In front of a record crowd of more than 20,000 people, Ever Forget Me won the 20th France Sire Anjou Loire Challenge at 10 years old in front of his owners Jeannette and Victor Blot, 89 years old, whose jockey Alexandre Orain wore the fifty-year-old jacket with exceptional mastery . See the BEST OF VIDEO, the WINNER’s GOPRO and the large PHOTO GALLERY.
Beginning at 10:30 a.m. with the parade of heavy horses in the city, the great racing festival at the Lion d’Angers reached its climax at 8:00 p.m. with the triumph of Ever Forget Me, 10-year-old AQPS, ridden by Alexandre Orain in the Grande Sire Anjou Loire Challenge (Listed).
Ride the entire Ever Forget Me race in the saddle with Alexandre Orain. Bonus: parade like a winner in front of the packed stands!
His trainer Eric Leray achieves total success, since he is also the breeder of the son of Nidor, his personal stallion. With the Palio des Communes, the pony races, the concerts of young stars organized by Oxygène Radio, the aerobatics of Saad, the former racehorse, then the race meeting itself, spectators benefit from a show and a complete animation orchestrated by Marine Costabadi. Supported by a very strong communication campaign, this famous audience that everyone is looking for responds more than present since the attendance record has exceeded 20,000 people.
VIDEO GOPRO MISS LAURA
Here people come with their families, they like horses, sport, parties, the friendly atmosphere. Moreover, the numerous neophytes could only have been won over by the communicative, sonic and spectacular joy of the entire team of around 40 people gathered around Jérôme Duchêne (Ecurie Mustang), who did the double in the hurdle races and the 4-year-old steeplechase with Chance de Ballon and Ivoire de Ballon, trained by Mathias Sollier and ridden by Olivier Jouin.
The start of the France Sire Anjou Loire Challenge 2024, in front of 20,000 people. The future winner Ever Forget Me starts in last position, slightly separated from the pack of 12 starters.
So much so that the public was white-hot when the jockeys and then the horses of the France Sire Anjou Loire Challenge entered the stage in a very theatrical manner. Accompanied by young pony riders, the riders were as focused as their cheerful fans. The race being very open, everyone could go with their favorite but Ever Forget Me took away the main favors, on the strength of his recent demonstration in the Prix Bourgeonneau.
Ever Forget Me at the jump of the 1st hurdle
Trained by Eric Leraytrainer for 35 years at Senonnes, who completes his cross country grand slam here at Lion d’Angers after having already won the Grand Crosses of Pau and Craon, Ever Forget Me had a lot of qualities to win but also an Achilles heel. An impulsive subject, he absolutely had to remain calm in his bubble so as not to burn energy prematurely, which is fatal over the distance of 7300 m. His jockey Alexandre Orain had predicted his tactics down to the smallest detail. He explained it to us when we tried in vain to learn the route by heart and he made us revise it by describing the plan of his race beforehand!
Crossing the volpoum: we see the black hat of Ever Forget Me, still in last position.
He would wait in last position before coming in one go 1000 m from the finish. Talented but discreet rider, rarely seen in Auteuil, traveler having already spent several months in Australia and already planning his future installation as a trainer in a private estate in Sarthe, Alexandre Orain doesn’t ride that often but is known for his imperturbable composure. Great fan of the discipline, already winner of the Grand Cross de Craon with Doralou of Bordes in 2021, Alexandre Orain had chosen, very surprisingly, to walk his horse again alongside the public, at the foot of the stands, after the parade, rather than leaving and isolating himself in the middle of the racecourse. Result, given that the start is in front of the stands, Ever Forget Me was not surprised by the thunderous applause from the crowd when the elastics were released, while leaving last take off.
1000 m from the finish, Ever Forget Me joined Hawax in the lead, ahead of Hello de Sivola.
The pace gradually picked up on a track that was expected to be heavy (4.8) but which had dried quickly thanks to the last 3 days of sunshine. Fortunately for the public, there are no horses on the ground, and the 3 jockeys who flew into the scenery (Stéphane Paillard of Pedro’s, Clement Lefebvre of Elcond’Or Forlonge, Dylan Lecomte of Hope) got up without difficulty. Quite rare thing, even if Ever Forget Me had placed an uppercut, followed closely by the other waiter Miss Lauraanother 5 or 6 horses could believe it before approaching the last passage of the piano on the way up.
Alexandre Orain triumphs in front of a won over crowd in the France Sire Anjou Loire Challenge 2024.
After having released Miss Laura between the last 2 hurdles, Ever Forget Me sped to the post to the cheers of the crowd which stretched to the penultimate obstacle, that is to say the entrance to the straight line . Always on the lookout, ridden with economy by Olivier Jouin, the eldest of the peloton at 39 years old and in sparkling form, Hello de Sivola finished like a bullet to take 2nd place ahead of Forza Conti, magnificent at this level under the saddle of Kilian Dubourg, Miss Laura and Harry Brown.
Unable to come, Eric Leray had given his orders over the telephone to Alexandre Orain, in the company of the owners Jeannette and Victor Blot. True historical figures of racetracks, this couple has been racing horses for more than 50 years. The incredible Victor Blot, who had already had a crack at cross country with Archy Bald (5 times winner of the Grand Cross de Craon), is still alive at the age of 89 and after having operated on 13 times. He even broke his leg 6 months ago, but regained all his action to brandish his trophies on the podium!
Victor Blot, 89 years old, and his inseparable wife Jeannette, have been racing horses for over 50 years!
Ever Forget Me was bred by his trainer Eric Leray, in association with his neighbor from Senonnes Anthony Dupont. The latter had bought the mother Amandiya, daughter of Riverquest and the solid Guseh (10 victories) when she had tendinitis, to repair it and make it resort. He did well because the mare won 3 times at Seiches, Vire and Chateauroux. He kept her as a broodmare but wasn’t doing well with it, so he offered her to Eric Leray, who took 3 years to have a foal, one and only product in fact: Ever Forget Me.
Of course, Eric Leray had bred the mare to his favorite, his favorite stallion and his stallion in short, which he himself raised and raced: Nidor. Now aged 23, one of the only 2 AQPS stallions to breed in the world with his cousin Voiladenuo, Nidor has never covered many mares, although he has a track record that could make anyone blush more than one. Ever Forget Me is his 2nd Listed winner in the discipline, after Bomari, double winner of the Grand Cross de Craon in 2020 and 2023. He still breeds at Eric Leray, at Haras de la Haute Chaussée, very close to Senonnes, at €1600.
And meanwhile…the party continued. With a DJ and fireworks for the first time, the beer continued to flow well into the night. At 1:15 a.m., the music stopped, almost 15 hours after the start of the festivities. Quite a day!
THE GREAT PHOTO GALLERY by Juliano Denion with Aidan Gabard.
The joyful troubadours of the Cadets du Baugeois aubade launched the 20th edition of the France Sire Anjou-Loire Challenge with great blasts of percussion and trumpets.
Fortunately the street is prohibited for 3.5 tonnes…
The winner’s cup of the France Sire Anjou Loire Challenge, in the hands of Étienne Glemot, the mayor of Lion d’Angers, and André Martin, the President of the Société des Courses du Lion d’Angers.
The parade continued along the Oudon.
If the position is to be believed, the young lady must have practiced racing horses before draft horses.
Incredible but true, the twin sisters born under the sign of Gemini had traveled to Anjou to attend this great day of celebration at the Lion d’Angers racecourse.
The Breton Jolie Fleur and Gauthier Boullais, full throttle to seek victory in the Palio Atoll of the Community of Communes – Prix des Vignerons Aubance – Brissac – Layon.
