Serious test in store for King George favourite Il Est Francais

Currently favourite for the King George VI Chase at 5/2 in most books, exciting French chaser Il Est Francais (Timeform rating 157), trained by Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm, has his second start of the autumn at Auteuil on Sunday before returning to Kempton next month. It was there on Boxing Day last year that he made a striking debut on British soil in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase. Jumping superbly, Il Est Francais demonstrated a high cruising speed and then a fine turn of foot as he pulled eleven lengths clear on the run-in.

Back at Auteuil in the spring, Il Est Francais met with only his second defeat over jumps but he returned from a summer break looking at least as good as ever with another sparkling display in the Prix Richard et Robert Hennessy at the end of September. But any notion that he faces no more than another simple stretch of his legs on Sunday on the way to Kempton needs dispelling straight away.

Sunday’s Prix La Haye Jousselin will be a serious test for Il Est Francais, because of both the opposition and the distance. With a first prize of €261,000 – considerably more than that for the King George – the La Haye Jousselin is the second most valuable chase of the year at Auteuil behind only the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris. Many of the best French chasers have won both contests and among its former winners are a couple of Francois Doumen’s subsequent King George winners The Fellow and First Gold.

The La Haye Jousselin is also second only to the Grand Steeple-Chase in terms of distance. At 5,500m, it is just under three and a half miles which, coupled with the usual testing conditions at Auteuil in the autumn, makes for a searching test of stamina. That will be unknown territory for Il Est Francais who, with the exception of the Kauto Star, has done all his racing at short of three miles. A strong-travelling type who has been most effective making the running, Il Est Francais is tailor-made for a track like Kempton but Sunday’s race will be a very different test.

He’s up against some proven stayers too, notably last year’s winner Grandeur Nature (154) who was also runner-up in 2022. The Arnaud Chaille-Chaille-trained grey came from well off the pace to grind out a victory in gruelling conditions last year and will be top of the list to profit if there are any chinks in Il Est Francais’ stamina.

Runner-up last year was the giant Gran Diose (157) trained by Louisa Carberry and ridden on that occasion by Il Est Francais’ jockey James Reveley. Gran Diose raced in a clear lead for a long way, surviving a blunder at Auteuil’s most fearsome jump, the rail, ditch and fence five out which takes no prisoners, and was still clear turning for home but was very tired on the run-in as Grandeur Nature reeled him in.

Grandeur Nature and Gran Diose were also the first two in the Grand Steeple-Chase in May, though this time Gran Diose came out on top after being ridden with a bit more restraint, having a neck to spare over Grandeur Nature as they stayed on best on the run-in. Grandeur Nature hasn’t raced since but his success in this last year followed a still longer absence, while Gran Diose was fourth on his return in last month’s Prix Heros XII.

The Heros XII is the main prep race for the La Haye Jousselin although run over the much shorter trip of two and three quarter miles. It was won by Il Est Francais’ third big rival in Sunday’s race, Juntos Ganamos (154p), trained by David Cottin. The only five-year-old in the line-up, he gets the standard 2 kg weight allowance all French jumpers of that age receive from their elders.

The regular mount of Felix de Giles, the reigning champion over jumps in France, Juntos Ganamos is a fascinating contender. He is now unbeaten in eight completed starts over fences, all of them at Auteuil. ‘Completed’ is an important qualification though, because the fences have got in his way on three other occasions. Sent off favourite, he was ridden instead by Reveley in the Grand Steeple-Chase and jumped fine in front until launching himself at the open ditch just before halfway, giving his jockey little chance of keeping the partnership intact.

That leaves Juntos Ganamos’ stamina for long distances unproven but, like Il Est Francais, he made all the running for his successful return last month and jumped soundly throughout this time. He could still have further improvement to make and if adopting his usual tactics will ensure Il Est Francais doesn’t have things all his own way in front.

Those are the four main contenders, though one other worth a mention is Diamond Carl (149). He was only three quarters of a length behind Juntos Ganamos in the Heros Xll but meets the winner on worse terms here. He too has an impressive record as he’s yet to finish out of the first two in ten career starts, though is another facing a big step up in trip. Incidentally, the third in the Heros XII, Toscana du Berlais, had previously been runner-up to Il Est Francais but was beaten further and was in receipt of weight too on that occasion.

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