Author of a magnificent Cagnois 2024-2025 winter meeting, Lucky Nonantais came to put a very nice icing on the cake by brilliantly winning the Prix Christian de L’Hermite – Grand Steeple-Chase des 4 Ans (L.), associated to Johnny Charron. This student of the Goupil family, representing the training of Yannick Fouin and the coat of Frédéric Duvivier, took the opportunity to offer a first black type success to Bande as a stallion.
Lucky Nonantais and Johnny Charron, the big winners of the 2025 edition of the Prix Christian de L’Hermite – Grand Steeple-Chase des 4 ans (L.), in Cagnes-sur-Mer, for the training of Yannick Fouin, the Frédéric Duvivier’s coat, and the breeding of the Goupil family (© Agence Couleur Casaques)
Among the main highlights of the Cagnes-sur-Mer winter meeting, the Prix Christian de L’Hermite (L.), more commonly known as the “Grand Steeple-Chase des 4 Ans de la Riviera”, is a test which was rather successful Johnny Charron in the past. Already in 2012, the one who won seven Group races in 2024, including the Grande Course de Haies d’Auteuil (Gr.1) and the Grand Prix d’Automne (Gr.1) with the crack Blue Diamond (Martaline), had managed to win in the saddle on Anjou Challenge (Holy of Holies), for the training of Laurent Much. Same story in 2021 with Highlands of Allier (Cokoriko), for that of Camille & Philippe Peltier. Then in 2023 with Jigtsar Pam (Galiway), trained by Yannick Fouin. Or the same Mansonian trainer with whom he once again had the pleasure of shining, in this Prix Christian de L’Hermite – Grand Steeple-Chase des 4 ans (L.), this Sunday, January 5, 2025, in the saddle on Lucky Nonantaisa real revelation of this Riviera winter meeting.
Yannick Fouin and Johnny Charron, united to the left of Lucky Nonantais after one of the three victories of the son of Bande during this Cagnois 2024-202 meeting5 (© APRH, photo d’archives)
Immediately seen in the first part of the peloton, Lucky Nonantais took advantage of the fall of Kadover (Whitecliffsofdover) to take the best between the last two difficulties, before continuing his effort on the flat to finally win with real authority. Second place was taken by Culinary (Beaumec de Houelle), also trained by Yannick Fouinsix lengths further, and the third by God (Goliath du Berlais), another half-length further back. Representing the green and black jacket of Frédéric DuvivierLucky Nonantais took the opportunity to conclude a magnificent 2024-2025 Cagnois meeting, rich in three victories (the only ones of his career to date, editor’s note), all obtained in steeplechase… and this for as many outings!
Born and raised in Orne, with Goupil family (Astrid, Philippe, Jean-Baptiste et Arnaudeditor’s note), Lucky Nonantais is the fifth product of the unpublished A Beautiful Alliance (Nickname), of which he is also the very first winner in competition. Cousin of Mask of Love (Masked Marvel), which we notably saw finish second in 2024 in the Prix James Hennessy (L.) at Auteuil, Lucky Nonantais is therefore related to the same strain as the excellent Turgot (Turgeon), a former winner of the Prix La Haye Jousselin (Gr.1), Ferdinand Dufaure (Gr.1) and Richard & Robert Hennessy (L.) on the same Butte Mortemart racecourse, as well as several other black winners type in obstacle. Among them, Sept Verites (Turgeon), winner of the Prix Wild Monarch des Pouliches (L.), just like In the stride (Alberto Giacometti), or encore Kibboutz (Spanish Moon) who, in the spring of 2024, shone brightly in the Prix Amadou (Gr.2), at Auteuil.
Bande, the father of Lucky Nonantais, now a black type jumping stallion
Bought for €8,000 per Guy Petit at the ARQANA summer sale of 2023, where it was presented by the Haras de la Côte FleurieLucky Nonantais, at the same time, allowed his father Band (Authorized) to shine for the first time at black-type level as a breeder. After starting his career as a stallion in Japan, Bande was then recruited in 2020 by the Haras de la Haie Neuve in order to pursue it in France. Very good stayer, this former resident of Yoshito Yahagi and the coat of Masamichi Hayashi notably won Listed in the land of the Rising Sun, in addition to having finished third in the Kikuka Sho (Gr.1), the Japanese “St Leger”. Born and raised in Ireland, Kildaragh StudBand is by the much appreciated Authorized (Montjeu), father of stakes winners in both galloping disciplines, and Logic (Priolo), winner on the flat, and also mother of Doctor Dino (Muhtathir), one of the best jumping stallions in Europe.
Bande, a stallion to (re)discover at Mathieu Talleux’s Haras du Mazet in 2025
Equipped with a strong model with his 1m67 at the withers, and bringing the blood of the male line of Montjeu (Sadler’s Wells), Bande has already seen the products from its first generation stand out on the racecourses in 2024, both on the flat and over jumps, in France and abroad. In 2025, the year of his first 4-year-old, and therefore already his first Listed winner over obstacle, he will be offered at the price of €2,500 excluding tax/PV per covering, at Haras du Mazet of Matthew Talleux. His arrival in Corrèze resulted from an exchange between him and Motamarris (Le Havre), which, for its part, set down its suitcases at Haras de la Haie Neuveat Tangi Saliou, for this same breeding season 2025 (CLICK HERE TO RE-READ THE ARTICLE).
