George team’s Anglo-French venture reaping rich rewards

Il Est Francais was a Grade One winner on Sunday.

Il Est Francais was mightily impressive in powering to success in the Grade One Prix Renaud du Vivier at Auteuil on Sunday, as trainer Tom George continues to reap the rewards in France.

And with George’s son, Noel, soon to take out a trainer’s licence across the English Channel, the pair hope to continue tapping into a lucrative market.

Il Est Francais, owned by Richard Kelvin-Hughes in partnership with Haras De Saint-Voir owner Nicolas de Lageneste, who bred the horse, had finished second in a top-class bumper last November and remained unbeaten in four over hurdles when taking the prize over an extended two miles and three furlongs.

Partnered by his regular jockey James Reveley, the four-year-old sauntered to an eight-length victory on ground officially described as heavy.

Tom George said: “He has won his only four starts over hurdles and won them very impressively. The world is his oyster, really.

“He has a great attitude, jumps unbelievably well, will stay, has got speed. He didn’t like the heavy ground yesterday, but he still won it – and he will cope with whatever he put in front of him.”

He added: “Il Est Francais will be coming to England and you will be seeing him in two places rather than just one.

“As for plans, we are undecided as yet. He has won. He’s only four. He’s come out of the race well and he’s out in the paddock this morning. The world is his oyster.

“We have got to look at the big picture where he could end up. Further down the line, you will be seeing him over here (in England). This is the best young horse France has seen in a long time.”

Setting up a satellite yard in France has been years in the planning and the George family are keen to lay down training roots at Chantilly, with Noel running the French operation.

George added: “The French are just changing their tact a bit. They have seen all their best horses disappearing to Ireland and they want to start seeing them racing in their country. They want to see them racing in England at Cheltenham, but want to see them at both places.

“The attraction of this was Noel is 95 per cent through getting his trainer’s licence and we will be mixing it in two countries. This will open up a whole new avenue. He will have a dual licence.

“Over the last 10 years, I have had a lot of runners in France and two years’ ago, our grand plan was, and it is just coming to fruition now, Noel was going to go to Chantilly. Then he has to learn the language and get a French trainers’ licence and pass all the exams in French. It is extremely difficult.

“So, over that period we have been sending quite a few horses over there. France Galop have actually been helpful, granting a second temporary licence, so we have had a yard over there and had a lot of runners over there for the last month or two.

“If all goes well, he’ll be in France and I’m here. He has got probably as many horses over there as I have here.

Goa Lil (left) runs at Compiegne for owner Nigel Twiston-Davies on Wednesday
Goa Lil (left) runs at Compiegne for owner Nigel Twiston-Davies on Wednesday (Tim Goode/PA)

“French breeders want their horses to race in France as well as England. There is so much money involved over there, as we saw yesterday (with GBP 95,537 won by Il Est Francais).”

George, who trains at Slad in Gloucestershire, cited the facilities at their disposal at Chantilly and the track maintenance in general, as an additional attraction.

He added: “We set off with this plan three years ago. We have had a lot of sacrifices to get with it, with Brexit and Covid. It was very hard. But now we have got ourselves into the position where we are going to have a big French yard, in probably the best training centre in the world.

“The gallops over there are incredible. Noel has a mile-and-a-quarter circular sand gallop and he is the only person who uses it, and it is maintained by France Galop. The schooling ground is bigger than Fakenham racecourse. On this schooling ground and the circular gallop, it has pop-up sprinklers to water it.”

George says there are plenty of opportunities for English-trained horses in France and he cited fellow trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies, who owns Goa Lil.

“The money side is so different. What sums it up properly is that I train Goa Lil for Nigel in France, who runs on Wednesday in a Listed race at Compiegne. For Nigel Twiston-Davies to have a horse trained by Tom and Noel George in France says it all really! He has won almost GBP 50,000 already. It is a different world.

“If a horse is badly handicapped in England, like Goa Lil, or hasn’t won any money, which they don’t in England, the beauty is most races in France are geared around in prize money won. As no-one has won much prize money in England, you are so well-in with these races in France.

“Nigel’s horse runs on Wednesday at Compiegne for a race worth GBP 120,000 and that is just a midweek race. I told Nigel that he is the best advert I’ve ever had – but for Nigel Twiston-Davies to pay Tom George training fees takes a bit of working out!”

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