If you knock long enough, surely the door will open. David Menuisier is hoping it does just that for Sunway, his Irish Derby runner-up, in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.
The Sussex-based trainer may have won a German Guineas with Devil’s Point but Tamfana and Sunway between them have been placed in the 1,000 Guineas, third in the French Oaks, and second in the Irish Derby, all beaten by less than a length. ‘Presque’ is, he explains wryly, what they say in France – nearly.
A bit of luck here and there and 10 years into his training career, we might have been hailing him as the next Aidan O’Brien with three major Classics under his belt by the end of June but he is not dwelling on it. “Things are going great but the stars have not quite aligned,” he says.
“If you look back you can’t help feeling a little frustrated. How many have the chance to compete at that level? It’s bittersweet what we’re going through, fortunate to be competing but you want to win.
“It’s frustrating but also exceptional. We have six horses at Group One level from 60 horses. If you told me that five, 10 years ago, I’d have said that can’t happen, we’re too small but this season not even Godolphin or John Gosden have that many horses at that level.
“The scary part is how will we match this in the future? When we look back in a few months we will be more proud than we are now but at the moment we don’t want to reflect, we want to look forward and make it happen.”
‘No one goes to the races in France, there’s no atmosphere’
Menuisier, 43, is something of an outlier, indeed unique; a Frenchman training in Britain when the accountant’s advice to most British trainers would be to up sticks to France for better prize money.
That is to some extent borne out by his own winnings this season; £350,000 domestically but £450,000 between France and Ireland without winning a race.
Source link : https://www.telegraph.co.uk/racing/2024/07/25/david-menuisier-racing-france-ghost-town-glory-england/
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Publish date : 2024-07-25 20:46:37
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