Criquette Head

Ghislaine Head, owner-breeder and matriarch of France's famous training dynasty, died on Thursday, June 1 at the age of 95. The news was first reported by Jour de Galop.  The wife of Alec Head, who died a year ago, Ghislaine was represented on the racecourse by, among others, the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Three Troikas (Fr) (Lyphard), who was trained by her daughter Christiane (Criquette) and ridden to victory by her son Freddy, who was later a successful trainer in his own right....

First job in the Thoroughbred industry? I started riding for Stephane Cerulis during the summer holidays back in Belgium when I was aged 14. Biggest influence on your career? Criquette Head. She is like a second mum, the best advisor and most importantly she made me fall in love with training. Favourite racehorse of all time, and why? Treve. I was lucky enough to ride her while she was in training which was a fantastic experience. Who will be champion first-season sire in 2023? Blue Point. Greatest race in the...

The Haras du Quesnay dispersal at the forthcoming Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale will be one of the most notable bloodstock events of recent years, Quesnay having been synonymous with excellence for longer than most people can remember. Its history is that of the Head family, a family which is revered the world over not only for its horsemanship and understanding of the bloodstock game, but also for its integrity. The Quesnay story is the Head story, and within it lie the stories of many of the greatest horses of...

French trainer Freddy Head will retire from training at the end of the year, Jour de Galop reported on Saturday. Best known during his training years as the trainer of the 14-time Group 1 winner Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa), Head also celebrated top-level success with Marchand d'Or (Fr) (Marchand De Sable), Tamayuz (GB) (Nayef), and Moonlight Cloud (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), among others. He was also the first person to ever win a Breeders' Cup race as a jockey and a trainer, aboard Miesque (Kingmambo) in the 1987/88 GI Breeders' Cup...

Group 1 winner and young shuttle sire National Defense (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}--Angel Falls {GB}, by Kingmambo) passed away in Australia, Widden Stud reported. The 2016 G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere hero was bred by Ecurie des Monceaux and partners. From five starts, he broke his maiden on debut at Deauville, and was also placed in the G3 Prix des Chenes, prior to his Group 1 win. Kept in training at three by Sun Bloodstock, the Criquette Head trainee was also second in the G3 Prix Djebel. Retired to the Irish...

Few people genuinely deserve to be described as a legend in their own lifetime. Lester Piggott was one, while Alec Head, who passed away on Wednesday at the age of 97, was another. One of the greatest names in the world of both training and breeding, Alec Head was also a very accomplished jockey in his youth and, coming from a great racing family, he passed on his skills to the subsequent generations, to the extent that one could say that the influence of his family will live forever. As their...