FRENCH CONNECTIONS GETS LEMARIE TRAINING BREAKTHROUGH

SATURDAY: September 7, 2024: ALEX Lemarie wasn’t even born when Show County won the 1988 Breeders’ Plate (1000m) at Royal Randwick on debut.

But the expat Frenchman knew about the former classy Sydney sprinter before a horse with the same name gave him an important breakthrough success at yesterday’s Wyong Cup meeting.

The “French “connection” was to the fore when the new Show County ($6.50) won the Midway 4YO & Up Maiden Plate (1350m) at his fourth start.

French born but Barbados raised Louis Beuzelin rode vigorously to lift Show County over the line from Classic Poetry ($3.40 favorite) and $61 bolter Hoo Haa.

Lemaire, 32, rode over both the jumps and on the flat in France and also was an assistant trainer in his native country before emigrating to Australia in 2017 on a sponsorship visa.

Understandably, he was never aware of the old Show County, who was trained at Warwick Farm by Max Wiggins and ridden by Brian Wood and raced in the Doyle family colors, until given that horse’s namesake to train.

“I did some research and found out what a good sprinter he was,” Lemarie said today.

Along with the Breeders’ Plate, Show County’s other wins included the Silver Slipper Stakes, Skyline Stakes, San Domenico Stakes and Challenge Stakes.

He won 12 of his 27 starts, and the Group 3 Show County Quality, held annually and won recently at Royal Randwick by the brilliant Joliestar, is named after him.

Lemarie got his Show County to train in rather unusual circumstances.

“He was initially trained by Annabel Neasham but didn’t race for her, and we got to know the horse as my wife and I have a small spelling farm at Richmond Lowlands,” he explained.

“It’s only 10 minutes’ drive to Hawkesbury racecourse.

“When the horse’s managing owner passed away, some of the other owners didn’t want to keep paying to have him trained in town and one of them bought him online for $1200 to dissolve the syndicate.

“They gave him to me, so it was fantastic to get my first winner with him.”

The now four-year-old (by Showtime) has pulled up well, and Lemarie will look for another suitable race for him in the coming weeks.

This is Lemarie’s second time around in his fledgling training career.

“I looked after a lot of the good Godolphin horses when I first came to Australia, and then worked with Ed Cummings at Hawkesbury, and looked after his triple Group 1 winner Duais,” he said.

“I got an owner-trainer’s licence initially and had five starters in 2021, and then RacingNSW upgraded my licence at the start of last season when I got permanent residence.

“Since then I have had only seven starters, and four of them have been with Show County.

“Whilst he is in racing trim, I’ve got a nice little team with a few three-year-olds and six two-year-olds.”