Le TROT launches L’Etrier France 2023

21 April 2023

Happy And Lucky winning the 2022 Prix de Normandie

In 2022, French trotting’s racing authority, Le TROT, launched a new France-wide challenge entitled L’Etrier (the stirrup). Aimed solely at the monté code, a discipline characteristically French, the aim of l’Etrier is to shine a light on the excellence of horses of the French Trotter breed (Trotteur Français) and their many achievements.

Two classes were created, L’Etrier 4 year-olds and L’Etrier five year-olds, and each age group races separately. The first three in each qualifying race earn a berth into the Finals of its respective category. Both Finals carry Group 1 status and will be run on Champions Day (Journée des Champions), Sunday 25 June at Paris-Vincennes. Undeniably a day not to be missed for the elite horses and jockeys of the monté discipline.

The first two races have been scheduled for Friday 28 April, also at Paris-Vincennes. Qualification 1 for L’Etrier 4yo, the Gr.2 Prix René Palyart over 2175m, won by Ici C’est Paris in 2022, boasts a veritable Who’s Who of past winners, from Fado Du Chêne and Dahlia Du Rib, to Queen Jenilou and Prince De Montfort.

The 2850m, Gr.2 Prix Louis Forcinal represents Qualification 1 for L’Etrier 5yo, and Franck Leblanc was victorious in both recent editions, Freeman De Houelle winning in 2021, and Happy And Lucky twelve months ago.

The first three 4 year-olds will qualify directly for the Prix du Président de la République, and the 5 year-olds the Prix de Normandie, two Group 1’s of particularly high stature. Listed below are the dates and venues of all the races.

FRIDAY 28 APRIL

PARIS-VINCENNES

ETRIER 4 ANS QUALIF 1 - PRIX R. PALYART

ETRIER 5 ANS QUALIF 1 - PRIX L. FORCINAL

FRIDAY 12 MAY

PARIS-VINCENNES

ETRIER 5 ANS QUALIF 2 - PRIX J. GAUVREAU

SATURDAY 13 MAY

CAEN

ETRIER 4 ANS QUALIF 2 - PRIX H. BALLIERE

FRIDAY 2 JUNE

PARIS-VINCENNES