French sensation Il Est Francais is delighting connections as he increases his training regime ahead of his upcoming appearance.
Trained by Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm, the six-year-old is gaining immense popularity in his homeland of France where he has established a strong reputation. However, it was his remarkable performance at Kempton Park on Boxing Day in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase that solidified his status as one of the top chasers in the field.
Despite the allure of competing in one of the graded novice events at the Cheltenham Festival, his training team opted to focus on their primary goal of the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris. Il Est Francais, currently priced at 6-1 by Paddy Power for next year’s Gold Cup, will prepare for his forthcoming appearance in the Auteuil showpiece on May 19 by participating in the Prix Muray in early April.
With the Prix Muray just under a month away, George and Zetterholm have begun intensifying the training regimen for the eight-time victor in anticipation of his spring campaign on French turf.
"He’s in top form and had a smooth schooling session on Wednesday morning, his first since the short break,"
George remarked.
"We resumed riding him at the start of February, but now we are ramping up his training once more to ensure he is primed for April 6."
"His preparation is right on track for the Grade Two race, followed by the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris on May 19. He performs best when fresh, so having a little over a month to recover should see him in excellent condition."