Twelve months after winning the Prix Congress, a group II which crowns the best 3-year-old on the Auteuil steeplechase, Kaadam confirmed his position as leader of his generation, Sunday November 17, 2024, following his coronation in the Prix Maurice Gillois (Gr. I), Grand Steeplechase for 4-year-olds. The protégé of Hubert Mauillon, associated with Simon Macauley and Andrew Peake since the spring, won his first group I under the riding of Gaëtan Masure. The 34-year-old pilot rode the son of Holy of Holies with great confidence, patient within the peloton with obvious resources, jumping each obstacle with rare precision, without giving the impression of drawing on his reserves. Kaadam didn’t jump the big open-ditch, he flew over it like a simple hedge. At this point in the journey, his many supporters had probably understood that only an unforeseen event could stop him in his quest. As soon as the straight line entered, the pretty gray raised by Richard Corveller raised the tone, sending a firm and definitive message to his adversaries. Kaadam went to the post with a feeling of loneliness that only champions can feel. “Is I set him up like the boss he is, choosing to position myself on the outside, so that he can feel comfortable. He wins a little less clearly than last time, but the track is very difficult. He took me off on the river (laughs). I had the measure of my opponents and I felt that I still had a lot of room to jump the last hurdle. He ends freely. I didn’t want to give it a hard ride,” concluded the titular jockey of 37 groups over jumps, including 8 at the highest level.
Kaadam received an ovation on his return to the scales, leaving Bertrand Le Métayer, the team’s representative, to say: “Gaëtan Masure rode it with confidence, doing the exteriors, which allowed him to have better ground. This is not negligible. It is perhaps a little less incisive than during its last success, but this is to be put in relation to the poorly supported train and the terrain. He did just what was necessary. This is why it can be longer. Obviously, we think of the Grand Steeple with him…” The ambitions are clear, as one of the associated owners, Hubert Mauillon, also clarified: “I predicted a great future for him. This is why we wanted him to stay in France.”
Quickly noticed in good rank, Royal Sagaridden by Gabin Meunier, was unable to match the start of the future winner at the entrance to the straight line before suffering the attack of Kentucky Wood on the dish. A performance appreciated by François Nicolle, coach of the latter: “He runs fantastically well! He arrived late for training for the fall, and I chose to run him on the flat in Saint-Brieuc to prepare for this meeting. I racked my brains… I told his jockey Angelo Zuliani to ride him more for a place than to win. We will run the consolation (Prix Morgex – Gr.III), December 8 at Auteuil), where we won’t have to face Kaadam. He’s going to age well.”
The brave Royal Saga retained third place. “I’m really super happy with his performance because I was a little disappointed last time when he fell. Today he jumped well, it’s really a good performance,” learned Dominique Bressou, his mentor.
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