of the Prix d’Amérique. It was pure. He won groups but didn’t have the career he should have had. He had a problem with his back at the age of 6, but I couldn’t find an explanation. He was never tried on the climb, but he would have succeeded for sure. Gazelle is a super mare, more “made”, who has improved with age”.
Working alone with a voluntarily reduced workforce from now on, “it is difficult to find staff and I am of retirement age”, Eric Lambertz enjoys his magical moments with Gazelle de Val and keep in mind some dreams: “I have a son Viking de Val et Norman Auraa good mare by Ready Cash that I exploited, which qualified well at the start of 3 years. I just rehung it this week. Lamparo de Val will begin this spring. It’s a very good item that I’m going to have fun with..”
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