€190,000 Léon Olry-Roederer Hurdle (Gr2): Hermès Baie shows the way

Auteuil, France – December 8, 2024 – Three weeks after his third-place finish in the Grand Prix d'Automne Hurdle (Gr1), the 7-year-old AQPS Hermès Baie (Crillon) concluded his 2024 campaign with a fine victory over the 4,300 meters of the Prix Léon Olry-Roederer Hurdle (Gr2). The representative of the Papot family, bred in the Manche region by André Belloir, allowed Mamix's Passion (Gemix) to lead at the start and took over approaching the backstretch, racing wide. On the final turn, which he again took on the outside on very heavy ground, he accelerated sharply to enter the home straight, but Ajas (No Risk At All), who had nearly unseated his rider at the hurdle in front of the stands, looked like he might challenge. However, it was not to be, and the François Nicolle trainee won by more than four lengths, a dozen lengths in front of the tenacious Concerto (Kendargent), Mamix's Passion, and Le Philosophe (Doctor Dino).

Winner of the Prix Alain du Breil (Gr1) in the spring of 2021, having fallen in the Prix Renaud du Vivier, Hermès Baie then won the Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil (Gr1), and he has been placed in the three Group 1 hurdle races that he has contested since. Only Thélème finished ahead of him in the following Grande Course de Haies, and he did not contest the most recent edition, as he returned to competition in November after an 18-month absence.

The dam of Hermès Baie, Ludmika (Murmure), had a short but interesting career with Yannick Fertillet, with three starts on the flat for two wins and a third place. She was then prolific at stud with seven foals, notably by the stallion Crillon, including Hermès Baie, by far the best of his siblings ahead of Dress Baie (Crillon), winner of four races. The full brother of Hermès Baie, I Love My Baie (4 years old), was sold for £80,000 at the Goffs Doncaster Sale in May 2021. Exported to Ireland and trained by Colin Bowe, he has won four races there since.

Ludmika has since had two fillies by Tiger Groom (Arazi), a colt named Puit d'Or (Sadler's Wells), and a filly by Nom de d'La (Lost World) in 2022. The 4-year-old by Tiger Groom won a steeplechase at Fougères last June in the Papot silks.