Young Pretender Making Giant Strides

There has barely been a ruffle in the top order of French trainers since Henri-Francois Devin started school. Now 33, he is not quite yet in a position to challenge the long-established hierarchy of Andre Fabre, Jean-Claude Rouget, Alex Pantall, Alain de Royer-Dupre et al, but he is one of the select few that could do so some day.

“When you look at some of the older trainers around Chantilly, they're still training as if it's their first day, very enthusiastic,” he said. “It keeps people young, this business. It's like a continued renewal of everything. Like breeding, every year you have new foals, all the yearlings, its 'perpetual recommencement', like the never-ending start.”

Devin effortlessly mixes his English and French with an Irish accent, inherited from his mother Antonia. His father Henri is the latest member of the family to run the historic Haras du Mesnil stud near Le Mans. This leaves him with split loyalties when it comes to sporting contests between his two nationalities, admitting only to a soft spot for Munster Rugby.

Despite his evident racing pedigree, Devin tried working in finance for a year before being drawn back to horses. “I didn't really like working in an office, it's not as nice as being outside,” he said. Instead, he managed to attain one of the most sought-after positions as a budding trainer, assisting Fabre for two years, and a subsequent year with the jumps maestro Jean-Paul Gallorini.

Devin started out with half a dozen horses in only April 2013, a number which should nudge 55 by the spring. His impressive total of 23 winners last year came from only 33 to set foot on the track.

“Basically the last three years we've been picking up, the horses were better and we've had more of them. When you have six there are only so many races you can win,” Devin said. “In 2014, I felt they were running to the very best of their ability and in 2015 we had Physiocrate (Fr) (Doctor Dino {Fr}). She had won twice, we supplemented her into the [G1] French Oaks and she was second. That kind of got the ball rolling, and we had a few running in listed races.”

Physiocrate, owned by his parents, was sold to Japan, but French racing had taken note. As much as it would be understatement to describe Devin as well-connected, it is another thing to entrust a rookie with valuable bloodstock. This year's portfolio would be the envy of any yard, with half a dozen for Khalid Abdullah, and names like Baron Edouard de Rothschild, Bobby Flay and Lady O'Reilly.

Devin has already earned his stripes for Al Shaqab with Al Johrah (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), who beat all but Wesley Ward's stunning Lady Aurelia in the G2 Queen Mary S. at Royal Ascot.

Her final outing, a disappointing fifth when a strong favourite for the G3 Prix Eclipse at Maisons-Laffitte can be written off.

“I think she was ridden a bit too close to the pace and she did a bit too much, she'd also had quite a tough season,” Devin explained. “She had a hard enough race in the [G1] Prix Morny (fourth) when she ran brilliantly. Then there was the [G2] Prix Robert Papin and she'd run twice before Ascot.”

The trainer laughs sheepishly when asked if Al Jorah could develop into a Classic filly.

“I'd be a bit worried about the trip,” Devin said frankly. “There's a six-furlong listed race at Chantilly a few weeks before the Prix Imprudence, maybe we'll run there over seven furlongs and we'll know whether to drop her in trip or take a shot at the [G1] French Guineas. At this moment she's probably six not a mile, but she went to Sheikh Joaan's farm for a few weeks and came back looking fantastic, she seems to have grown a bit.”

Elaborating on his 3-year-olds, he continued, “Charm Appeal (Fr) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}) is owned by a great supporter in Stephen Hillen, she won her first two and was a bit caught for experience more than ability in her listed race at Chantilly. She'll

be a nice filly, entered for the French Guineas, and will probably run in a six and a half furlong race at Chantilly on the Polytrack at the start of the season.”

Continued Devin, “Golden Legend (Fr) (Doctor Dino {Fr}) is one of my parents' who won very nicely first time then we rode her from the back on the Polytrack to give her a bit more experience. She's a filly to look forward to. There are one or two that haven't run, but I won't mention any names because every time it's a kiss of death.”

Potential standard-bearer again this term is the Flay-owned Banzari (GB) (Motivator {GB}), who helped Devin to his first domestic group win last autumn and went on to post an excellent third in the G1 E.P. Taylor S.

“She is back in training, her two main objectives are the Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville and then the race she ran in Canada

again,” he said. “Now she's a stakes filly, she'll have to go for tougher races, so she'll probably start in the [G3] Prix Exbury at Saint-Cloud in March, if that goes well then there's the [G2 Prix] Harcourt, the [G2 Prix] Corrida or maybe the [G1 Prix] Ganay, but whether she's good enough to take on the older colts, we'll see.”

With assistance from his girlfriend, Louise Boakes, and a team of staff that it has taken three years to refine, Devin can be quietly optimistic that 2017 will help him draw that next step closer to the old guard.

“I'd rather expect the worst and hope for the best, but I'm looking forward to it, within reason,” he concluded. “Some of the 2-year-olds are relatively forward and Al Shaqab sent a few more, including the sister to Al Johrah, and she looks quite a nice filly. We're running against big stables with a lot more horses than we have. If we keep our feet on the ground and the horses in good health, hopefully we'll be OK.”