Epatante
Epatante | |
---|---|
Sire | No Risk At All |
Grandsire | My Risk |
Dam | Kadjara |
Damsire | Silver Rainbow |
Sex | Mare |
Foaled | 27 February 2014[1] |
Country | France |
Colour | Bay |
Breeder | Francois-Xavier & Anne Doulce Lefeuvre |
Owner | Anne Doulce Lefeuvre J. P. McManus |
Trainer | A Lefeuvre Nicky Henderson |
Record | 14: 9-2-2 |
Earnings | £716,578 |
Major wins | |
Prix Jacques de Vienne (2017) Ladbrokes Intermediate Hurdle (2019) Christmas Hurdle (2019,2021) Champion Hurdle (2020) Fighting Fifth Hurdle (2020, 2021) Aintree Hurdle (2022) Yorkshire Rose Mares' Hurdle (2023) |
Epatante (foaled 27 February 2014) is a French-bred AQPS racehorse best known for her performances in Hurdle races. After winning two of her three races in her native country, she was transferred to race in England and showed further promise by winning two of her three starts in the 2018/2019 National Hunt season. In the following season she emerged as a top-class performer, winning the Ladbrokes Intermediate Hurdle, Christmas Hurdle and Champion Hurdle
Background
Epatante is a bay mare with no white markings bred in France by Francois-Xavier & Anne Doulce Lefeuvre. She initially raced in France in the ownership of Mme Lefeuvre.
Her sire, the French stallion No Risk At All, was a successful racehorse whose victories included La Coupe and the Grand Prix de Vichy-Auvergne.[2] Epatante's dam Kadjara was not a Thoroughbred as her maternal grandsire Useful was descended from a mare whose ancestors do not appear in the General Stud Book. On her dam's side she was descendant of the British broodmare Miss Erene (foaled in 1931), making her a distant relative of Raintrap and Sunshack.[3]
Racing career
2017: three-year-old season
On her racecourse debut, Epatante finished second to Extra Noire in a race for AQPS horses over 2500 metres at Saint-Malo on 23 August. On 12 September on very soft ground at Le Lion-d'Angers she recorded her first success as she won the Prix Yann Poirier "easily" by six lengths.[4] In the Prix Jacques de Vienne at Saint-Cloud Racecourse she started at odds of 4.8/1 and recorded another easy win, coming home three lengths clear of her opponents despite eased down in the closing stages.[5]
2018/2019 National Hunt season
In 2018 Epatante was bought by J. P. McManus and was sent to England where she was trained by Nicky Henderson. She made her first appearance for her new connections on 12 November when she started 8/15 favourite for a Novice Hurdle over two miles at Kempton Park Racecourse. Ridden by Barry Geraghty, who became her regular jockey, she took the lead at the penultimate flight of hurdles and won "easily" by three and a half lengths.[6] On 22 February she contested a Novice Hurdle confined to mares at Exeter Racecourse and won "very easily" at odds of 1/6.[7] She made her first appearance at the Cheltenham Festival on 14 March when she started favourite for the Grade 2 Dawn Run Mares' Novices' Hurdle but ran poorly and came home ninth behind the Irish-trained Eglantine du Seuil.
2019/2020 National Hunt season
Aidan Coleman took the ride when Epatante began her third campaign by carrying 160 pounds in the Listed Ladbrokes "Where The Nation Plays" Intermediate Hurdle at Newbury Racecourse on 30 November. Starting the 3/1 favourite in an eleven-runner field she took the lead approaching the final flight of hurdles and drew away on the run-in to win by six lengths from her stablemate French Crusader.[8] The mare was then moved up to Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on 26 December and started the 2/1 joint-favourite alongside her stablemate Fusil Raffles, the winner of the Champion Four Year Old Hurdle. The other runners included Verdana Blue (winner of the race in 2018), Ch'tibello (County Hurdle), Silver Streak (Swinton Handicap Hurdle) and Ballyandy (Champion Bumper). Epatante raced in mid-division before taking the lead after the second-last obstacle and accelerating away from her rivals to win by five lengths from Silver Streak.[9] After the race Nicky Henderson said "She was impressive, wasn't she? I've even got to admit it myself, it was very good... She's lovely, has a great temperament and has a good attitude... She's much more mature now, mentally, and she travelled like a dream."[10]
At Cheltenham on 10 March Epatante started the 2/1 favourite for the 90th running of the Champion Hurdle. Her fifteen opponents included Cilaos Emery (Hilly Way Chase), Darver Star, Supasundae (Aintree Hurdle), Pentland Hills (Triumph Hurdle), Sharjah (Matheson Hurdle), Silver Streak, Fusil Raffles, Petit Mouchoir (Irish Champion Hurdle), Cornerstone Lad (Fighting Fifth Hurdle) and Ballyandy. Epatante was in contention from the start as Petit Mouchoir set the pace. Darver Star briefly gained the advantage approaching the final flight but the mare jumped past him at the last obstacle and stayed on well in the closing stages to win by three lengths from Sharjah.[11]
Pedigree
Sire No Risk At All (FR) 2007 | My Risk (FR) 1999 | Take Risks | Highest Honor |
---|---|---|---|
Baino Bluff (GB) | |||
Miss Pat | Vacarme (USA) | ||
Miss Mood | |||
Newness (IRE) 1988 | Simply Great (FR) | Mill Reef (USA) | |
Seneca | |||
Neomenie | Rheffic (FR) | ||
Nordenburg (GER) | |||
Dam Kadjara (FR) 1998 | Silver Rainbow (GB) 1988 | Rainbow Quest (USA) | Blushing Groom (FR) |
I Will Follow | |||
Ayrenne (FR) | Green Dancer (USA) | ||
Americaine | |||
Evavia (FR) 1992 | Useful AQPS | Vorias (USA) | |
Etoile du Berger AQPS | |||
All Grey | New Chapter (GB) | ||
All Commander (Family: 1-n)[3] |
References
- ^ a b "Epatante pedigree". Thoroughbred database.
- ^ "No Risk At All - progeny". Racing Post.
- ^ a b "Chelandry - Family 1-n". Thoroughbred Bloodlines.
- ^ "Prix Yann Poirier result". Racing Post. 12 September 2017.
- ^ "Prix Jacques de Vienne result". Racing Post. 24 November 2017.
- ^ "Bet At racinguk.com Novices' Hurdle result". Racing Post. 12 November 2018.
- ^ "Visit Exeter Mares' Novices' Hurdle result". Racing Post. 22 February 2019.
- ^ "Ladbrokes "Where The Nation Plays" Intermediate Hurdle result". Racing Post. 30 November 2019.
- ^ "Christmas Hurdle result". Racing Post. 26 December 2019.
- ^ Stevens, James (26 December 2019). "Epatante storms to Champion Hurdle favouritism after Christmas Hurdle romp". Racing Post.
- ^ "Champion Hurdle result". Racing Post. 10 March 2020.
- v
- t
- e
- 1927 Blaris
- 1928 Brown Jack
- 1929 Royal Falcon
- 1930 Brown Tony
- 1932 Insurance
- 1933 Insurance
- 1934 Chenango
- 1935 Lion Courage
- 1936 Victor Norman
- 1937 Free Fare
- 1938 Our Hope
- 1939 African Sister ♥
- 1940 Solford
- 1941 Seneca
- 1942 Forestation
- 1945 Brains Trust
- 1946 Distel
- 1947 National Spirit
- 1948 National Spirit
- 1949 Hatton's Grace
- 1950 Hatton's Grace
- 1951 Hatton's Grace
- 1952 Sir Ken
- 1953 Sir Ken
- 1954 Sir Ken
- 1955 Clair Soleil
- 1956 Doorknocker
- 1957 Merry Deal
- 1958 Bandalore
- 1959 Fare Time
- 1960 Another Flash
- 1961 Eborneezer
- 1962 Anzio
- 1963 Winning Fair
- 1964 Magic Court
- 1965 Kirriemuir
- 1966 Salmon Spray
- 1967 Saucy Kit
- 1968 Persian War
- 1969 Persian War
- 1970 Persian War
- 1971 Bula
- 1972 Bula
- 1973 Comedy of Errors
- 1974 Lanzarote
- 1975 Comedy of Errors
- 1976 Night Nurse
- 1977 Night Nurse
- 1978 Monksfield
- 1979 Monksfield
- 1980 Sea Pigeon
- 1981 Sea Pigeon
- 1982 For Auction
- 1983 Gaye Brief
- 1984 Dawn Run ♥
- 1985 See You Then
- 1986 See You Then
- 1987 See You Then
- 1988 Celtic Shot
- 1989 Beech Road
- 1990 Kribensis
- 1991 Morley Street
- 1992 Royal Gait
- 1993 Granville Again
- 1994 Flakey Dove ♥
- 1995 Alderbrook
- 1996 Collier Bay
- 1997 Make A Stand
- 1998 Istabraq
- 1999 Istabraq
- 2000 Istabraq
- 2002 Hors La Loi III
- 2003 Rooster Booster
- 2004 Hardy Eustace
- 2005 Hardy Eustace
- 2006 Brave Inca
- 2007 Sublimity
- 2008 Katchit
- 2009 Punjabi
- 2010 Binocular
- 2011 Hurricane Fly
- 2012 Rock On Ruby
- 2013 Hurricane Fly
- 2014 Jezki
- 2015 Faugheen
- 2016 Annie Power ♥
- 2017 Buveur d'Air
- 2018 Buveur d'Air
- 2019 Espoir d'Allen
- 2020 Epatante ♥
- 2021 Honeysuckle ♥
- 2022 Honeysuckle ♥
- 2023 Constitution Hill