'He just does everything so effortlessly' - Il Est Francais books Grade 1 tilt at Kempton after impressive Auteuil win

Il Est Francais confirmed himself one of the most exciting chasers in France with an impressive success under James Reveley in the Prix Fondeur at Auteuil. 

Co-owned by his breeder Nicolas de Lageneste and British-based Richard and Lizzy Kelvin-Hughes, the son of Karaktar booked a Boxing Day trip to Kempton for the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices' Chase, while a first crack at the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris in May is on the agenda. 

Sent straight to the front by Reveley, Il Est Francais was briefly shadowed by Toscana Du Berlais on the second circuit but pulled further and further clear in a relentless display of jumping and galloping on extremely deep ground.

"He takes my breath away every day in the morning," said joint-trainer Noel George. "It's never that nice watching a horse that's a short-priced favourite and he had to do it all himself in front but watching him just makes it a lot easier, he just does everything so effortlessly. He's a very exciting horse."

Noel George: joint-trainer of Il Est Francais

George, who trains in partnership at Chantilly with Amanda Zetterholm, said the front-running tactics were forced by circumstances.

"I like teaching him and schooling him in behind but we had to make the running with him because nobody was going to try and take him on," said George. "That was his first time over those fences on heavy ground and he's done it very well. He's just got such a high cruising speed and it shouldn't be a problem for him adapting to Kempton.

"From the first day of him jumping fences, he took to it like a duck to water. He's a natural."

Kelvin-Hughes endured much more trouble in getting to Paris than Il Est Francais encountered during the race but was pleased he persevered despite the travel issues.

"We had a horrendous flight over but it was well worth it," said Kelvin-Hughes. "Sometimes you get those special horses that go on any ground and I think he's one of them. I know they run on this sort of ground a lot over here but I think he'll go on anything."

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