Everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong for Jerome Reynier’s Group 1-star Facteur Cheval at Royal Ascot last month. However, connections have not been deterred by that unfortunate trip to the UK and will return to the Qatar Goodwood Festival in a bid to give
Reynier a first success in Britain.
Reviewing the Queen Anne Stakes, Reynier said: “I was very happy with the way the horse was prepared but unfortunately the ground was too fast, he lost a shoe and was on the wrong side of the track so everything went wrong.”
“All you can do is just to try and forget about the race and have a lot of trust in your horse. I
think that next time out everything will be back to normal because he was never out of the first
four in his life before that and so we can't be blaming the horse. It just wasn’t his day.”
Prior to Royal Ascot, Facteur Cheval was a model of consistency racking up almost £2.5m in
career earnings and was placed in four consecutive Group 1 races including the 2023 Qatar
Sussex Stakes. This was his first run outside of France which was described by Reynier as “a
great experience”.
He added: “He ran really well (in the Qatar Sussex Stakes last year), I was very happy with him. The conditions were horrible with a lot of rain, but he never lets you down. He's a lovely horse. I had never been to Goodwood and if you just watch it on TV you can see that there are a few tricky parts but once you get there and you are on the racecourse, you cannot imagine how it is on TV. You have to be there to just realise that you're almost on top of a mountain and it's a weird place to have a racecourse. It was a great experience.”
The second half of the season could involve more travelling to Ireland and even America for
Facteur Cheval after the Qatar Sussex Stakes, with his trainer keen to step him up in trip to 1m2f for the first time given the options that could bring.
Reynier commented: “I would like to stretch him up to 1m2f so the Irish Champion Stakes over
a left-handed course. If you can stretch to 1m2f, and he's so good going left-handed, we could be aiming for the Breeders’ Cup Classic to switch him to the dirt. I know his connections would
love to see him in Del Mar running in this race.”
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For editorial enquiries please contact:Emma Chamings, Goodwood Racecourse Press Office; emma@jsccomms.co.uk
About Goodwood Racecourse
Goodwood Racecourse is steeped in horseracing history dating back to 1802 when the 3rd Duke of Richmond introduced the sport. Significant moments within horseracing's history have taken place at Goodwood Racecourse. Lord George Bentinck commissioned the first ever horsebox to take his horse in secret from Goodwood to Doncaster to win the 1836 St leger. In 1952, Goodwood became the first British racecourse to provide racegoers with live commentary. It was also at Goodwood that Her Majesty The Queen has her last winner with her horse Love Affair.
There are 19 fixtures that take place across the season from May – October. One of the highlights of the flat racing season takes place at Goodwood Racecourse, the Qatar Goodwood Festival. Once described by King Edward VII as 'a garden party with racing tacked on,' the world-famous five-day festival - affectionately known as 'Glorious Goodwood' - sees many of the world's greatest horses battle it out for honours. Thousands of people flock to the world's most beautiful racecourse to enjoy top class racing and entertainment.
Tickets, dining and hospitality are on sale for the Qatar Goodwood Festival, which takes place from 30 July to 3 August. Visit Goodwood.com or call 01243 755055 to find out more.
About Goodwood
Goodwood Estate is England's greatest sporting estate set in 11,000 acres of beautiful West Sussex countryside. Seat of the Dukes of Richmond since 1697, it is renowned for creating exceptional experiences and world-class sporting events, as well as hosting some of the largest and most anticipated occasions in the British social calendar: Festival of Speed, Qatar Goodwood Festival, Goodwood Revival and Goodwoof.Alongside Goodwood's rich history sits an estate-wide culture of protecting and promoting sustainability, creativity, and the environment. The diverse portfolio of businesses includes one of the largest lowland organic farms in Europe; a famous Battle of Britain airfield and aerodrome; a racecourse; a historic motor circuit; two golf courses; one of the oldest cricket grounds in the country; The Kennels members' clubhouse; ten-bedroom luxury retreat, Hound Lodge; self-catering holiday cottages, The Pheasantry, Peach Tree and Crab Apple; Goodwood Hotel and Health Club; the Goodwood Education Centre; the award-winning sustainable restaurant Farmer, Butcher, Chef and, of course, Goodwood House.
