Reynier Seeks Dubai Turf Repeat With Facteur Cheval

It wouldn't quite be fair to say that the team around Facteur Cheval , who is owned by Team Valor International and Gary Barber, were anonymous in the week building up to the 2024 Dubai Turf (G1T). 

Given the son of Ribchester 's flashy white face and socks—not to mention his playful demeanor of a morning—the photographers certainly took notice, even if not many writers or broadcasters were giving him a great deal of play. 

A first group 1 success at the expense of Namur  and a star-studded set of rivals changed that and, while two runs on the dirt have been a less orthodox preparation this year, he is certainly right in the conversation in terms of horses that might put it up to overwhelming favorite Romantic Warrior .

"There were lots of questions last year as to whether or not he would handle the fast ground and there were a lot of runners. He was basically unconsidered.

"We've had a very different build-up this year," said trainer Jerome Reynier with a hint of understatement April 5. "We've got more in the way of guarantees heading into the race, given he won his only start around this track last year off the back of a five-month break.

"Today he is the titleholder and it's a smaller field, though still of a very high standard thanks to champions like Romantic Warrior and Liberty Island. 

"We were drawn in the middle last year with stall 8 of 16 but Maxime Guyon had already shown he could win this race, having done it on Solow when breaking from 10 of 10."

Continuing the contrasts, Reynier added: "He is attracting much more attention this year, which carries a certain kind of additional pressure to achieve a good result.

"Last year he wasn't anywhere near the top of the ratings and if he'd have finished anywhere in the first eight, it would not have been a terrible result.

"Now if he is not in the top three I'll be disappointed, as he is a horse who just never lets us down and who has been trained right here for the first part of the year.

"We hope that he will be boosted by getting back on the turf and that he can get right in the mix once again."

Facteur Cheval and work rider Gregory Tavignot have forged an unbreakable bond in the months they have been at Meydan, and there was plenty of commitment in the way the pair hugged the rail during a light breeze on the dirt earlier this week. 

"On Wednesday his breeze was once again very satisfactory and he regards this place as home now," said Reynier. "Last year we had a good feeling because everything had gone great all week, for all that there were a lot of unknowns. 

"The extra week between the Saudi Cup and the Dubai Turf in this year's calendar has really been beneficial because we could let him down for 10 days before building him up again. Physically and mentally I don't think we could have him much better."

Reynier added: "He's been here three months without a traveling companion and has never turned a hair. When he has Gregory on his back he is always a happy horse, and we know exactly how to dose his work. 

"Whatever happens he'll have a break when he gets back before we start preparing him for Royal Ascot, where he'll have entries for both the Queen Anne and the Prince of Wales's Stakes."

Last year Facteur Cheval ranked among the nearly horses that had not quite got it done in a group 1. Now he's rightly being taken as a very serious candidate to complete a famous double.