Connell excited by France Leading owner Barry Connell is excited by his recent acquisition Vive La France. The French-import has gone into training with Tony Martin, in company with Golantilla, another the powerful Dublin player has to look forward to for the months ahead. He explained: "Vive La France was bought as a potential chaser. He took an unusual route in France in that he won a hurdle at Auteuil before going back to take a winners APQS race (a 1m 5f French bumper) at Vichy. "Under the rules now he is a novice over hurdles until the end of October. If he came to hand quickly we'd likely try him in a graded event before he loses his novice status. "In any case he'll probably be campaigned over hurdles for this term. "Something like the race at Tipperary (the Grade 3 Dolores Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle on 'Super Sunday' in October) could be an option." Vive La France is a son of the promising Coolmore stallion, Westerner and he was handled in France by Guy Cherel. He is a half-brother to the Gigginstown House Stud-owned Un Beau Matin. Gordon Elliott trained that five-year-old to score at Punchestown last November, having earlier registered three successes in France. (EM)
