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Jean-Claude Rouget back in the big time courtesy of Leffard

Jean-Claude Rouget back in the big time courtesy of Leffard

Rhyl Journal5 days ago
The dual Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe-winning trainer – who has had health battles and seen his string much reduced over the last year – was clearly emotional after Cristian Demuro put Leffard's head down right on the line to edge out Aidan O'Brien's Trinity College.
Ryan Moore and Trinity College had tracked Frankly Good Cen before switching out and showing a smart turn of foot, one that looked like it would seal matters. That was not counting for Leffard, however, and he too picked up in great style when asked to leave the pair battling out.
What a moment for Jean-Claude Rouget! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/BpenHlgIGC
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) July 13, 2025
After the shortest of waits, Leffard – who holds an Arc entry – was announced the winner, putting a below-par effort in the Prix du Jockey Club – in which Trinity College had been fourth before winning at Royal Ascot – behind him and fully justifying the decision to supplement for the Paris showpiece.
Rouget told Sky Sports Racing: 'It was fantastic when I saw the horse coming. I was very confident there was not a big difference between the two (Leffard and Trinity College).
'I knew he was very good, but I had to find a new confidence in him (after the Prix du Jockey-Club). He was so well this week and the field was not tremendous I decided to supplement him. When I saw six runners, it was possible to be third and we did better.
'I think yes (he is an Arc horse), because when I bought him I was sure I bought a good horse.
It's a big fairytale, life continues and we do other things.
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Rory McIlroy speaks out about fans at Royal Portrush as Tommy Fleetwood issues complaint

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