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The next Baracouda has never seemed further away and the sport is poorer for it
One of the best parts of the Cheltenham Festival build-up is reliving races from years gone by. As an enthusiast for racing across the globe, often those I enjoy most are when foreign horses have come to the fore.
Francois Doumen's pioneering raids on the festival were before my time, but I would wager I get just as much pleasure seeing The Fellow finally win the Gold Cup at the fourth attempt as anyone who was there on the day, while Baracouda's brilliant battles with Iris's Gift still manage to shiver the spine 20 years on.
The French have had their fair share of stars since then. Three-time Grade 1 winner De Bon Coeur beat all in France until she was thwarted by Willie Mullins and Benie Des Dieux in the 2019 French Champion Hurdle, ending a near-flawless career.
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