Racing was abandoned at Auteuil on Saturday afternoon due to the conditions becoming increasingly severe. There were weather warnings in the area prior to the card getting underway, with the forecast worsening as time went on.
Heading into the final race on the card at 15.07, winds picked up before the heavens opened and a hail storm ensued. The race continued nevertheless, with jockeys visibly looking distracted by the conditions.
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Golf ball-sized hail stones then hit the track, with the majority of the field being pulled up as they were approaching a hurdle. The jockeys recognised that the conditions were quickly becoming unsafe for themselves and their horses and looked for cover.
The klaxon then sounded on course, with officials ruling that the race should be stopped. The field gathered beneath some trees before an upcoming hurdle, with jockeys seen ducking to try and avoid some of the hail.
An abundance of leaves and sticks continued to fall in the area but the foliage did provide some minor protection, with some of the on-course marshals also moving to try and avoid the worst of the conditions. The race was the last of the day, so the extreme conditions brought the card to an early conclusion.
Action got underway at 10.53am, with 14/1 shot Prince Of Paris beating favourite Lord Brett in the La Veine Chase. Favourite-backers soon found themselves on a winning run though despite the rain and wind on track.
Miss Wood (9/4), Pistache Dore (6/4) and Woods (15/8) all landed the spoils before Mickael Seror’s Ventura Highway (9/1) won the Andrea Chase. The French trainer found himself in the winners’ enclosure again just an hour later with Kel Story (4/1), shortly after Maree Verte managed to get up in the shadow of the post to win the Burgrave II Claiming Hurdle at odds of 3/1.
It was an action-packed day in England too, with Ruling Court winning the first 2000 Guineas under jockey William Buick. The three-year-old cruised into contention up the near side before kicking on in front to land the spoils by half a length from favourite Field Of Gold. The second-place finish means that the British Classic still continues to escape trainer John Gosden, who may feel that his stable star was unfortunate not to have got his head in front given how quickly he finished in the final furlong.