Jour de Galop

Wertheimer and Frere will add two new trainers to its team this year in the form of Yann Barberot in Deauville and Christopher Head in Chantilly, their manager Pierre-Yves Bureau told the Jour de Galop on Thursday. The two have enjoyed success on French and European racecourses this past season. Their addition to the training ranks comes after the brothers' addition of the Wildenstein Family's Dayton Investments bloodstock portfolio this past August. Bureau also told the JDG that they would be retaining their existing trainers; Andre Fabre, who currently has...

France Galop voted to sell the racecourse Maisons-Laffitte to a public land establishment in the town for €7,150,000 in a meeting on Monday, Dec. 12, according to the Jour de Galop. The racecourse has not been in operation since November 2019. The sale price stipulates that if the land is reused for the development of non-equestrian spaces at any time over the next 20 years, France-Galop will be due a supplemental fee, the story says. The JDG reports that discussions continue between France-Galop and the town of Maisons-Laffitte for an...

Christophe Soumillon, who is currently serving a two-month suspension for elbowing fellow jockey Rossa Ryan off his mount earlier this year, will not serve a lengthier ban, after France's Gaming Police opted not to pursue their inquiry into the matter, Jour de Galop reported on Thursday. Stephane Piallat, who leads the Gaming Police, told JDG, "We have taken into account the explanations of Christophe Soumillon. He reassured us that he was not at risk for disturbing the public order if he returned to competitive riding. So it's a no-cost warning....

Teruya Yoshida of Shadai Farm has purchased Group 1 winner Grand Glory (GB) (Olympic Glory {Ire}) for broodmare duty after her run in Sunday's G1 Japan Cup, Jour de Galop reported. Fifth in the Cup in 2021, she is currently jointly owned 50/50 by Yoshida and Xavier Marie's Haras de Hus. Anne-Sophie Yoh, who manages the interests of Haras de Hus, confirmed the news to JDG. Bred by Elevage Haras de Bourgeauville and sold for €18,000 to Marco Bozzi Bloodstock during Arqana's October Yearling Sale in 2017, the bay made...

Two more people have been detained in the French doping case which began Tuesday morning with coordinated stable raids throughout the country, according to the Jour de Galop. In Thursday's edition, the JDG reports that one of the two new individuals was connected to steeplechase trainer Luc Gabeur, and the other in the Ile de France region which encompasses Paris. Two other individuals have been released. Tuesday morning, raids were carried out throughout the country, with 21 arrested in France, one additional person in Italy and one in Spain. In...

Twenty-three people remained in custody Tuesday night after searches took place in racing stables throughout France, Italy and Spain, according to a report in Wednesday's Jour de Galop, which reported that those held come from "every racing discipline," who are being investigated for equine doping, organized crime, and association with criminals, the paper reports. While the JDG listed several of those arrested, none came from the Thoroughbred discipline, but were all National Hunt or trotting trainers. They said that the investigation has been ongoing for a year, and was launched...

PMU Chairman of the Board Bertrand Meheut has resigned, France Galop and LeTROT announced on Tuesday. France Galop President Edouard de Rothschild and LeTROT President Jean-Pierre Barjon, after consulting with the public authorities, have decided to support the candidacy of 70-year-old Deauville mayor Philippe Augier at the upcoming PMU board meeting on June 9. Augier is "appreciated," said the Jour de Galop, "for his passion, his energy and his ability to get things done."