French Champion jockey

Veteran jockey Olivier Peslier will make his final rides in the saddle at La Teste-de-Buch on Thursday, the Frenchman announced on Tuesday. A four-time winner of the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, the 51-year-old rider confirmed to Equidia that he had "carefully thought about his decision". Also named the French Champion Jockey four times--in 1996, 1997, 1999, and 2000--Peslier has ridden over 3,700 winners worldwide in his 35-year career. At least 165 victories were at Grade/Group 1 level, including three Breeders' Cup Mile scores aboard the talented Goldikova (Ire)...

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...

Pierre-Charles Boudot, who was arrested on Monday in Chantilly along with fellow jockey Pierre Bazire, has been charged with the rape of a work rider in February. The French champion jockey was released on bail of €50,000 on Wednesday and placed under judicial supervision.  Bazire is also under supervision and has been charged with failing to prevent and report a crime. Both jockeys have also been named as witnesses to the intimidation of a witness. The charges relate to an allegation made against Boudot, 28, by a 25-year-old female exercise...