You will be at the start of the Prix Bilibili-Cornulier Races Q2 on Sunday with Jezabelle Bie. What does being at the start of your first Group I mean to you?
It's magnificent since it hasn't been long since I set up on my own as a trainer, especially since my father's coat and breeding, he is also associated with long-time family friends. etc et Bounieux who he started with. It's almost unexpected, we're really already very happy to be at the start!
The mare seems to have reached maturity now. Did you think you would get to this level?
She is not practical in harness and she had major problems with one foot. In addition, it is clearly better on the right string and we did a bit of nonsense at the start of our career by wanting to present it as a left string. My family being from Cagnes, we wanted to turn it in this direction at all costs so that it could perform on this racecourse, but it was a bad idea. We almost broke everything before deciding to stay on the right side. It took us a while to understand it.
Given its earnings, it had a good program in the closed series prices. What made you try your luck at Group level?
I didn't really know where I was going by trying the Groups, but Paul Ploquin his jockey has a lot of experience in this type of race and motivated me, I listened to him and we obviously did well. The idea came because the mare had races at Enghien, but since she is not comfortable on the left, it was better to take her to the big track at Vincennes where the turns are much better negotiated. We tried once at Enghien when she was a filly and her jockey at the time Adrien Lamy told me that there was no point in trying the adventure again.
She showed that she had the level by placing three times at the semi-classical level, how do you evaluate her performances?
When entering him in these Groups, I told Paul that I did not want to run his races only to finish seventh behind for lack of starters. But she behaved very well each time and especially the last time finishing second in the Joseph Lafosse Prize. The tenors were not all there and those who were there were certainly not 100%, but we started this story and from now on, we will continue it until the end.
You present her for the first time without her shoes (plated on her front legs and unshod on her hind legs) at a mounted trot. Do you think this could help him compete with the best?
Unshoeing takes the majority of horses to a new level. We had discussed with Paul the fact of lightening it for a very good race. It's a Group I, it's difficult to show up there while keeping your shoes on except for horses of the caliber of Fado du Chêne For example.
You are a young coach, your father has been an owner for many years, have you always dreamed of becoming a coach?
No way ! Basically, I was destined for a career as a footballer, since my whole family, and in particular my father who was a referee, was immersed in this environment. I went through the training centers at OGC Nice and Sporting Club de Bastia where I played goalkeeper with the CFA. I didn't manage to rise to the highest level, so I continued my studies to obtain a BTS in accounting. Then, I worked in the family transport business before starting racing late 7 years ago by doing the winter meeting at Matthieu Abrivard.
Since then, I have never returned to the South-East except for meetings, first in Grosbois and now in Sarthe at Rouesse-Fontaine. Basically, I was an amateur and I had the chance to do small internships with great professionals from the South-East like Nicolas Ensch, Yannick-Alain Briand, Sylvain Roubaud, David Békaert and Philippe Mortagne. I gradually developed a passion for the profession and now this is where we are.
Will you be present in Cagnes-sur-Mer for the winter meeting as you have been for several seasons?
Yes, I will have starters from next week, but obviously I will come down later since I have to take care of my mare. When we have an element of this level of the stable, we cannot abandon it, even if my father-in-law Michel Lenoir is there to take care of it since we work closely together. We form a team, my success is mainly thanks to him.
He is a real reference in mounted trotting, his experience must help you a lot?
It's a support for me, it slows me down when necessary. We have a father/son relationship at work. Having no family in the area, he plays the role of a Laurent-Claude Abrivard for his son Alexandre or from Patrick Ploquin pour Paul. We complement each other at work and things are going very well.
Finally, do you have any hopes for your stable for the winter in Cagnes?
Naturally, I'm going South who is a real metronome on the Riviera should perform well against “the old people”. I will receive Jigsaw Puzzle who should be a good recruit and I have two interesting foals that I esteem The Prince et Lonely Rider which is more complicated, they should have a good meeting. Fun Lover is enjoying itself at the moment in the South-West. He found his pilot in the person of Romain Derieuxthey will be followed together. I'm going to have a dozen horses that are going to run well and should do well.
Jezabelle Bie and Paul Ploquin
