World Cup winner and horse owner Antoine Griezmann has his first ever runner in the UK on Friday when HOOKING heads to Newcastle for All Weather Finals day.
Antoine Griezmann Horse Heads To Newcastle On Good Friday
Hooking, owned by the Atletico Madrid star will go to post in the BetUK All-Weather Easter Classic Middle Distance Handicap on Friday.
The eight-year-old arrives at Newcastle in top form after two solid wins at Listed level at Cagnes-Sur-Mer in France.
Not only will it be the first time that Griezmann has a runner in the UK, but it will also be a first for trainer Philippe Decouz, who is operating at a 33% strike rate in the last two weeks.
Griezmann has been an owner of Hooking since 2017, and has been part of the journey ever since with the son of Lope De Vega winning 11 times in 39 races.
The Frenchman has been involved in racing for a few years now, running a breeding operation on the side of his footballing career among other things. His biggest success to date was when Txope won the German 1000 Guineas in 2022.
Trainer Decouz was speaking on his horse’s chances: “Hooking is in top form. The race at Newcastle was a logical choice following his winter program. He doesn’t go on heavy ground and so there is not a race for him in France at the moment. This race at Newcastle is a handicap and the timing is perfect.
“His preparation has gone smoothly and he will be running on his preferred surface and distance. We are hoping there will be pace in the race. This is a first runner in the UK for his owner Antoine Griezmann and also for me. It is a great challenge”.
And the stats could favour Hooking on Friday, with French raiders boasting an impressive record on All-Weather Finals Day, with six winners from 26 runners. However, a French horse is yet to win this contest.
Keep an eye out on Friday as the Antoine Griezmann horse goes in the 16:10pm race at Newcastle.
