‘Nobody Knows Me But Everybody Knows Urban Sea’: Jean Lesbordes Recalls The Extraordinary Mare

On the day of this year's French Guineas, Jean Lesbordes perused the runners in the paddock for the Prix de la Seine, made his way to the stands to watch the race, and then back to the winner's enclosure for another look at the victrix Hidden Dimples (Ire), a daughter of Frankel (GB).

Thirty years earlier, Lesbordes had a much stronger connection to the winner of the same race. He was her trainer and the filly's name was Urban Sea. The fact that her name appears in the third generation of the pedigree of Hidden Dimples will come as no surprise to anyone who has followed the progress of that great mare. It is an understatement to say that Urban Sea's influence has been profound; she is arguably the most significant matriarch of the modern era. Without her there would be no Galileo (Ire), and therefore no Frankel (GB). No Sea The Stars (Ire), who would come to emulate his mother by winning the race for which she is best remembered of her seven stakes victories, the 1993 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. 

It is at Epsom that Urban Sea's legacy runs the deepest, however. When Sea The Stars followed his half-brother Galileo by winning the Derby in 2009, the guest of honour that day was trainer/breeder Arthur Budgett, whose broodmare Windmill Girl (GB) had been the last mare before Urban Sea to produce two Derby winners, starting 40 years earlier with Blakeney (GB) and followed four years later by Morston (GB). 

It doesn't end there, of course. Galileo is now the sire of five Derby winners and grandsire of another two. One of those, Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), has Urban Sea on both sides of his pedigree as his third dam Melikah (Ire) (Lammtarra) is one of her four daughters, three of whom are now black-type producers themselves.

Sea The Stars, too, has sired the Derby winner Harzand (Ire) as well as Oaks winner Taghrooda (Ire), and he has the favourite for this year's Oaks in Emily Upjohn (GB). Nine of the top 10 in the betting for the Derby are all sons or grandsons of Galileo. Of the horses remaining in both Epsom Classics this weekend, 14 of the 18 potential Derby runners have Urban Sea in their pedigree, as do seven of 12 in the Oaks, not to mention 11 of 18 for Sunday's Prix du Jockey Club.

The Prix de la Seine of May 31, 1992 was really just the start for Urban Sea, certainly as far as the racing public was concerned. Though she had won an October maiden as a 2-year-old, this Listed contest was her first black-type victory, having finished third in the G2 German 1,000 Guineas on her previous start. For Lesbordes, however, it was really just the affirmation of a feeling he had had about Urban Sea ever since he first saw and fell in love with the chestnut daughter of Miswaki and Allegretta (GB) as a yearling at Marc de Chambure's Haras d'Etreham.

Everybody could ride her, even the girls who came to help at my stable on a Sunday. She was so straightforward. In our stable her name was 'La Mule'.

In partnership with Michel Henochsberg and Maurice Legasse, de Chambure bred Urban Sea at Denali Stud in Kentucky under their shared name of Marystead Farm. Her dam Allegretta, from a family with its roots deep in Germany's outstanding nursery Gestut Schlenderhan, was no one-horse wonder at stud. Her later foals included the 2,000 Guineas winner King's Best (Kingmambo) and G3 Prix de Flore winner Allez Les Trois (Riverman), who went on to produce the Prix du Jockey Club winner Anabaa Blue (GB) (Anabaa), but none would leave their imprint on the breed in the manner of Urban Sea. 

“In the beginning I chose her on pedigree because she was by Miswaki and I remember when I went to Keeneland I saw Mr Prospector and I loved him,” says Lesbordes, who bought the yearling filly for FF280,000 (circa €33,000).

“I saw her in the stud, a grand-daughter of Mr Prospector, and I just felt that everything was right. That was just before the August Sale. When I saw her, I don't know why, but something about her spoke to me. So when she came to Deauville I said, 'this one is for me'.”

That first important decision made, Urban Sea returned to the Chantilly stable of Lesbordes, whose passion for horses was sparked by attending the races with his father in Bordeaux, close to where he grew up. From stints on a stud farm while still studying, he worked for several trainers before eventually training in his own right in the south-west of France, including a successful period with jumpers in Pau.

“I had some results so I ended up moving to Chantilly,” he explains of his journey north in 1986. “My ambition was to win every type of Classic, and the horses who weren't good enough for Classics could go jumping. On the Flat I didn't want to run in handicaps.”

Bar one period when the number of horses in his stable rose to around 60, Lesbordes usually trained around 25 horses. Urban Sea was one of 20 horses purchased for a single owner.

“I bought Urban Sea for a Japanese owner with a big string in France,” he explains. “I bought her in August and then by February the Japanese owner had a financial crash.”

Faced with the prospect of losing the horses, Lesbordes was fortuitously introduced to Hong Kong businessman David Tsui through a mutual acquaintance, and Tsui, originally in partnership with a friend, ended up buying the entire group. 

“Our friendship has continued for more than 30 years,” says Lesbordes. He remains closely connected to the Tsui family and was present at Longchamp for the Arc victory of their homebred Sea The Stars, who raced in the colours of David and Ling Tsui's son Christopher. 

That year was a momentous one. Urban Sea died from complications after foaling her final son, Born To Sea (Ire), in March 2009. Come April, Sea the Stars started his extraordinary romp, month after month, through six Group 1 races: the 2,000 Guineas, Derby, Eclipse, Juddmonte International, Irish Champion Stakes, and finally the Arc itself. 

It is easy to see how Lesbordes is so strongly attached to his clear favourite of Urban Sea's offspring. It was not, however, instantly obvious to the trainer that he had a future champion on his hands when Sea The Stars's mother first entered training. In fact,  Urban Sea was given a nickname that is certainly not befitting of her now-legendary status. 

“In the stable at the beginning she was the easiest to ride,” he recalls. “Everybody could ride her as a yearling, even the girls who came to help at my stable on a Sunday. She was so straightforward. In our stable her name was 'La Mule'.

“My son Clement started to ride her and when she started to work she was fantastic. As a 2-year-old she had a little issue  with her fetlock so we had to stop. But it was no problem and then she ran later at two and won the second time she ran at Maisons-Laffitte. She was very easy to train. She was asleep most of the time, but every time we showed her something she picked it up no problem.”

In my life as a trainer only three times I said 'I will win'. Three times. And the Arc was one of them.

It is this equable temperament that Lesbordes says he believes has been key to the success not just of Urban Sea but of her offspring. Of her 11 foals, nine raced, eight of which were black-type winners, four of those at the highest level. Certainly in assessing the phenomenal success Ballydoyle has had with Galileo, Aidan O'Brien refers regularly to the strength of his temperament and to that of his offspring. 

Sea The Stars had the same character,” says Lesbordes, who ceased training a handful of years after Urban Sea retired from racing as a 5-year-old. He later spent eight years working for the Paris-Turf.

“He started in training when I was working as a journalist so I had more opportunity to follow him. I saw Sea The Stars for the first time at Epsom for the Derby and when he came into the parade ring he was so quiet, almost asleep, just the same. Urban Sea gave him this disposition.

“It's incredible because all of her produce were fantastic. When you have a horse like Galileo you think that is pretty special, but then after that you have Sea The Stars. Incredible. Then there were the good fillies, and now they are all good producers, too.”

For Lesbordes, though the memories of Urban Sea are are still fresh decades later, they come with a bittersweet edge. His son Clement, her daily exercise rider who was 20 at the time of the mare's Arc victory, was killed in a cycling accident four years later. He had accompanied Urban Sea on her many trips abroad, to Japan, Hong Kong, England, Germany, Canada and America, with that road once travelled so happily together coming to the most tragically abrupt ending.

“I remember everything about Urban Sea,” says Lesbordes, now 76 and still resident in Chantilly. 

He adds wistfully, “Nobody knows me but everybody knows Urban Sea. When I am finished Urban Sea will always be remembered. For me, it is extra special as my son took Urban Sea everywhere. It was magic.”

Of the most magical of all those days, he says, “I felt sure she would win the Arc. I was sure. I don't know why. In my life as a trainer only three times I said 'I will win'. Three times. And the Arc was one of them. 

“On the day of the Arc I was quite nervous and I saw one of the breeders of Urban Sea, Michel Henochsberg. The race just before the Arc, Verveine (Lear Fan) won the Prix de l'Opera and Urban Sea had beaten her in Deauville in August. In the stables, Michel Henochsberg said to me 'C'est dommage'.

“I remember at the time it felt like a knife in the heart. But after the Arc it was not a shame at all!”

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Record Median Brings Solid Start To December Sale

NEWMARKET, UK–William Haggas will be the recipient of the full-brother to his erstwhile stable star Sea Of Class (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) after Ling Tsui went to 240,000gns through John Clarke to add the June-born youngster to her racing string for 2022.

Bred by the Botti family's Razza del Velino from the stellar producer Holy Moon (Ire) (Hernando {Fr}), lot 30 was consigned through Oak Lodge & Springfield House Stud. In addition to Sea Of Class, his half-siblings include three winners of the Oaks d'Italia in Charity Line (Ire), Final Score (Ire) and Cherry Collect (Ire).

“Sea Of Class was a late May foal, so we hope we can do the same again. Time will tell,” said Clarke after outbidding Jane Chapple-Hyam for the colt. 

“He will eventually go to William Haggas but we will probably take him back to Ireland first to give him a bit of time to mature. He is an athletic horse but he is still quite a baby. Ling Tsui is absolutely thrilled, she had so much success with Sea Of Class.”

The Tattersalls December Yearling sale brought the curtain down on the lengthy European yearling season with a new record median price for the sale of 27,000gns (+35%) and the second-highest turnover recorded at this auction. The tally of 5,067,500gns was up by 27% on last year with 23 more horses sold this time. That was accrued from the sale of 145 horses of the 164 put through the ring for a slightly improved clearance rate of 88%. The average of 34,948gns was up by 7%.

With a dark day on Tuesday ahead of the start of the December Foal Sale, a strong start to a fortnight of trading at Tattersalls bodes well for the four days of weanlings followed by another four days of fillies and mares next week.

Invincible's army 

A full-sibling to another Group 1 winner, this time the Prix Morny and Middle Park S. winner Shalaa (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), was the leading filly of the day at 150,000gns. Originally offered during Book 1 of the October Sale and bought back at 200,000gns by her breeders Mark and Aisling Gittins, the daughter of Ghurra (War Chant) took the fancy of agent Mark McStay and trainer Hugo Palmer when passing through the ring as lot 22.

“When you've purchased a full-sister to a champion you have to be pretty excited and she's a lovely filly,” McStay said. “The mare has obviously done it and the filly is very athletic with huge residual value. It takes quite a lot for us to spec a filly at that level but thankfully we've already had someone interested in taking a share.”

Palmer, who trains the filly's 2-year-old half-sister Nova Legend (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) for Bon Ho, added, “She's done so well since the October Sale. She's quite a late foal and I think the hard thing for people trying to sell horses is that it's a snapshot in a young horse's life. She has really improved since October and I think she will keep improving. As Mark said, she's a full-sister to a champion and Shalaa was a hell of a horse.”

Three of the top seven lots sold on the day were all yearlings by the Irish National Stud's Invincible Spirit, with Shadwell's smartly-bred filly out of the G3 City of York S. winner Talaayeb (GB) (Dansili {GB}) having been bought to go breezing by Mick Murphy of Longways Stables for 120,000gns. A fourth-generation descendant of Sheikh Hamdan's key foundation mare Height Of Fashion (Fr), lot 136 can boast black-type winners as her first four dams.

The sole colt by Invincible Spirit (lot 77) also owns an impressive pedigree as a half-brother to rising young stallion and G1 Prix Jean Prat winner Zelzal (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) as well as the G3 Prix Chloe victrix Ibiza (Fr) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}). Offered by The Castlebridge Consignment on behalf of breeders Viktor Tymoshenko and Andrey Milovanov, who will be retaining a share in the June-foaled colt, he was knocked down in the ring for 100,000gns to agent Tina Rau and trainer Nicolas Clement.

She said, “It's a family I know well. Nicolas Clement trained the half-sister Ibiza and Zelzal, and Zelzal is one of the most exciting young stallions in France. You couldn't really fault the mare's produce record. He's just a lovely little horse, he's quite babyish, but he was born in June. He's athletic and seems to have a good head on him for such a young horse. I'm chuffed to have got him.”

On the hunt for the next Audarya

The recently retired dual Group 1 winner Audarya (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is a hard act to follow but her owner Alison Swinburn has already made several yearling purchases this season through her agent and advisor Anthony Stroud and added two to her string on Monday at Tattersalls. 

Close to the end of the sale, Stroud, signed for the Shadwell-consigned Teofilo (Ire) filly (lot 198) out of the listed-placed dual winner Dubai Fashion (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Another to hail from the family of Height Of Fashion (Fr), she brought the hammer down at 135,000gns. 

Confirming that the grand-daughter of G2 Premio Ribot winner Oriental Fashion (Ire) (Marju {Ire}) would be trained, like Audarya, by James Fanshawe, Stroud said, “She's going to need a bit of time but she is a very easy-moving filly.”

Earlier in the day, the same team had signed for lot 78, a colt from the second crop of  Churchill (Ire), for 33,000gns.

A few minutes prior to the Teofilo filly's sale, one of the best pinhooks of the day  (lot 192) was secured by the Hanly family of Ballyhimikin Stud, who sold a New Bay (GB) colt for 125,000gns to Peter Doyle. The son of the French listed winner Crossover (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) had been bought for 26,000gns as a foal by Jack Hanly and will now go into training in Epsom with Jim Boyle for owners Paul Taylor and Richard Dwyer.

Pinhookers in play

The breeze-up pinhookers were still out in force on Monday, with Tom Whitehead adding a well-bred son of the late Shamardal to his Powerstown Stud team for next spring. 

Lot 138 was another from the Shadwell draft and is out of the G3 Prix Ris-Orangis winner Thawaany (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}), herself a half-sister to the St Leger and Grand Prix de Paris winner Kew Gardens (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). 

Whitehead, who had to go to 92,000gns to secure the colt, said, “Pedigrees like this don't come on the market very often. He looks a type to breeze–he's strong and he looks like Shamardal.”

A filly from the first crop of the Breeders' Cup Mile winner Expert Eye (GB) caught the eye of pinhookers Willie Browne and Jim McCartan in the walking ring and she is likely to return for the Craven Breeze-up in April after being bought for 85,000gns.

“She wasn't on the list,” Browne admitted. “I only pulled her out in the back ring, and I was blown away when I saw her. She's the first I've had by the sire but he was a good racehorse, and she is such a good walker. We genuinely loved her.”

Consigned by Barton Sales as lot 95, the filly, bred by Biddestone Stud, has Sir Michael Stoute-trained Breeders' Cup winners on both sides of her pedigree as her dam Queen's Charter (GB) is an Oasis Dream (GB) half-sister to Cheveley Park Stud's Filly & Mare Turf winner Queen's Trust (GB) (Dansili {GB}).

International participation continues

The veteran Tom Melbourne (Ire) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}) has been one of the most popular horses in training in Australia in recent seasons and his yearling half-brother by Teofilo (Ire) will eventually follow in his footsteps, running in the same colours, having been bought by OTI Racing for 88,000gns.

Consigned as lot 106, the colt out of Roshanak (Ire) (Spinning World) was bred by Rathregan Stud and was purchased on OTI's behalf by Conall Meegan of Beechwood Bloodstock, who confirmed that he would eventually head to Australia.

“He's quite a robust and compact model and he was a must-buy for my client, OTI Racing,” Meegan said. “He's obviously related to a highly-rated horse in Australia and he has a pedigree that should fit the profile down there, so hopefully he will do well. He will probably stay in the UK for now, nothing has been discussed, but he will target Cup races in a couple of years.”

Action returns to the ring at Tattersalls on Wednesday for the start of the foal sale at 10 a.m.

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