Portrait of the week: Sébastien Guarato, shaper of champions...

Although he still bends to the multiple requests from the press, there is no doubt that Sébastien Guarato would have done well to be on the front page of horse racing news last Tuesday following the announcement of the withdrawal of the crack Face Time Bourbon and his probable career stoppage. While the majority of professionals would have shut themselves up in silence in such cases, the Bordeaux native answered all questions from the media, whether specialized or local, with all the frankness that characterizes him.

A self-made man

Originally from Ambarès, the 40-year-old has no family ties to horse racing and built himself alone. However, as a teenager, he often accompanies his father to the Bouscat racecourse, who works at the port and who also takes care of a broodmare: "I liked going there but I hadn't caught the virus, far from there, concedes Sébastien Guarato. At 14, I had to choose my path. At first, I wanted to be a cook, but I finally turned to a career as a jockey. »

The young teenager then left his native South-West to join the school of Graignes at the age of 14: "The AFASEC of Mont-de-Marsan was closer to home but I was too big to start galloping . My father was happy because he loved horses. As for my mother, who works in a pharmacy, she was a little worried that I was going down that road. When I arrived in Graignes, I had never ridden and I didn't even know how to put on a halter. In Graignes, I was taught everything, from A to Z.” Apprentice in the family structure of Patrick Lallemand, he only stayed there for a few months, his apprenticeship supervisor being the victim of a very serious accident. Change of direction therefore for Sébastien Guarato who then learned the trade from Marcel Cherruau, in the same way as Bruno Marie, Alain Lelodet and Philippe Daugeard.

After seven years in this stable, the young man set up on his own after his 35 victories and his validated professional status. “I was not doing too badly in the race but I didn't think I could make a career as a driver. So I quickly installed myself as a public trainer. I had the chance to meet the breeder of the Montforts, Mr Dauphin, from whom I rented boxes and who entrusted me with horses. I quickly came across Granit de Monfort, who had won five races at Vincennes, but also Ipsos de Montfort, third in the Critérium des 5 ans. For its part, Jacky L'Indien had shone in Quintés+. »

Ménil-Bérard, the eldorado

After a stint at Haras de Ginai, the professional settled down at Ménil-Bérard, where he bought and transformed a farm. Quickly, a colt, Prince of Space, becomes king of the place. Bred by Guy Chaumont, he won eight Groups II without however succeeding in imposing himself in a Group I, despite his appearances in the Criteriums for 3 and 4 year olds. This son of Himo Josselyn then launched the classic career of his trainer and was also the first of his residents to compete in a Prix d'Amérique, in 2008. His owner, loyal to Sébastien Guarato, Daniel Jeulin keeps a precious memory of him. “We were competing in this Prix d'Amérique for fun, with Sébastien on the sulky,” recalls the owner from Rennes. It was his first runner in this mythical event and this experience must have served him afterwards. I met Sébastien 25 years ago through my associates Guy Chaumont, Mathias Moncorgé and Emmanuel Leclerc. I hadn't had horses before and Sébastien taught me the trade. I was lucky to find him and Prince d'Espace. I went to Ménil Bérard at least once a month. Sébastien was the first to have an uphill straight on his training centre. I was not surprised by his rise because he is a super pro. He has talent and feels things. He has always had good horses but above all he knew how to draw the quintessence from them, surrounded by a good team. It's like a football coach who knows how to use his squad or not. We have communicated a lot over the years but I am not one to call him regularly. Everyone must be in their place. It is up to the coach to make the decisions, which does not prevent him from being able to discuss. The job is difficult enough as it is and Face Time Bourbon's injury is unfortunately the perfect illustration of this. It's terrible what happened this week but that won't stop him. »

The most Bordeaux of Normandy coaches took out a subscription on the last Sunday of January since there has always been a starter since 2012 and Roxane Griff's second place: "Sébastien approaches these major meetings without adding pressure, analyzes Yves Bertrand, breeder and owner of the Iron Lady. He is calm and quite sure of himself. He thus concretizes all the work done on his track. This is of great importance in its results. She has a very atypical drawing that he has in mind. He can then prepare his residents as well as possible. I have known him for twenty years and he is more than a trainer for me. He thinks horse: it is his major quality. It is a gift that nature gave him. When he sees a young horse trotting, he is able to judge the quality of the foal in question and he is very rarely mistaken. He did not come from the seraglio but was trained by a great horseman, Marcel Cherruau. He learned the lesson well, all in peace. He is always even-tempered. Frank, he hides nothing and I've never seen him get angry. He is quite simply a good man, with his qualities and his faults, like any human being. »

Equidia had paid tribute to Roxane Griff in a report "Roxane Griff bows out."

The Hall Of Fame

Notably winner of two Prix de Cornulier and a Prix de Paris, Roxane Griff is one of the stable's outstanding horses, like the Rapide Lebel steamroller: "I hadn't even tried it before it arrived in my workforce, recalls Sébastien Guarato. He was very nervous at the beginning and broke the reins. He was often outside, taken for a walk and he enjoyed himself. I was also lucky that Roxane Griff was entrusted to me. And if Jean-Etienne Dubois does not go to Australia, Bold Eagle would never have arrived at my place. Jean-Etienne would have done as well as me. As for Face Time Bourbon, I went there to buy another horse. It was offered to me while he was in a small paddock. On the other hand, we had not seen his aplomb which was twisted. If I had looked better, I might not have bought it. We kept it and it cracked. Anyway, it's the horses that make the men. The converse is also true and the various champions who have passed through the hands of this great sports fan are there to testify to this, those who have been prepared on the three training sites developed by the master of the place.

The last 3 champions of Sébastien Guarato. Billie de Montfort (left), Bold Eagle (center) and Face Time Bourbon

The Princes of Space, Bold Eagle, Carat Williams, Cash and Go, Ecu Pierji, Eridan, Et Voilà de Muze, Ever Time and of course Face Time Bourbon did not go very far at the end of their careers since they all stand at Haras de la Meslerie managed by Sébastien and his wife Anne: “It's very pleasant to train their foals, appreciates Sébastien Guarato. At first, I didn't really think about such a development, but it happened naturally. When we started winning races, we had to change the structure. Otherwise, I would have stayed at 40 horses whereas we currently have around 100. I have loyal customers and that's important to me. I like that they give me all their confidence. It is up to the coach to manage the work, the program. »

Bold Eagle was Sebastien Guarato's first major champion. Enjoy this report, to consume without moderation.

Mr President

And there is no doubt that he did not intervene when a certain Via Dolorosa was defending his colors on the Butte-Mortemart with success in a prestigious event, the President of the Republic Prize: "I don't was not because I was winning the Cherbourg Grand Prix that day with Cash and Go, Bold's own brother. It was funny because everyone congratulated me on the racecourse when I didn't even know the finish at Auteuil. »

Two years later, Sébastien Guarato is present for the President of the Republic in Vincennes, won by Flèche Bourbon. If a sixtieth victory in a French Group I seems difficult to envisage this Sunday on the occasion of the fifth American Prize of Billie de Montfort, this man of challenge will get down to preparing the new generations, helped in particular in this by his son Sixteen-year-old Adrien: “He was doing well at school but is now taking lessons remotely. He begins to train horses. We will try to make him win races this year. My youngest daughter, Lise, goes to CSO school in Deauville. She is doing an internship with Michel Hécard and has won a few competitions. She rides well and has a good approach to horses. My eldest son, Jérémy, is a salesman. “Probably that he inherited his father's sense of human relations, accessible in all circumstances: “I have to get on well with people. Above all, I was able to meet the right people who entrusted me with quality horses. I was a little lucky because there aren't many who come out of it at a decent level without being from the seraglio. »

Relive a report produced by the Equidia teams, in the intimacy of the two champions of Sébastien Guarato, Bold Eagle and Face Time Bourbon

Regularly during the interview carried out before the injury of Face Time Bourbon, Sébastien Guarato evokes the luck he encountered during his career but still it is necessary to know how to provoke it. Such a success is not only based on luck but above all on good doses of work and determination, a cocktail that will surely allow him to seek a fifth American dream in the coming years...