Presidente Line
Presidente Line put up a nice performance to win a listed mares' hurdle over two and a quarter miles at Auteuil on Sunday. Held up early on at the rear of the seven-runner field, she travelled well down the back straight towards the inside. She got a nice run around the inside around the home turn, but not necessarily on the best of the ground, and she picked up nicely in the home straight to challenge favourite Philanthrope at the second last flight. The two of them moved on from their rivals quite quickly and, while Philanthrope had a lead of just over a length at the last, she didn't jump it very well, and Presidente Line stayed on strongly on the far side to go on and win by over two lengths.
A close second in a mares' novices' hurdle at Taunton last February on her first run in Britain when conceding 10lb to the winner, who won a handicap next time off a mark of 124, Alain Couetil's mare ran a big race in the Dawn Run Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, when she travelled well through her race up on the outside and hit the front at the second last flight. She travelled better than most of her rivals in front around the home turn that day, but that is far enough out at Cheltenham in a race in which the hold-up horses came to the fore and, while she led until the run to the last, and was still third as they jumped the final obstacle, she faded up the hill to finish only seventh. She was beaten in two subsequent runs last season back in France, and she was only second on her debut this term, but this was an impressive performance visually, she was game and she was strong at the line, and it may be that she will be under-rated if and when she comes over to Britain or Ireland this season. She would be of interest too stepped up in trip to two and a half miles.
Auteuil, 3rd November 2019
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