Le Grand Steep (May)
France
May 2010
Details and prices to follow soon. Celebrate an anniversary, birthday or Christmas in style - gift certificates available.
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History
Auteuil racecourse which stages the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris is a track exclusive to jumps racing only and known locally as the 'Temple of Jumps Racing'.
'Le Grand Steep' was first run in 1874 and consists of 23 jumps, the most daunting of which is the high 'rail-ditch and fence', or 'juge de paix'. It is run over a distance of three miles and five furlongs.
The course follows a figure-of-eight circuit requiring horses to run in both directions, and the brush fences, while large, are comprised of soft privet, designed to be jumped through, rather than over.
The water jump is positioned in front of the stands and is a fantastic spectacle as the runners clear the fence with the Eiffel Tower in the distance.
Previous winners, for the five-time Doumen, include The Fellow and First Gold – each also victorious in the King George VI Chase at Kempton.
The last successful British raider was Mandarin trained by Fluke Walwyn and ridden by Fred Winter in 1962.