'I told them in March I was building a box for him' - Jigme signs off in Grade 1 style before heading to Haras du Hoguenet

If fortune favours the brave then she was certainly smiling on connections of Jigme as he turned away an excellent crop of three-year-old hurdlers in the Grade 1 Prix Cambaceres at Auteuil on Sunday, his final run before heading to Anthony Baudouin's Haras du Hoguenet, where he will stand alongside his own sire, Motivator.

"I began building a box for him in March!" said Baudouin, who contacted Jean-Pierre Garcon of Haras de l'Hotellerie about a future stallion career after Jigme's first success in the Prix Rush. Remarkably, the 1-2-3 from that newcomers' race finished 1-2-5 in the championship contest eight months later.

Hotellerie have enjoyed a year to remember, thanks in no small part to their association with Yeguada Centurion, whose Leopoldo Fernandez Pujals can claim the rare distinction of having bred 2023's champion three-year-old filly in Blue Rose Cen, and the champion three-year-old hurdler.

Jigme is out of the Aga Khan's Anabaa mare Simawa, who had already produced four black-type performers before making €210,000 at Goffs in November 2018. 

"He's been faultless all year, has now confirmed himself the best of his generation, and it's wonderful to be able to welcome a real 'crack' like him to stand at stud," said Baudouin.

Guillaume and Jean-Pierre Garcon of Haras de l'Hotellerie with Anthony Baudouin (Haras du Hoguenet) and Jigme's part-owner Marc BridouxCredit: Racing Post / Scott Burton

Garcon recalled Jigme's early days and the indications that jumping might be his calling. 

"It was obvious from birth he was going to have the size and scope for jumping, albeit he might have been a very good Flat horse if we'd gone that way," said Garcon. "We thought that, being by Motivator and from the family of Sinndar, it would be great to direct him towards the jumping sphere, so we brought on board owners with that thought in mind when he was a yearling."

While France is well ahead of the rest of the National Hunt world in terms of retiring entires to stud, putting together a syndicate to support that stallion career eight months before his retirement is far less common.

"We had some huge offers from Britain and Ireland, so we decided to syndicate him in the spring, as it was the only way to guarantee he could stay in France," said Garcon. "It's worked out for all those that invested and it's a beautiful story."

Baudouin added: "As a stallion man, I'm always looking for horses who have proved themselves as jumpers but I love it if they have a deep Flat pedigree behind them. But I have to tell you that I've been extremely nervous ahead of each run this autumn, much more so than if it was a horse I owned outright.

"He's the best horse of his generation and is a good size at 1m 70cm. He's from a great family and, frankly, there's not a lot not to like about him." 

Garcon underlined what everyone at Auteuil had just witnessed, observing: "The thing he has is speed. He has a wonderful action and a great motor and, although he's a big horse, he isn't heavy. He'll be very easy to cross with mares of any size. All of his owners will support him heavily with their own mares."

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