Betfair Official Blog

"French horses seem so much more mature and forward than ours"

La Casaque Noire compares hurdlers on both sides of the Channel

If I had a Pound for every time I hear the phrase "French horses seem so much more mature and forward than ours" I'd be a rich man. The jump season is barely five minutes old and right on cue, up pops "the greatest jockey" with this odds-on banker. Reminding us of this gem of information every Saturday from now until the flat season might not be a bad thing, if only there were an ounce of truth in it. But there isn't - its absolute twaddle!

Let me explain - hurdler recruits your side of the channel need speed and not much more. Even an aptitude for jumping isn't a pre-requisite, as only around eight obstacles need to be negotiated and these are not much more than a large pile of sticks. In essence, virtually any flat horse should be up to the task.

Now compare that to what is required in France. Firstly, ground found at the likes of the Cheltenham Festival in recent years would never be acceptable this side of the water - indeed, some trainers have been known to call genuinely soft ground "on the fast side", such is the emphasis on "proper" jumping ground. Couple this with the fact that two mile hurdle races have a minimum of ten obstacles - and I do mean obstacles - French hurdles actually have to be jumped. Run in to one of these and it won't fall down or disintegrate like matchwood. The horse actually has to jump it or it doesn't get to the other side. Although horses are generally regarded as ignorant beasts, it's surprising how quickly they learn this. And once learned, never forgotten!

Also, three year-olds are also permitted to start hurdling in March, many months earlier that their British counterpart. And by September, these youngsters are already jumping fences. All this means that a potential jumper cannot just be bought at the horses in training sales, popped over a few twigs at home and then be expected to produce the goods at the racetrack.

Enter the French-bred jumper - three years old, unraced on the flat, by a recognised jumping sire. A big, strong, robust, staying type, ready to do battle with soft ground and ten lung-busting hurdles. These are no more forward than any other horse of the same age. Indeed, to some extent they are more backward than their flat counterparts. But they are bred for a specific job. A job they are able to do with much more aplomb than a flat convert.

The proof in the pudding is the eating - only 20 of the 73 runners at Auteuil on Sunday were by what could be called flat stallions. Compare that with the Cheltenham meeting just gone, and there simply is no comparison - even then, most of the jump-breds on display there originate from where? If you answered "France" give yourself a gold star.