François Rohaut is one of the most enthusiastic trainers in France, whose love for the horses in his yard goes way beyond the daily care, writes Liz Price.
In fact, only recently he moved heaven and earth to find a suitable home for retired Signs Of Blessing, his top sprinter who had won the 2016 Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest and who had been a regular at Royal Ascot where he had come within half a length of lifting the Diamond Jubilee Stakes.
“He’s left a big whole in our yard,” said an emotional François Rohaut. “He was such a character and such a loyal horse. Thankfully we found him a really nice home.”
Based in Pau, Rohaut is currently preparing the Deauville August meeting, which he targets with a large number of horses, including some of his many two-year-olds.
Travels across the Channel are also planned and not just to the upcoming Qatar Goodwood Festival, where he is hoping to lift the Group 1 PA Qatar International Stakes for the second year running, but also to Newbury, where he is hoping to have a runner in the Hungerford Stakes.