English jockey hoping to land Boxing Day knockout on up and coming French star
James Reveley has so much confidence in Il Est Francais that he cleared his diary for a rendez-vous with the exciting French prospect at Kempton on Boxing Day.
The 34-year-old Yorkshireman, France’s reigning champion jump jockey, has won virtually all there is to win in his adopted country. Il Est Francais offers him the chance to gain his first Grade 1 success in Britain in the Ladbrokes Kauto Star Novices’ Chase, a race he came close to winning on Tazbar in 2009.
Despite being trained across the Channel, there is a strong British flavour to the challenge as Il Est Frances is co-owned Richard Kelvin-Hughes, trained by Noel George, son of trainer Tom, and his Swedish partner Amanda Zetterholm, while Reveley is the son of former trainer Keith and grandson of Mary Reveley.
Il Est Francais has won five out of six over hurdles and both starts over fencesl, the latest by 11 lengths in a Listed contest at Auteuil.. “He’s been fantastic from the first time I rode him,” said Reveley. “He absolutely sluiced up around Auteuil and I’ve been with him more or less ever since.
“He was the best four-year-old hurdler in France last year. It was a bit harder for him in the top hurdle race this year but we always thought he was a chaser in the making.
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“He’s won his first two chases really easily and he handles all sorts of ground. I think he has the right type of profile for Kempton and the English-style fences. He has everything about him that makes you think he would do well in the UK with his style of running and jumping.”
Il Est Francais: tackles the Kauto Star Novices' Chase (Valentin Desbriel)Between 1987 and 2003 Kempton regularly put out the welcome mat to runners from France trained by pioneers like five-time King George winner Francois Doumen and Guillaume Macaire, a past Kauto Star Novices’ Chase winner.
After relocating Reveley became stable jockey to Macaire, a connection which put him on a path to the top of his sport in France, where he has won the Cravache D’Or three times.
“I’ve never regretted any decisions made,” he said. “I was doing the two at the start, trying to ride as much as I could for my Dad in the winter and in France in the summer. I moved full time in 2016 and have never looked back.”
Noel George: son of trainer Tom George is based in France (Valentin Desbriel)He is making a rare trip home to be at Kempton having made it his priority to be available for Il Est Francais.
“I’ve sacrificed other rides to make sure I’m fit, I could have ridden on Christmas Day in Pau but I thought it wasn’t worth the risk. I prefer to keep myself sure of being able to ride Il Est Francais.
“I’ve never won a Grade 1 in England and was never associated with top class horses there. If there was ever a horse in the modern era training in France that could do well in both countries it would be him. Hopefully he can show everyone how good he is.”
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