Five Horses, Two Continents, One Meticulous Plan
Caullery Planning Across Borders For The Biggest Nights
From Chantilly to Meydan, five horses and one plan. When Nicolas Caullery saddles his runners on Super Saturday at Meydan, the Chantilly-based trainer will deploy King Gold, a Group One winner nearing his twilight, alongside Fort Payne, the dirt specialist who keeps defying the odds.
Tumbler, a former claimer reborn at Group level, adds depth to the squad, while fillies Piana and Riyabovka round out an international team learning their craft on the biggest stage. “We try to come to Dubai every winter because we like Meydan, and when you have results every year, you want to come back,” he says.
None of it works without teamwork. In Dubai, Caullery’s wife and assistant Marine Henry manages all five horses on the ground at Meydan, overseeing daily routines and even providing hands-on massage therapy to keep the runners comfortable and supple. When Caullery is back in France, it is Marine who runs the Dubai operation. “Without Marine, without the staff in Chantilly, the team is nothing,”
The Summer Blueprint Behind A Winter Campaign
Caullery’s Dubai planning begins in the French off-season. “We run all season, and with the results, we decide around July or August if we go to Dubai, whether we give them a break or try to buy another horse,” he explains. “My client likes to come to Dubai, so we try every year.” For his two flagbearers in the Gr.3 Burj Nahaar, King Gold and Fort Payne, the return was certain. “After a break, we knew we’d be back in 2026 because he likes both the dirt and the turf. For both of them, we knew we’d be back in 2026 if the shape was good.”
For Piana, the calculation differed. “The season for Piana was good, and she needs to take a little step to be really competitive. We try. If you don’t try, you never know.” Not every runner carries the same expectations. “The owner wanted to come for pleasure and enjoyment. That’s also the game. Sometimes the owner doesn’t do it for the money, he does it for the pleasure.” The appeal extends beyond racing. “When you live in Paris or the UK, in winter the weather is cold and raining. If you can go for a week or a couple of days to Dubai, it’s interesting for the winter. You can see other things also and enjoy time with the horses.”
Two Warriors, Two Styles, One Race
King Gold, the grey 9YO entire by Anodin out of Miss Gandelia, is owned and bred by Mme Christian Wingtans. He won the Gr.1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville in August 2023, the Gr.3 Prix de la Porte Maillot in three consecutive years and the Gr.3 Firebreak Stakes at Meydan in January 2025, defeating Laurel River.
Fort Payne, a 7YO by Rio De La Plata out of Lady Verde, bred by Mme Philippe Demercastel, won the Gr.3 Prix du Palais-Royal at Paris Longchamp in 2023, the Gr.3 Ras Al Khor on Meydan turf and the Gr.3 Burj Nahaar on dirt in March 2025.
“I work with breeders,” Caullery says. “I’ve had King Gold since he was a yearling. He was a good 2YO but had a little problem, so I stopped him for six months and brought him back step by step.”
“King Gold is a little bit lazy at the start on the dirt, like a snail, then he warms up step by step and finishes very strong. When the race is very fast, he likes that,” he says. “Fort Payne is a little bit the same, but he can stop better and take a better position. If you try to ride King Gold behind the leader, it’s not possible because he starts too lazily.”
He is candid about his ageing star. “Last year in that race, the pace was really fast, maybe too fast for Laurel River, and it was a comeback for him. But I think one year on, he’s a different horse. Last time I didn’t see the same fighter. Maybe now, at 9YO, maybe he has had his best days. But maybe it’s a little bit harder.” He adjusted the programme accordingly. “We ran in December, not after a big break, and we go now directly. He’s nine, and I don’t want to give him four races every month.”
The US$20,000 Claimer Who Found His Purpose
Tumbler, a Kingman gelding originally trained by Carlos Laffon-Parias, won his first two starts as a juvenile before his career stalled. Caullery claimed him at Compiegne for US$20,000 (€18,000). “He was a good horse at two. He won his first race and second race, but he was a special horse. If you don’t listen to him, he does things when he wants.
“I claimed him two months before the Dubai race, with a new owner. He came into my stable, went to Dubai, and won twice with a new owner, in new colours. It was an amazing moment.”
“In the big stable where he started his career, maybe the work was a little bit hard, and maybe he had some problems, and they put him in the claimer. He walks alone. Step by step, he came back.”
Caullery also rethought how Tumbler races. “We run him differently. We put him behind and give him ambition to finish.”
“Maybe at one moment in his career, he didn’t want to work, he wanted to stop, he didn’t like the job. I took him and gave him a chance. Now he loves working every day. We gave him a chance, we gave him love and attention, and he came back.
“The little things add up to big things. I don’t ride Tumbler, in Dubai it’s Marine who tries to do the best with him. In France it’s another rider. They try to listen and understand the horse. With that, we can do beautiful things.”
Tumbler finished third in the Gr.2 Al Fahidi Fort and represented France in the US$1,000,000 (AED3,670,000) Abu Dhabi Gold Cup. “I have entries in the Dubai Turf and the Godolphin Mile. I think he will go in the Dubai Turf.” His recent run served as preparation. “The race was not hard for him. He didn’t lose weight after the race. It was like a warm-up gallop.”
The Fillies And The Road Home
Piana, by Zelzal out of Restless, targets the UAE 1000 Guineas on turf after a chastening dirt debut. “Last time was her first race at Meydan and I tried the dirt, but it was a big surprise for her. She didn’t understand and didn’t improve,” Caullery admits. “I didn’t take the risk, so I came back to the turf.” The switch brings optimism. “The distance will be better over the mile. She’s beautiful, and she’s ready. I think we forget the last race and maybe we will see another performance, because the season is finished. If she can take a good start and settle in the middle, we can do a good thing for finishing.”
Riyabovka, who won the Prix Pistol Packer (Listed) at Saint-Cloud, arrived below peak fitness. “She’s a nice filly. The season was good, but the programme for fillies in France was not perfect last year. She had a little problem with her foot, not too bad, maybe she walked on a stone, but she ran well. Last time she wasn’t ready and still finished fourth. The first three had more fitness, but this race will be different. Now she’s ready, and the problem is finished.” Both Riyabovka and Piana will return to France afterwards. “Riyabovka goes back to France. Maybe she will run directly at Longchamp, or we will try another race for fillies in April. Piana will also go back to France after the 1000 Guineas.”
Respect The Horse And The Results Come Back
“If you want to be competitive every year, you need to respect the horse,” Caullery says. “If you respect the horse and the horse is good, the results come back. It’s not a secret. Every horse I’ve won with in Dubai, King Gold, Fort Payne, Tumbler, was an older horse.”
Seeking a third consecutive Super Saturday victory, Caullery channels a proverb from home. “In France, we say ‘never two without three.’ When you win twice, you can win the third time.”