Etienne & Grégoire Leenders Race-horse trainers

At Saint-Cloud on May 28^th, FANTASTIC BERE was 5^th in Prix du Haras de la Celle Saint-Cloud, a flat race for 3 year-olds over a mile. Ridden by P.C. Boudot, he took a good start but Pierre-Charles took him back too much instead of letting him gallop in a good position… Therefore he found himself too far at the entrance of the finishing straight!

…to be small and light!!       

 Actually AMARA finished 4^th at Lignières on May 27^th in a chase over 4300m (2 miles and 5 ½ furlongs), ridden by Wilfried Lajon..

As usual she ran very well but in the finishing straight, the “mountain” of weight (70 kg) did handicap her! And, as Jean-Paul Transon (one of the members of the syndicate Le Pied A L’Etrier who loves AMARA) said: “Well done my little girl!”  

 And he was right, because she is a very courageous little filly.

GRAINE D’ARGENT finished 4^th at Moulins on May 27^th in Prix Ucello II, ridden by Wilfried Lajon.

She is a good jumper but the rhythm of the race didn’t suit her…as it started quite slowly and finished in a sprint which was not good for us as GRAINE D’ARGENT is a one-paced filly.

We’ll have to think of next entries: chase? Hurdles?

On May 22^nd at Lion d’Angers, DEBUT DE PRINTEMPS finished 2^nd in Prix Chaudenay: a chase over 4000m (2 miles and 4 furlongs). He performed a nice race, but out of the last bend, being a big mover, he turned far outside and lost many lengths.

His jockey, Hugo Lucas told us:   ”It was a pity, because it cost us the first place.”

As DEBUT DE PRINTEMPS doesn’t stop improving, we know he is soon going to win …

….for RADIOLOGUE at Auteuil on May 20^th. He finished 2^nd ridden by Hugo Lucas.

In Prix Jackal, a chase over 3900m (2 miles and 3 ½ furlongs) RADIOLOGUE performed a good race. He jumped everything well, arrived in the lead in front of the last hurdle and finished well. But, he is still without a turn of foot, we can’t say that he goes slower to finish but he keeps going in the same pace.

He is a horse we adore, because on top of being a good recruit, he is so lovely!

…over hurdles at Saint-Malo on May 20^th in Prix de Maurepas over 3900m (2 miles and 3 ½ furlongs). EN TEMPS VOULU finished 5^th ridden by Hugo Lucas.

She took a good start, jumped well but when they accelerated and sprinted to finish, she kept going on at her own pace…

This good jumper needs to get tougher and more mature.

On May 14^th at Saint-Cloud, before the start of the “quinté” (big handicap), the two partners Marie-Cécile de Saint Seine and Paul Terpereau adjusted their binoculars … and had the pleasure to see their horse PALMERINO win!!

At the end of the afternoon, we met at Haras de Maulepaire (breeder of the horse) with Pierric Rouxel, the manager, to celebrate the win with a good bottle of champagne!

…for FANTASTIC BERE who took part in a “quinté” (big handicap) for the first time. It was Prix des Dimanches au Galop, a handicap over a mile. He finished 6^th.

He might have had a better place but when they accelerated in the finishing straight, he was impeded and it stopped him! As his jockey Christian Demuro told us: “This impediment cost me 2 or 3 places as I had enough resources to finish better.”

It is encouraging for the future and we look forward to his next time out!!

….for DONASLAND on May 6^th at Le Pin Au Haras where she finished 2^nd in a chase for 4 and 5 year-old horses over 3700m (2 miles and 2 ½ furlongs).

Ridden by Wilfried Lajon, she started at the back of the field, jumped well and took the lead in the far straight but she gave up after the last hurdle.

Wilfried told us ”I was going easy all around, she was very pleasant but as she has no change of pace, she could not accelerate after the last hurdle.”

For her next race, we’ll think of new tactics, as she definitely has the ability to win this type of race.

EMINGWELLE : a superb 4 year-old AQPS fillyby Network out of Maldives at the race-course of Le Pin au Haras on May 6th.

This filly was born to jump but we chose to run her first time out of on the flat over two miles to put her forward preparation. Ridden by Ronan Thomas, she started at the back of the field and came closer at the entrance of the straight and she finished 4th.

According to her jockey, she is late , interesting filly who is already very professional.