This Sunday, as Vincennes plays host to a trio of Gr.1 races, Philippe Allaire, with runners in all three, will be very much under the spotlight. Not just a talented trainer, he and wife, Gitte, are also owners and breeders, and run the Haras de Bouttemont, which stands some of the most coveted trotting stallions in the world.

Second of four siblings, Philippe is a child of the late 1950’s. Son of an Italian mother and renowned trainer-father, he was immersed in the horse world from a young age. “I always knew that my son was gifted, and it’s not easy to breed them!” said once Pierre-Désiré.

But it was one horse that would change things in the life of the Allaire couple. Ready Cash. He started his career at the Allaire-base in Grosbois but, at five, Philippe sent him into the countryside to colleague and friend, Thierry Duvaldestin, in search of the calm his future champion required. Such a selfless gesture helped to assure Ready Cash two editions of the Prix d’Amérique, among many other titles.

Thanks to this success, the Allaire’s left the training centre for Normandy. “They signed in 2011 if I recall correctly. At that time, there was just a small country house and a landing strip,” recollects daughter Elizabeth. From this blank sheet, the Allaires constructed a remarkable establishment with stable blocks, tracks and a state-of-the-art stud.

Not just a star on the track, Ready Cash has excelled at stud, and forms the cornerstone of the the Allaire empire. The family’s success continues at a healthy pace, but not just in the trotting sphere. They are also owners of France’s best 2 year-old, Beauvatier, currently favourite for the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère on Arc day.