Nicky Henderson Verbijstt ‘disastrous’ Il Est Francais with £ 33,000 Smash-and-Grab

Nicky Henderson surprised the ‘disastrous’ Il Est Francais with a £ 33,000 midweek Smash-and-Grab.

Hendo’s brilliant mare Aston Martini – whose rather biggest claim on fame was A workhorse is besides Constitution Hill – Saw second in a listed Compiegne competition in France.

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Aston Martini, who assessed 132 over obstacles, got 2 pounds from Il Est Francais, but could have been weighed all around while she had a decisive winner of ten length.

It was another flop for 3-5 chance Il Est Francais, who looked a world butcher when winning the chase of the KAuto Star Novices in Kempton in 2023.

The Noel George and Amanda Sterenholm-educated hunter who is placed in one of the greatest jumping performance that the Surrey track ever saw that day.

And he looked like the King George winner the last Christmas Day, but to be colored late by Banbridge in a Christmas cracker.

But a weak finish in the Ryanair saw questions about his future again – after he bleeding when he flopped in Autuil last November.

Now that his doubts have surfaced completely after he could only finish third in a race that should have been his for the taking.

Henderson – Who is Set up to say goodbye to 21 horses at the Doncaster Sales later this month – However, it doesn’t matter.

His Aston Martini, who is closely related to the former major national winner Rule the World, stamped her class over this 2m3F race.

Jockey Felix de Giles was sent around 7-1 and never had to be serious, so the mare only closed to win comfortably.

Matt Chapman from Sun Racing was one of those who commented on the last nightmare of Il Est Francais.

And he suggested that the horse could benefit from being sent to Henderson, with a change of environment perhaps enough to re -design his career.

Chapman said on Sky: “You know what, if I was the owner, I would try a change of environment.

“That is not to do with the way in which current connections train the horse, but I might send him to Nicky Henderson.

“Perhaps a different environment, a different food, which can make a difference for the medical state – or whatever it is.

“Maybe it won’t make a difference where he was, but I would just try something else and see if someone else can solve his problems.

“Because they’ve been going on for a while now and perhaps time for me to try something else … or to give up!

“But I would not give him up personally.”

George did not sound too disappointed after that and said that Il Est Francais would now enjoy a summer vacation before he would come back in the fall.

Another crack to the King George looks logical, but he is now on 20-1 for that.

After the victory, Henderson said: “That was fantastic, a great achievement, and we came here only one thing and that was to get a black type, because there were no mentioned races in Great -Britain and we had been in mind for a while.

“It almost ran our plan to see Il Est Francais in the race, but she was great.

“It is a beautiful song and it was a beautiful land with so much grass on it, it is a great place.

“I spoke with Noel George and he said it was not only Il Est Francais and there were also some other very good horses in it.

“It is actually the second time we have won that race and we won it with Fixe Le Kap in 2017 and I rode here 50 years ago in a cross -country skiing, which is a bit scary!”

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