... with the Clayeaux's .
Took a weekend off from our holiday in Ceret to go and have a few days at Emmanuel Clayeaux's stables near Moulin - always a treat in itself - but even better this year ! Emmanuel and his lovely wife France have three rather gorgeous daughters - so he has all the incentive to keep working very very hard . And he does ! Up before light ( some of the more nervy horses - so he says - train better in the dark !! ) and back just in time for a late swim with the family . Makes Pond House seem like a holiday camp !
This year we were invited to go racing with all of them all at Cluny near Macon . Lovely track and setting - and before racing started we all met up with France's two sisters and their families for lunch in the stunning village of Cluny . It was one of those quintessential Francophile lunches - long table of family - great food - great wine - weather ... well ... great ! And to cap it all a winner - ridden by Felix du Giles - who - for those of you that wouldn't know - is an up and coming young jockey back in England . Felix was on a working holiday down at Emmanual's - and what a lovely lad he is . Reminded me of Tom Scu - not in appearance - but just his presence and attitude . Told him that the next time we would be meeting probably will be a cold wet day at Fonty !
Emmanuel has so many horses ! Foals - yearlings - Dom Alco's - Networks - fillies to race - mares to cover . He has a 2yo by Bucks Boom ( Big Bucks's brother ) and Fee Magic ( Grands Crus / Gevrey Chambertin ) but - alas - that one is not for sale . If one has a couple of hundred thousand to invest in racing this is the place to start . CU
