Cedric Rossi | Horse Racing Free Tips

After Some Hurdles, Seven-Figure Filly Rougir Begins Full-Time U.S. Residency

Few things can dump cold water on the seven-figure purchase of a racing prospect like finding out the horse's previous trainer has been arrested for doping.

Thoroughbred Daily News reports that the partnership of Peter Brant and Coolmore discovered this first-hand, following the 3-million Euro (about $3.3 million) purchase of French Group 1 winner Rougir at last year's Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale. On his own, Brant also bought the French Group 1-placed Speak of the Devil for 1.95 million Euros (about $2.2 million) at the Arqana sale.

Three days after the fall of the hammer, Rougir and Speak of the Devil's former trainer, Cedric Rossi, was among several in his family arrested in connection to a horse doping probe.

Going into the sale, Rougir was a high-level runner in Europe, having won the Group 1 Prix de l'Opera Longines and G3 Prix des Reservoirs in her native France. She had most recently traveled overseas to compete in last year's Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf, where she finished seventh for owner Le Haras de La Gousserie. Having her trainer under suspicion for cheating would understandably cast doubt over the legitimacy of those performances, and in turn, the expensive purchase.

However, Brant said both of his purchases have jumped through every testing hoop. Had they not, or if the horses' records were damaged by anything pertaining to Rossi's arrest, Brant said he and the Coolmore partners had discussed contingency plans with the auction company.

“We were assured these horses were not involved in this thing,” Brant told TDN. “We had all sorts of tests taken on these horses. Samples were sent to Germany. They checked out very well. We were led to believe that these horses were not part of the investigation, that they checked out very well.”

Rougir and Speak of the Devil have been moved to the Florida-based barn of trainer Chad Brown, with short-term and long-term targets in New York turf graded stakes races.

Rougir Now in U.S. and Brant Confident Purchase Will Work Out

Just three days after he and partner Michael Tabor spent €3 million on Group I winning filly Rougir (Fr) (Territories {Ire}) at the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale, owner Peter Brant got a most unwelcome surprise. Rougir's trainer, Cedric Rossi, was arrested Dec. 7 as part of a probe into equine doping that also involved two other members of the Rossi family, Frederic and Charley.

That brought into question whether or not he and his partners had purchased a horse whose successes on the racetrack were, at least in part, the result of the use of performance-enhancing drugs. But Brant said Monday that he is confident that Rougir and another Rossi horse he purchased at Arqana, Speak of the Devil (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), were not involved in the doping campaign the Rossi family is alleged to have been part of.

“We were assured these horses were not involved in this thing,” Brant said. “We had all sorts of tests taken on these horses. Samples were sent to Germany. They checked out very well. We were led to believe that these horses were not part of the investigation, that they checked out very well.”

Rougir won the G3 Prix des Reservoirs in 2020 before launching a 2021 campaign that included a win in the Oct. 3 G1 Prix de l'Opera Longines. She was most recently seventh in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. The €3-million price tag was the most paid for any horse at any of the European breeding stock sales in 2021.

Speak of the Devil, who was trained by Frederic Rossi, is the winner of four listed stakes, including the final two starts of her career. Purchased solely by Brant, she went for €1,950,000.

American owners Lael Stable also bought a pricey Rossi horse at Arqana, purchasing the 2-year-old Purplepay (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}), who was also trained by Cedric Rossi and who sold for €2 million.

Despite his belief that his purchases raced drug-free, Brant admitted that he was concerned after learning of the arrest of the Rossis.

“I obviously don't like the situation,” Brant said. “You don't want to buy a horse and then find out a few days later that there was a sting. That's not exactly what we were expecting.”

Brant said that he and the Coolmore team went back to Arqana officials after the news of the arrests broke to explore their options. He said a confidential agreement was reached in which Arqana made certain concessions to protect their investment.

“[Arqana] made certain guarantees to us so far as whatever credentials these horses had would remain and that if anybody took them away then that would change things,” he said. “Arqana was very responsible. They dealt with the sellers and they bridged us together and we made an agreement we all felt safe with. We were given assurances that our investment was safe.

“Did we ever say we wanted our money back? We said we wanted certain guarantees or else we would like the sales canceled. We also evaluated what our legal position was and we just decided that this was best way to go about it.”

The two Brant purchases have arrived in Florida and are stabled with Chad Brown. Brant said Rougir will likely go next in either the GIII Beaugay S. or the GII New York S. The GI Just a Game S. is a possible goal for Speak of the Devil, he said.

Charley Rossi's wife, the jockey Jessica Marcialis, was also arrested.

Cedric Rossi was also the trainer of GI QIPCO Champion S. winner Sealiway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}).

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Sealiway Joins Graffard

G1 Champion S. winner Sealiway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}), whose trainer Cedric Rossi was indicted by French police last week for equine doping and fraud, will join trainer Francis Graffard. Sealiway is among 200 horses on their way to new yards after Rossi and family members Charley and Frederic Rossi and Jessica Marcialis, as well as a stable manager and veterinarian, were forbidden by police to participate in racing or be on the grounds of a racetrack or training centre during the indictment, which could last as long as a year.

Raced by the Chehboub family's Haras de la Gousserie in partnership with breeder Guy Pariente, Sealiway was trained by Frederic Rossi when he won last year's G1 Prix Jean Luc Lagardere and when second to St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club in June. Transfered to Cedric Rossi in August, Sealiway was a good fifth in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe off a layoff before winning Ascot's Champion S. The G1 Saudi Cup has been cited as an early season target for Sealiway's 4-year-old campaign.

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JDG: Who Gets The Rossi Horses?

Around 200 horses formerly trained by Frederic, Cedric and Charley Rossi will need to be relocated from their Calas training stable in Marseille after their indictment Thursday, when a judge in Aix-en-Provence banned the three from any participation or presence in racing and training for the duration of the indictment. The Jour de Galop reports in their Saturday edition that some decisions on the futures of those horses have already been made.

The three Rossis, along with a veterinarian, a stable manager, and Charley's wife Jessica Marcialis, a jockey, were brought in after a two-month investigation into possible race-fixing and doping in their operation, based at the Calas training centre in Marseille, France.

The most famous and successful in question is Sealiway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}), the winner of the G1 QIPCO Champion S. who may be pointed to the Saudi Cup next, and will go to an as-yet-to-be determined trainer in Chantilly, Kamel Chehboub told the JDG. Skazino (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}), second in the G1 Prix Royal Oak, will stay in Marseille, but will be shifted to trainer Richard Chotard, the JDG reports. They quote Jean-Claude Seroul as saying his three fillies with Frederic Rossi are on their way to Jerome Reynier. Mangoustine (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) the winner of the G3 Prix Miesque for Franco-American basketball star Tony Parker, will head to Mikel Delzangles at Chantilly, the JDG reports. Miguel Castro Megias has five horses with Charley Rossi, all of which will go to Chantilly at the end of the week, also to an undetermined trainer, the paper says, while they report that Michel Delaunay, who has 10 horses with Charley Rossi, has not yet made a decision on where his horses will go.

Ten horses were seized during the raid, and the JDG asked the Aix-en-Provence court what might happen to them, and was told that their owners may request their return from the investigating judge in the case.

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