It's hard not to notice François Lecanu when you go to a racecourse.
He is one of those "faces" who stand out from the crowd.
Long hair tied up, facial features certainly marked by the work outdoors, the professional does not go unnoticed in the midst of his colleagues.
"My atypical profile and my long hair are surely disturbing because it is the old school in this environment, but I am not ready to change", he loose with his outspokenness.
“I'm starting from scratch so I can count myself happy to be part of the ship,” he continues.
I am ready to win races, but not at any cost.
In this environment, it is difficult to succeed without coming from the seraglio when you come from nowhere.
That's the game. "
Source Parci.free.fr/
"Bruno (Marie) started from nothing, like me, and gave a chance to those who wanted to succeed"
The 36-year-old driver, whom nothing predestined for this profession, took his first steps at the end of the 90s with Michel Feuillet, for whom he rode every morning for three years without ever settling in the sulky.
“A good jockey makes a good driver,” his apprentice master told him.
Then comes an experience with Thierry Duvaldestin.
“I learned the job but I didn't like this structure,” he explains.
After two years without taking any real pleasure, he finally puts his bags down with Mr. Thevenet, at the head of a company on a human scale, where he won his first races.
Before joining Bruno Marie who will allow him to reveal himself.
“Bruno started from scratch and gave those who wanted to succeed a chance.
He was like me or Emmanuel Allard, with whom I worked.
In total, I worked four years for him but it was the equivalent of double because we never stopped.
It may sound harsh but there was the carrot at the end.
We ran a lot and we made a good living because Bruno gave us our percentages.
"
Following this experience which propelled him to the front of the stage, the person concerned tried his luck as a trainer: "I had good results but I preferred to stop this activity because I was not well enough installed. to do a good job.
The man from Calvados then found himself in contact with Stéphane Provoost, for whom he won 110 races, including a few with the good Tiger Danover or even Ursa Major and Theo Crown.
François Lecanu was somewhat nostalgic for these good years: “We had a professional conscience.
We could help each other with colleagues.
There was a form of conviviality too.
I do not always find it today.
”An element that he has completely lost in recent weeks with the Covid crisis.
“We run and we go home,” he laments.
Sharing with owners, turfists or other professionals is the charm of our activity.
"
Source LeTrot.com/
"Between the agents and the danger which hangs over the races of province, it will not be easy"
An activity that he carried out smoothly.
François Lecanu has 761 successes.
It was running at an average of 70 during the last four years, excluding 2019. On paper, the last exercise was nevertheless less good (50 successes in 2020).
“Stopping the races was a big blow,” he explains.
I mainly drive in the provinces, and as this category has been in difficulty for many months, I have not achieved my quota of success.
Finally, with two months less, my season was not so bad.
“By analyzing his results, we see that half of his victories have been acquired for Bruno Marie and Stéphane Provoost (325 for the two coaches).
The rest is divided into a multitude of trainers (more than a hundred).
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Regarding his future, the driver approaches him with fear but remains optimistic: “Between the agents and the danger that hangs over provincial races, it will not be easy.
Now, I think that many coaches know my qualities.
The best way to exist is to win races.
A victory on Sunday with Fakir du Lorault in the Prix de Belgique would therefore be welcome.
GRAND PRIX OF BELGIUM
"It's our last chance" with Fakir du Lorault
“I was associated with this horse because Anthony Barrier could no longer lead it due to his commitments for a big team.
Very quickly, I made it clear to those around him that he had no idea of the horse's potential.
Over time, his analysis was confirmed and Fakir de Lorault found himself among the elite of his generation.
Throughout the year 2020, the entourage of the horse goes through all the emotions.
After a good season in the Grand National du Trotting, he found himself at the start of the qualifying races for the Prix d'Amérique.
“He has improved handling all season.
It is above all a shame not to have managed to qualify in Qualif 1. We failed at the foot of the podium, and after that we ran a lot without reaching our goal.
There was this fall in the Bourbonnais and lastly, the horse did not understand the change of tactics.
He was conditioned to wait and when I got to the front lines he hit the road and logically broke down to finish.
"
The tactics will therefore be different this time. “We're going to be less offensive. But the goal is obviously to finish on the podium. This is our last chance for this year to be from America. "
