RIYADH: Trainer Gaelle Gernay will represent Belgium on the big stage this Friday and her runner, Iradie, could be a little under the radar in the $500,000 Saudi International Handicap presented by LUCID.
The 5-year-old mare by Sommerabend has spent most of her career in France, winning twice last summer over 1,800 meters and 2,000 meters, so the 2,100 meters at King Abdulaziz Racecourse should suit. And she will be the first Belgium representative in the race.
Iradie changed hands at the Arqana sales in France in mid-November, when bought by bloodstock agents Jerry McGrath and Toby Jones for $27,400. Iradie was last seen finishing third at Mons on Dec. 4.
“We’re excited, especially as we’re just a small stable in Belgium, so it’s quite a big story for us to go with a horse to Saudi Arabia on the weekend of The Saudi Cup,” Gernay said.
“Last year her owner Mr. Jones called me and said he’d like to buy a horse for the race and that’s how it started.
“He said he was still looking in September and then he found her at the sale. She ran in Belgium once to qualify, she ran quite well over a distance that was way too short for her over 1,500 meters. She was beaten only (by) a nose and ran a great race. We started to think about the race then.”
Gernay had a successful career in the saddle, riding in lady riders’ competitions, but her life in the west of the country is unusual compared with her competitors.
“I only have five in training for the moment, I used to do a lot of pre-training but it’s not an easy thing to do in Belgium and I have another job to combine with the horses,” she explained.
“My boyfriend William takes care of the horses at home and I actually work with police horses, the Royal Cavalry. But I’ve got good hours so I can also train in the mornings.”
While Christophe Soumillon remains Belgian racing’s greatest ambassador, with the sport itself staged only at a handful of tracks, Gernay is excited to see what Iradie can do.
“We’ve not had her that long, but she’s already changed a lot,” she said. “She did her last work last week, and we were very, very happy with her. Hopefully everything goes well from now on.”
