Willie Mullins denied as Auteuil card falls to strike action

Racing was abandoned at Auteuil on Sunday because of an industrial dispute between France Galop employees and trade union members.

France's signature jumps track was intending to hold an eight-race card that included two Grade Two contests, with Willie Mullins due to run Your Eyes Only in the Listed Wild Monarch Hurdle and Rachael Blackmore down for the ride.

But a dispute over wages led to a demonstration in the parade ring and an emergency meeting was called to try and resolve the situation before racing got under way, but that dialogue as well as further later talks were unsuccessful with the fixture subsequently abandoned.

James Reveley, the French champion jump jockey, had a busy book of rides and pointed out that the meeting was an important trial for the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris fixture held at the track in May.

“It’s very frustrating for me and for everybody, a lot of these trainers have come a long way,” he told Sky Sports Racing.

“We don’t really know when they’re going to run the meeting or whether it’s going to be later on in the week, but it requires so much organisation and it’s just really frustrating.

“You get used to it and in fairness I’ve been over here a while and you just have to deal with it, it’s a shame as there’s other ways of making things happen.

“I heard they’re wanting a four percent wage rise, I don’t know if that’s true but it is hard for people to make ends meet, I suppose, with inflation at the moment.

“Today was a big day with horses having their prep races for the big weekend, the top four-year-old chase was today and they won’t want to put it too far back or too close to the big meeting.”