Dubai: Dubai World Cup-winning jockey Christophe Soumillon has pledged to donate his winnings during the Craven Meeting in England to the rehabilitation of the ill-fated Notre Dame Cathedral in France.
The Belgian-born rider, who boasted he is “French at heart” on his twitter account said he was “touched” by the worldwide support for the seminal building, which was ravaged by a devastating fire on Tuesday evening that left nothing but skeletal remains.
“French at heart, I feel very touched and I will donate my winnings from the week to contribute to the reconstruction effort. Bravo to the Paris Pompiers!” Soumillon tweeted.
The 10-time champion jockey, who won a historic second Dubai World Cup for Godolphin’s Saeed Bin Surour aboard Thunder Snow at Meydan last month, is booked to ride several exciting prospects for the renowned Emirati trainer at Newmarket Racecourse in England this week.
“It’s a wonderful gesture by Christophe,” said Bin Surour. “Calamities like these touch people’s hearts.”
Meanwhile, Edouard de Rothschild, President of France Galop, horse racing’s governing body in the country, announced that the Prix du President de la Republique — the biggest handicap chase in the calendar, which headlines Easter Sunday’s card at Auteuil — would be renamed the Prix de Notre Dame de Paris for the day. Additionally all wagering profits will be routed to the national fund established to help pay for the cathedral’s reconstruction.
