The Open Meeting Open Novices' Chase Glenfarclas Cross Country Ballymore Novices' Hurdle ---------------- JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial Paddy Power Gold Cup ---------------- Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Trial Racing Post Arkle Trial Shloer Chase Greatwood Hurdle

Emmanuel Clayeux hasn't always specialised in Cross Country horses, but he is plainly expert with them now for he saddled first and second when the six-year-old Diesel D'Allier led home veteran Urgent De Gregaine in an all-French finish.

 

Clayeux nurtured the likes of Defi Du Seuil, Apple's Jade and Grand Crus through their early careers, and he also bred Gold Cup winner Al Boum Photo, but he has concentrated increasingly on Cross Country since Felix de Giles, who rode the runner-up, established himself in France, reasoning that he is the best Cross-Country jockey in the country.

 

He hopes to bring both first and second back for the cross-country races next month and at The Festival, and revealed that the latter race is likely to be the last for Urgent De Gregaine, who turns 12 at the end of next month.

 

He said: " I wasn't sure the younger horse would adapt to the racecourse, but he jumped fluently and was brilliant. He should come back in December and then we 'll see about March.

 

" I hope Urgent De Gregaine will run in March and that's his main objective. He will finish then, and I'd like to retire him after another win here [he is already a Cross Country winner at Cheltenham in January, 2017] and then maybe we will have a statue of him here! "

The French-trained grey Diesel D'Allier lit up a dark afternoon by winning the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase by four and a half lengths from his stablemate at Emmanuel Clayeux's yard, Urgent De Gregaine.

 

Diesel D'Allier was ridden by Charlie Deutsch, who said: " He was brilliant and gave me a great spin. I rode one for Mr Clayeux here two years ago and he jumped brilliantly. I got a phone call off him last week and I just said'yes! yes! yes!' - I didn't even know what it was. He gave me a great spin and these French horses jump so well. 

 

" I am very grateful for the ride. He has quickened up the hill really well and is a lovely horse. It would be easy to slip up round there and this lad was very clever on his feet, it was just a matter of clinging on. It was tight where the fence was bypassed and I was just trying to get a run through. Luckily, I had plenty of horse under me so you could go for the gaps. I am over the moon.

 

" It was a great buzz. I probably went a bit overboard, but I was having a good time! You've got to enjoy because you don't know when you'll get a winner round here next, and I had a dream run. The horse travelled everywhere, jumped really well and I was just lucky to be on board, really. 

 

" I was told not to be too far away at the start, and he was a bit slow in some of his races over the first few, but to be fair we've slotted in nicely, taken our time a bit, and then it was just a case of finding our way through, really, and then seeing how much we had left at the end. He had plenty left and his jumping was very fluent. I was jumping past horses all the time, but I was just trying to find a gap to slot into and eventually we got there when they got a bit tired.

 

" My French is terrible! It's a long time since I went to school. "