Funambule Sivola shows spirit for little-known sire Noroit

Funambule Sivola made his Graded breakthrough in Newbury's Betfair Exchange Game Spirit Chase to also provide a keynote moment for a stallion who had quite a story of his own.

Noroit, who died at Gilles Trapenard's Haras de Sivola in 2019, was blind for the last two years of his life but still managed some covering duties; he still has three named juveniles from his final season.

Now a six-time winner for the Venetia Williams stable, having been bought for €50,000 by Guy Petit at Arqana in 2018 after starting his career over hurdles in France, Funambule Sivola is easily his sire's best-known progeny.

Many of Noroit's other useful runners bear Trapenard's Sivola suffix, such as the Auteuil Grade 3 chase winner Fantastic Sivola, who had the misfortune of being in the same era as the brilliant Goliath Du Berlais as a juvenile.

View result and watch the replay here

Noroit, by Monsun, was a high-class middle-distance performer who won at Grade 2 level and collected a clutch of places in Group 1 company. Despite small numbers, he has sired plenty of other jump winners and a few on the Flat from his early stint standing in Germany.

Newbury's other big chase, the Betfair Denman Chase, was also a showcase for one of France's unheralded stallion names.

Eldorado Allen, who also landed this season's Haldon Gold Cup, is the leading earner outside France by Haras de la Croix Sonnet's Khalkevi.

The Aga Khan-bred sire, by his Derby hero Kahyasi, won the Grand Prix de Paris in a brief career on the track. Priced up at €2,500 this year, Khalkevi has also sired Espoir De Guye, who was in good form for the Venetia Williams stable last season, and classy French chasing mare Ebonite.

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