For 2024, race organisers have chosen to reduce the popular Grand National du Trot series to its historical beginnings of 13 stages, as opposed to 14 in 2023, the elimination of the Châtelaillon-La Rochelle stage resulting from insufficient numbers. As in previous years, the GNT kicked off at Amiens [6 March] but instead of Mauquenchy hosting the last leg, Toulouse assumes the honour for 2024 [20 November], with the Final being run at its usual home of Vincennes, Sunday 1 December.

Based in the southeast of the country, David Alexandre made a successfully judicious decision to send 9yo Forbach the almost 1,000 km to Amiens, resulting in a first, and facile Group 3 victory. We won’t know until after the weekend if he will run in next week’s edition at Cordemais [24 April], which hosts a GNT race for the first time.

Three weeks on and Horchestro secures the 2nd leg at Marseille-Borély. The 7yo gelding, trained in Lyon by Guillaume Huguet, trounced the opposition that day, in the process notching up his 14th success in just 54 starts.

Sent out again for the 3rd leg at Lyon-La Soie on 10 April, he finished a very creditable third to GNT debutant, Graal du Trésor, trained by the astute Mathieu Mottier.

It is still early days but after three instalments of the series, Horchestro tops the table with 24 points, ahead of Forbach and Graal du Trésor. The leader’s driver, David Békaert, and trainer, Huguet, unsurprisingly occupy top-spot in their respective categories.

With 10 stages left to run, the shape of the classifications is set to change many times, although it is unlikely to come down to two horses as it did in 2023, a scenario which had already begun to emerge by this time last year.