Greatest Racehorses: Le Sauvignon 125239

Pedigree Details

Sire: Morespeed

Dam: Tarde

Dam’s Sire: Kashtan

Breeder: Hubert Carion

Foaled: 5 May 1994

Race Record & Factfile

Races: 29

Wins: 12

Owners: D.J. and F.A. Jackson

Trainer: Paul Nicholls

Profile

Le Sauvignon did not perhaps get the overall recognition he deserved but nonetheless proved himself a top-class performer in as he notched up seven consecutive hurdle wins. He secured back-to-back victories in the Prix La Barka and Grande Course de Haies d’Auteuil (French Champion Hurdle) in 2000 and 2001 with a notable triumph along the way over future Stayers’ Hurdle winner Baracouda during a glorious 12-month period. He tragically died at just eight years old after finishing runner-up in the Grade 1 Feltham Novices’ Chase at Kempton, depriving connections and the racing public an opportunity to see if he could scale similar heights over fences. 

Flat Career

Le Sauvignon had 11 starts in total and failed to break his duck on the level. He finished runner-up on debut in June 1997 in the Prix Rialto at Maisons-Laffitte, a position he would occupy on three further occasions. His final outing on the Flat came at Longchamp when second on seasonal reappearance in April 2001, right in the heart of his winning spree over obstacles.

1999

Le Sauvignon made his hurdling debut at Auteuil in early June, keeping on well to finish runner-up in the Prix Melinor over two and a quarter miles. He showed useful form in the process and was quickly off the mark just eight days later in the Prix Hardatit, a handicap over course and distance. He made most on that occasion and was in command approaching the last, scoring easily by eight lengths in a display that already marked him down as smart.

2000

It was February 2000 when Le Sauvignon was next seen in public as he showed further progress stepped up to better company. He weakened into fifth having held every chance at the second-last on his comeback in the Grade 3 Prix Juigne Hurdle at Auteuil before being beaten just three-quarters of a length by Matinee Lover in similar company at the same track early the following month. The level of form he had shown entitled him to aim his sights even higher as he set sail for Britain and the Grade 1 Martell Aintree Hurdle at the Grand National meeting. He was sent off the 10/1 third favourite in the betting behind 5/4-on market leader Mister Morose on his first go at two and half miles, unable to land a blow on a surface much faster than he had been accustomed to in his homeland.

That was to be his final defeat over hurdles as he embarked on a winning streak of seven races over the next year, starting in the Prix La Barka at Auteuil at the end May. He showed his Aintree form to be all wrong as he delivered a very smart effort back on soft ground to score ridden out by a neck from Full of Ambition having led at the last. That was over an extended two miles and five furlongs but Le Sauvignon was asked to tackle beyond three miles for the first time in the Grande Course de Haies d’Auteuil (French Champion Hurdle) in the middle of June. He defeated Full of Ambition by one and a half lengths, on worse , producing a top-class effort to do so despite drifting right on the flat after leading at the final flight.

A plan hatched earlier in the year to move the horse to Micky Hammond’s yard in England was shelved and Le Sauvignon was next seen at Auteuil in September following a short break. He picked up where he left off as he gave weight away all round in the Grade 3 Prix de Compiegne, winning by a neck after rallying to lead close home. He was returned to the top grade over three miles for his final outing of the year in November and ran on well under strong driving to get the better of Baracouda by half a length in the Grand Prix d’Automne.

Major races won:

• Prix La Barka, Auteuil
• Grande Course de Haies d’Auteuil, Auteuil
• Prix de Compiegne, Auteuil
• Grand Prix d’Automne, Auteuil

2001

There was a pipe-opening return on the Flat at Longchamp in April for Le Sauvignon and he was beaten only half a length into second place in the Prix de la Glaciere over an extended mile and five furlongs. He went back to hurdling later that month and recorded a fifth victory on the spin in the Grade 2 Prix Leon Rambaud, only having to reproduce the form he had already shown to forge clear under pressure from the last and get the better of Gilder by three lengths. A repeat success in the Prix La Barka followed in May as he produced one of the best performances over hurdles in 20 years to beat Bounce Back by six lengths, with the same margin back to Glider in third. Le Sauvignon had completed the Prix La Barka/French Champion Hurdle double 12 months earlier and Timeform’s reporter noted with some confidence that “it’s as near to a certainty as anything in racing can be that he will match the feat next month”. As it turned out, he did not have to be at quite the same level to triumph with something in hand, beating Gilder by four lengths and taking his unbeaten streak to seven races, being lauded by Timeform as “truly one of the outstanding hurdlers”.

Major races won:

• Prix Leon Rambaud, Auteuil
• Prix La Barka, Auteuil
• Grande Course de Haies d’Auteuil, Auteuil

2002/03 Season

Le Sauvignon did finally make it to England, under the care of Paul Nicholls, but he had been off the track for 18 months following that second success in the French Champion Hurdle by the time of his reappearance. He was still only eight and would commence a career over fences which began at Folkestone just before Christmas. He went off the 11/4-on favourite under Ruby Walsh in a novices’ chase over three miles and a furlong and jumped with great precision to beat Jair Du Cochet but met an untimely end as he collapsed and died after the winning line. A subsequent post-mortem revealed the cause had been internal bleeding after rupturing a blood vessel in his lung.

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