'I thought he'd be fifth' - Nicolle stunned by veteran Poly Grandchamp's success

Poly Grandchamp is something of a fixture at Auteuil, running with great credit in most of the Graded races over fences at the track through the last three seasons and more.

But a record of one win from his last 16 starts meant he was well down the preferences of pari-mutuel punters in a high-quality line-up of France's best chasers that lacked only dual Grand Steeple-Chase hero Docteur De Ballon, who is being saved for the spring by Louisa Carberry after suffering a minor setback.

Docteur De Ballon's absence freed Bertrand Lestrade to ride Poly Grandchamp for the first time and the pair had only fellow veteran Carriacou and Le Berry for company coming to two out.

Carriacou had been given a wonderfully patient ride by James Reveley on ground much tackier than ideal but after briefly taking the lead jumping the last, they were unable to go on and it was the rallying Poly Grandchamp who ground out a two-and-a-half-length success.

"The orders were for Bertrand to do his best but the horse has run the race of his life," said Francois Nicolle, who saddled four of the eight runners but confessed to having pretty low expectations of the nine-year-old. "It's mad because he has really outdone himself today. Bertrand was riding the horse for the first time and I thought he'd be fourth or fifth beforehand."

Reveley was understandably disappointed but there was nothing to reproach in a patient ride that delivered Carriacou with a winning chance at the last.

"I probably should have waited a bit longer and he tends to pull himself up when he hits the front," said Reveley. "Today the tacky ground wasn't his preferred ground and he just struggled to pick up after the last.

"I came there really easy and thought he was going to go away and win his race and he's just stopped a little bit. He's run a great race."

Menuet savours first Grade 1 as Let Me Love edges thriller

Nicolle suffered the disappointment on Saturday of seeing L'Autonomie beaten by Galop Marin in the Grand Prix d'Automne but Sunday was a very different affair and, in addition to Poly Grandchamp, the champion trainer scored an impressive success in the Prix Cambaceres with Kyrov.

The fourth Grade 1 of the weekend, the Prix Maurice Gillois, went to Let Me Love for owner/breeder/trainer William Menuet.

Let Me Love and Sel Jem jumped the last in tandem and there was never more than half a length between the pair all the way up the run-in, with the verdict going the way of Menuet's Authorized filly and Olivier Jouin by a short head.

"It was a long way up the home straight and hard to watch," said Menuet. "It's just wonderful to be able to say I'm the trainer of a Grade 1 winner, it's not something that happens to everyone.

"It proves I can do the job and train a crack, just like the big yards. It's wonderful."

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Upping The Ante star Gavin Lynch joins the Racing Post roster for a weekly Saturday column throughout the jumps season. He'll offer a guide to the weekend action, highlight the horses and races to watch and share his punting wisdom. Read it every Saturday in the Racing Post or online from 4pm every Friday.