€1 million
The yard wins €1 million in a year in prize money and premiums for the first time.
Chantilly, Oise, France
Welcome toÉcurie Gavin Hernon
Training horses in the heart of French racing
With deep roots in the horse racing industry, it was only natural that Gavin would fall in love with thoroughbreds. He grew up on his family’s stud farm in Co. Cork, in the south of Ireland, and decided at sixteen that training was what he wanted to do, and that France was where he wanted to do it.
I decided at sixteen that training was what I wanted to do, and that France was where I wanted to do it.
Gavin HernonTrainer
The string
Our standout performers
Agualeto
Agualeto, a €5k purchase, winning the Listed Coupe de Marseille before being sold for €320k at the Arc Sale.
Dare to Dream
Dare to Dream wins the G3 Prix Vanteaux at Paris Longchamp.
Flighty Lady
Flighty Lady breaks her maiden in the prestigious Prix Falaise, Deauville, before going on to finish third in the Prix Marcel Boussac G1.
Goldino Bello
Goldino Bello wins a Quinté and takes his career earnings to €200,000.
Icefinger
Gavin winning his first race with Icefinger in Deauville.
La Ceiba
La Ceiba wins a Quinté in Chantilly.
Marharry
Marharry wins a Quinté at Longchamp.
National Service
National Service wins the G3 Prix Paul de Moussac Longines at Chantilly.
Pyramide
Pyramide wins a Quinté in Saint-Cloud.
Spirit d’Or
Spirit d’Or wins the €250k Tattersalls Super Sales Stakes at The Curragh.
Stormbringer
Stormbringer wins the Listed Prix Hampton at Chantilly.
Tuesdays Gone
Tuesdays Gone wins on debut at Saint-Cloud, gaining Jour de Galop’s rising star and the €20k Arqana bonus.
Highlights from the yard at Écurie Gavin Hernon.
About Gavin
Gavin Hernon
After a degree in International Commerce with French from University College Dublin, Gavin embarked on a learning experience that saw him work with some of the world’s best trainers, including André Fabre (FR), Jim Bolger (IRE), Graham Motion (USA), Nicholas Clément (FR) and Ed Dunlop (UK). This experience enabled him to work with some top-class horses including Teofilo, New Approach, Lush Lashes, New Bay, Flintshire and Irish War Cry, to name a few.
Gavin met his wife, Alice, in 2015 when she joined him on his world adventure, also gaining experience working with multiple different trainers. In 2023 she qualified as an equine massage therapist and Magnawave practitioner, enabling her to bring a hands-on aspect to the training routine and ensuring each horse feels its best before heading to the races.
- Languages
- English, French
- Base
- Chantilly, France
- Licence
- Flat, since 2018
- First winner
- Icefinger, Deauville 2018
“I strive to get the very best from every horse that walks into the stable.”
The yard
3 Chemin des AiglesGouvieux, at Les Aigles
At the end of autumn 2021 Team Hernon settled into the base of recently retired master Alain de Royer-Dupré. The yard has fifty-five boxes, turnout pens, a horse walker, a quarantine barn, grazing and direct access to the training tracks of Les Aigles.
The training centre of Chantilly lets a horse reach its maximum potential. In the heart of the forest: one hundred and twenty hectares of grass tracks, one hundred and forty-five kilometres of sand, two fibre sand tracks and a woodchip track. We also school on Chantilly racecourse, an essential education for young horses.
01
55 boxes
A full training yard with the space to keep every horse settled and correctly housed.
02
Sand pen
A sand pen for horses to have a lovely roll after training.
03
Horse walker
A controlled walk to loosen, recover and keep a horse moving without adding strain.
04
Quarantine barn
A separate barn for new arrivals, so the rest of the string stays protected.
05
Grazing
An area in the yard that allows horses to get their heads down and graze.
06
Les Aigles
Direct access to the world-famous training tracks, a few metres from the boxes.
120ha
Grass tracks
145km
Sand tracks
2
Fibre sand tracks
1
Woodchip tracks
French racehorse ownership
France is one of the best places in the world to own a racehorse
Prize-money, facilities, the history of racing patronage and the well-run nature of the industry combine for genuine results. The yard is half an hour from Charles de Gaulle, Paris is a twenty-five minute train ride, and the journey from the Eurotunnel is straightforward, so visiting your horses and taking in a raceday is easy.
The average race value sits just under €25,000, which makes it feasible for horses to cover their yearly training fees through prize-money. France Galop also pays a premium to owners of horses born and bred in France, and contributes up to €3,000 in transport fees to and from the races, per horse, each year.
€25kAverage race value, making yearly training fees realistic to cover
75%Owners premium for French-bred 2- and 3-year-olds
45%Owners premium for horses aged four and over
€3kTransport support to and from the races, per horse, per year
Owners premiums
A French-bred winner, paid twice
Premium paid to owners of horses born and bred in France, or similar. It is a percentage of the prize-money (excluding premiums), paid from 1st to 5th in a race, and where applicable 6th and 7th. The rate is 75% for 2- and 3-year-olds, and 45% for horses aged 4 and over.
Total prize-money
€52,000
Winner’s share
€24,440
Owners premium
€18,330
Combined return
€42,770
A three-year-old, born in France, winning a Quinté. The owners premium is 75% of the winner’s prize-money.
Contact
Get in touch today
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to arrange a visit or you are interested in purchasing a share in one of our racehorses. We are half an hour from Charles de Gaulle, and transport from the airport can be arranged. Paris is a twenty-five minute train ride, and getting to Chantilly from the Eurotunnel is straightforward.
- Yard
- Écurie Gavin Hernon
3 Chemin des Aigles, 60270 Gouvieux, France - Telephone
- +33 (0)6 21 56 07 83
- Website
- gavinhernon.com
- Visits
- Yard visits by appointment. Transport from all Paris airports can be arranged.