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Tuesday, 11 December 2007 |
At the helm of a racing stable in Chantilly since 1978,
Criquette Head is firmly recognised as the top female trainer
in the world. John Gilmore quizzes her on the plans to open
up French bookmaking
Taking over the reins
from her father, Alec
Head, and mother
Ghislaine, herself the
daughter of a trainer,
Criquette Head Maarek says:
“They taught me all I know,
and everything I have done
concerning training horses
has been based on that.” She
adds: “When I first started it
wasn’t a job for a woman,
only Madame Bollack was
training in Chantilly.”
Criquette Head is the
third generation of the family
involved in racing. The
current crop includes her
brother Freddie, a former top
jockey, now also a trainer in
Chantilly, her sister Martine
who oversees operations at
her father’s Haras Du
Quesney Normandy stud,
and her daughter, married to
trainer Laffon Parias.
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Tuesday, 11 December 2007 |
For once J-M Bazire is not at the head of the 50 best trainers in
France. His place has been taken by Pïerre Levesque – but he’s
still at the top of the 50 best drivers. Levesque has won the
Coupe du Monde de Trot as well as his victory for the
champion five-year-old at Vincennes.
The Prix de Bretagne (which I watched from the comfort
of a warm armchair) was won by an outsider, Kool du Caux,
beautifully driven by Franck Nivard and trained by F Souloy.
The lovely mare My Love Lady led for most of the race, only
to be caught in a thrilling finish by Kool du Caux and the
oddly-named Hot Tub. Nouba du Saptel was third. The
favourite, Lonzac, ran disappointingly. This race was a
qualifier for the Prix d’Amérique, and it left me no wiser.
The fourth leg of the Grand National du Trot was won by
the hot favourite Narval d’Écajeul driven by Philippe Sourzac
who is also a ‘crack’ rider over jumps. The final takes place at
Rouen-Mauquenchy on November 27 - too late for this edition,
but I shall watch it and tell you about it (those who are
unluckily not able to be there).
Some of the horses that have impressed me this month:
New des Landes, winner of the Trophée Vert, Only Boys for a
gutsy performance to win the Prix d’Amiens beating
Levesque’s Orchestre Gédé by a short head, Kito du Vivier
who won the long-distance race (4,400 metres) the Prix de la
Ville de Caen in front of My Love Lady and New des Landes,
and Orateur who won the Grand Prix des Vendanges at Agen
by the shortest of heads.
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Tuesday, 11 December 2007 |
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Few events on the list this
month, as most of them take
place abroad. More to enjoy in
January!
DRESSAGE
07-08/12 Paris France cup final,
Grand tour (Salon du cheval)
HORSE BALL
15-16/12 Ronchin (59) Mixed
National 2
SHOW JUMPING
08 & 09 /12 Barbizon (77) Pro 1
tests
08 & 09/12 Ozoir-la-Ferrière (77)
Ponies Grand prix
14-16/12 Bois-le-Roi CSI Junior
& young riders A / Junior B /
Ponies
TROTTING
04-06, 08,
10/12 Vincennes
07/12 Auteuil
10/12 Bordeaux, Nantes
12-15/12 Vincennes
15/12 Marseille-Vivaux
17-20/12 Vincennes
17/12 Angers, Bordeaux
19/12 Cagnes-sur-Mer
21/12 Cabourg
22/12 Vincennes,
Grenade/Garonne
24/12 Cabourg
25/12 Vincennes
26/12 Bordeaux
27/12 Vincennes
28/12 Cagnes-sur-Mer
29/12 Vincennes,
Grenade/Garonne
31/12-2/01 Vincennes
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Tuesday, 11 December 2007 |
Christmas this year falls on a Tuesday, so the traffic jam
predictors are guessing that Friday, Saturday and Sunday
(December 21 – 23) will be busy on the roads as people take
a pont to avoid going to work on Christmas Eve.
Orange warnings have been issued for traffic leaving
cities on all these days.
As usual the Paris region will be most affected with a red
alert for Saturday for traffic leaving the city.
More orange warnings for traffic leaving cities have been
issued for Friday 28 December and Saturday 29 December as
people leave to celebrate the New Year away from home.
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Tuesday, 11 December 2007 |
Chipping away at CO2 emissions
While the world waits for some form
of miracle engine which will not
use fossil fuels, car makers are putting
their minds to many little things which
can reduce pollution, especially the
carbon dioxide their products produce.
One example is the Renault / Dacia
Logan project. This, you may remember,
is the “third world” car designed by
Renault, and built by its Romanian
subsidiary Dacia, after a visit to Russia
in the early 1990s by the then Renault
chairman, Louis Schwitzer. He told his
teams to design a car that was cheap,
comfortable, reliable, robust and
technologically advanced. The result has
been selling like hot cakes in France at
prices between €7,500 and €12,500.
The latest version in France has an
85hp version of the dci diesel engine,
giving extra oomph,
particularly when
overtaking in the
seven-seat estate
version of the car. In
the berline version, the
engine is officially
registered as emitting
up to 120g of CO2 per
km. With a range of
fairly simple measures,
a prototype prepared
for the Michelin
Challenge Bibendum
cuts this figure to an official 97g of CO2
per km. Tested by a professional driver
the car beat this, consuming just 2.72
litres per 100km and blowing out 71g of
CO2 per km.
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