Day Seven: Longchamp

Bicycle road racers work out every day around the perimeter of the Longchamp racecourse, in bright jerseys pockmarked with advertisements. They never stop to watch a horse race. A bird's eye view would show parallel flows of bright colors within a green forest: jockey silks on the inside circumference, bike racing jerseys on the outside.

I wonder whether I belong more to the bicycle culture on the outer perimeter or the racing culture within, or perhaps I am the missing link between the two subcultures.

The only American horse race trainer in France, Gina Rarick, has a horse running at Longchamp. The racecourse is a 10km ride via the Boulogne Forest. I've followed her career, written about her courageous adventure that pitted her against the highest odds. As a journalist, Gina had written a NY Times sports blog about our 1,000k bike trip of 2010. When she decided to train horses, she set aside her career as a journalist.

During long periods, Madame Rarick's horses were profitable to bet on, with their average return on investment in the black. But she's been in a discouraging slump of late and I've decided to show up as a fan, to encourage her filly, Ameera. From her Paris-Turf past performances, Ameera does not have much of a chance, but during the past calendar year, Rarick had pulled off two upsets with 70/1 horses.

I am particularly inspired by Gina's resilience. She wakes up at sunrise to gallop her horses or takes them out to a paddock where they can jump and roam. She makes grinding trips to dozens of racetracks, often with horses that, given the competition, have little chance to win, even if they are in great shape.

The last time I'd been to Longchamp, I'd registered a complaint about the absence of bike parking facilities. When I arrive two races before Ameera is to run, I'm pleased to see that bike parking rails have been installed. To my satisfying surprise, I count 45 bikes parked outside the entrance. I am not alone.

In fact, all the bike bars are occupied, so I have to chain my bike to a fence.

I make one wager prior to Ameera's race. In a bet called the Multi, I need the top four finishers in any order, in a 15-horse field. My horses finish 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th, great handicapping with zero return for the effort.

I stroll back to the stable area to say hello to Gina. She flashes a broad smile, optimistic that Ameera will run well. In her underfunded stable, positivity is the best tool for long-term survival. I tell her to say hello to her husband Tim, a fellow bicycle rider.

Gina is doubtful about defeating the race favorite but hopes to finish in the top three. I've seen at least seven other horses that have a better chance than Ameera, but I say nothing to discourage her. After all, she's a hands-on trainer, and I do not want to say anything that might diminish her magic touch.

In the walking circle prior to the race, Ameera is acting up, using some of the energy she needs to conserve for the race. As a symbolic gesture I make a small placé wager on Ameera (placé yields a payoff if the horse finishes in the top three).

Ameera breaks well from the gate and presses the early speed horse from the outside, but visually the pace looks too fast for her to handle. She weakens before the stretch and the rider decides not to force the filly when the cause is lost.

Pedaling on my way home I have a lot to think about. I'm in the final outing of my adagio period, and I feel ready to seek climbing challenges while boosting the average number of daily kilometers.

Like Gina I am in it for the long run. But she has short-term bills to pay while I bicycle for free. Her fortunes are tied to a fiercely competitive business and need financial backers. I have total control over my own stamina. Unlike Ameera, I can pedal at my own comfortable pace. If I get passed by mamils (middle-aged men in lycra), it makes no difference.

I'd wanted to buy a racehorse through Gina. But Martha vetoed the project.

“You have a better chance betting on the horses than owning them,” she contended, with her usual objectivity.

(In Ameera's subsequent race, she finished second, less than a length from winning it all, earning purse money that would help pay the bills.)

If Thoreau Had a Bicycle is Available on Amazon

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Breaking into the Louvre museum in Paris and walking out with the Mona Lisa under your arm would be easier than buying the Galileo (Ire) mare who would produce a subsequent Classic winner for just €16,000, but that's exactly what Duncan McGregor did in broad daylight at Goffs last November.

The mare in question is Danega (GB) and, by the time of her sale date, Marhaba Ya Sanafi had made a promising start to his career at ParisLongchamp but nothing to suggest that he'd be storming to Classic glory the following spring. 

It may be viewed as the greatest stroke of luck that McGregor could speculate about Danega's prowess as a broodmare but the truth is that the Scottish native who has been based in Ireland for the best part of 40 years is better versed on the family of Sunday's French 2,000 Guineas winner than most. 

He explained, “A good friend of mine said to me after the race, 'my God you are lucky to have picked that mare out,' but I told him how I almost wrote the book on that whole family. 

“About 30 years ago, I bought Gradille (Ire) (Home Guard), who Marhaba Ya Sanafi can be traced right back to by about five or six generations. 

“With the help of Robert Hall, I bought three mares to start off with at my stud in Kildare almost 40 years ago, which included Gradille. In fact, the most expensive one of the three died but the other two turned out to be black-type producers left, right and centre.”

He added, “Before I bought Gradille, she had a foal which turned out to be  La Meilleure (GB) (Lord Gayle), who is the dam of a host of black-type winners, including Sholokhov (Ire) (Sadler's Wells). 

“I also bred Dolydille (Ire) (Home Guard) out of the mare, and she turned out to be another good horse for Jim Bolger. Actually, Jim bought a lot of horses off me at that time, all from this family. I had the family for 15 or 20 years but, unfortunately, we lost the only daughter we kept out of Gradille. 

“So I was out of the family for a good few years before this mare [Danega] came up. The old mare [Gradille] was my wife's favourite so I thought it would be nice to try and get back into the family. When I saw this mare entered up at Goffs, I said to my wife that we could buy back into the family and she told me to go and buy her.”

McGregor, 80, suffered an accident last year which has limited his mobility, but his closest advisors Larry Stratton and Jaqueline Norris provided him with every encouragement that Danega was worth acquiring from the Godolphin draft after they inspected the mare on the ground at Goffs on his behalf. 

He recalled, “I got Larry Stratton to look at the mare for me and he gave me the nod. Jaqueline Norris, who runs Jockey Hall Stud, also looked at her and gave me the thumbs up. So all of my associates liked the mare and we bought her. 

“But the funny thing is, the Muharaar was not listed on the page. I can remember a friend of mine was sitting in my house one day and asked me, 'Duncan, what is the name of that mare again,' and then she told me that the Muharaar had won in France. 

“People say to me that it was a lucky pick but, given our back story and that we know all about the family, it wasn't a lucky pick at all.”

So when did McGregor realise that he had really hit the jackpot?

“When the horse won his second race, a conditions race at Chantilly, I said, 'Jesus, we have something here, there's no doubt about it,'” comes the reply. 

“I was thinking that they'd have to go up in class with the horse after that. Well, they did go up in class, they went to the Prix de Fontainebleau, where he was second to American Flag (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}). 

“That is the premier colts' trial for the French 2,000 Guineas over there and, while he was well-beaten by American Flag on the day, he ran a great race to finish second in a Group 3 and of course I was delighted for the mare.”

He added, “In the meantime, the mare had a cracker of Hello Youmzain colt foal. He is one of the best foals I have ever had. Then the next thing was an entry for the Guineas and now, as the saying goes, the rest is history.

“She is covered by Minzaal (Ire) and is due for scanning soon. I love speed and Minzaal was an exceptionally fast horse. I'm not sure what I am going to do with the Hello Youmzain foal that we have on the ground but he is a smasher.”

It tells you everything you need to know that McGregor, who worked in the oil business up until his early forties before relocating to his base at Newtown Lodge Stud in Kildare to concentrate on breeding and racing, ranks Sunday's victory with Marhaba Ya Sanafi as his greatest day in the sport. 

That is saying something given he has had his colours carried to many big-race successes in the 1980s in Ireland and bred some top-notchers along the way. 

He said, “We've very few horses now, just because of age, but we've bred some good ones before, the likes of Captain Marvelous (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and Fort Bastian (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}). 

“I also raced Dashing Colours (Ire) (Be My Native) and Dash Of Red (GB) (Red Sunset {GB}). They both won stakes races and a host of handicaps for me. When I was consigning horses myself, I did it under Newtown Lodge Stud, but recently I have been using Jockey Hall Stud, which is Jaqueline Norris.”

McGregor added, “But of all that we have done in the game, Sunday probably ranks as number one. Dashing Colours and Dash Of Red won a lot of big races, and that was a great thrill, but Sunday was different. I still get a great kick out of the sport. I wouldn't be doing it otherwise.”

Lupin and Sherlock Holmes may have been fictional characters but McGregor is the real deal. This is the story of a modern-day heist. 

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Oisin Orr, who joined The Platinum Queen's trainer Richard Fahey earlier this year, does most of the work with the speedster. However, Orr was unable to do the weight about the daughter of Cotai Glory (GB) in France.

With the Middleham Park Racing-owned youngster set to carry just 8st 7lb in the Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland, the Irishman will once again be forced to sit the big race out. 

Fahey told Sportinglife, “I feel sorry for Oisin as he's done so much work with The Platinum Queen at home, but he can't do the weight.

“The owners Middleham Park very much want him to have the ride when he can, but unfortunately that won't be in America.

“Hollie has done a fine job on her twice before, including when winning the Abbaye, so she knows her well.”

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The Belgian native was riding Syros for Francis Graffard in the Group 3 Prix Thomas Bryon Jockey Club de Turquie when making contact with Ryan, who was aboard the Ralph Beckett-trained Captain Wierzba.

In what looked a deliberate elbow, Soumillon edged Ryan out of the saddle and, while he denied any malice to the incident, apologies on At The Races afterwards by saying it was “not a nice act” and that he had made “a misjudgement”.

Syros went on to finish second but was disqualified by the French stewards who gave Soumillon his lengthy ban. The rider will be free to ride on Arc weekend at ParisLongchamp as the two-month ban does not come into effect until next week.

Very nasty. Rossa Ryan took a horrible fall mid-race after contact with Christophe Soumillon… pic.twitter.com/m0IqvCsC9F

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) September 30, 2022

“I received a little bit of pressure from Rossa's mount on my outside trying to get a better position behind Ryan,” Soumillon said. “I was just behind Ryan at the time. And I put my elbow against him just to make him understand I wasn't going to the inside and unfortunately when I asked my horse to stay there and go a little bit to the right, I pushed him for one stride or two and he fell off.

“Straight away, I knew, I'd made a mistake. I'm terribly sad with what happened because I hate seeing stuff like this and when you are doing that it's even more terrible, so I want to apologise to everyone, not just only one person who owns the horse or trains the horse or even the jockey.”

He added: “I just saw him [Ryan] now and he's fine and the horse too so I'm happy for that, but for all the people loving racing it was not a nice act from my side and I am terribly sorry and I want to apologise for what I did today.

“I just received a big suspension from the France-Galop stewards. I'm going to be suspended for two months – 60 days of racing. So that's a very big thing. So unfortunately my end-of-season is now gone. But I accept the sentence for what I did, for the terrible mistake like I said.

“And for sure that sentence is an example to others then that's acceptable but for sure, I shouldn't do that. I didn't do it on purpose to make him fall off his horse. I was just trying to keep my position. But with the ground … I probably did with a little power. It was a misjudgment from my side.

“I wasn't trying to make him fall off his horse. Unfortunately he was side by side with me, his iron goes up and he goes over the horse. I don't really understand what happened in that moment because it's going really fast but it's a terrible thing for what I did. I know a lot of people are not going to excuse me, but I feel really bad at the moment for what happened.”

Ryan reported that he and his mount were fine after the incident. He said, “The horse is fine, I'm fine. That's the main thing. I'm 100 per cent.”

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Sunday's special broadcast will air on FS2 from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Eastern, with the €5 million (approximately $4.85 million) Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe for 3-year-olds & up going 1 1/2 miles on the turf featuring a bid by the 5-year-old Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) to become the ninth horse in history to win the race twice. At 72-1 odds, the German colt stunned the sports world in winning the 2021 race.

The race is part of the Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge Series with the winner earning automatic and free entry to the Breeders' Cup World Championships Nov. 4 and 5 at Keeneland Race Course. The winner of the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heads to the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf.

Post time for the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is set for 10:05 a.m. Eastern.

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Winner of the G1 Prix du Jockey Club and G1 Coral-Eclipse, the Jean-Claude Rouget-trained colt was most recently third behind Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) when sent off as favourite for the G1 Irish Champion S. It appeared after that race that Vadeni would swerve the Arc, which has been won by his owner-breeder on four occasions, most recently with Zarkava (Fr).

However, Georges Rimaud, manager of the Aga Khan Studs in France, announced that a decent forecast for Paris for the first weekend of October had swung the balance in favour of the Arc over Britain's G1 Champion S.

“All things being well, Vadeni will run in the Arc next weekend,” he said.

“Hopefully the ground will be suitable in Paris as that is an element of importance for this horse. He doesn't need good ground as such, but he doesn't need to have it very slow or deep or challenging.”

Asked whether the fact that Baaeed (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) is now being aimed at a career finale in the Champion S. had swayed the decision, Rimaud added, “When making these decisions you put all the elements on the table.

“Baaeed not running in the Arc has been discussed, but it is not the primary concern. We really feel this horse needs the right ground and feel he is more likely to have what he needs in Paris rather than in Ascot. It is dependent on the forecast and things may change.”

Proven over 10 furlongs, Vadeni will be stepping up to a mile and a half for the first time in the Parisian showcase.

Rimaud said, “We will find out on the day about the distance, but we feel that with his pedigree, and his dam being by Monsun (Ger), and his sire being by Galileo (Ire), there is no evidence that he cannot stay.

“We feel he has performed very well over the mile and a quarter, but we are happy to try. Vadeni doesn't have to travel, he's at home and we'll give it a shot.”

One horse Vadeni will not now have to face at Longchamp is recent G1 Prix Vermeille winner Sweet Lady (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). Her owners Francis and Benjamin Teboul of Gemini Stud told Jour de Galop that after consultation with her trainer Francis Graffard they had opted to send the 4-year-old to Ascot for the G1 QIPCO British Champion Fillies and Mares S., giving Sweet Lady an extra two-week break between engagements.

Graffard will be represented in the Arc by the Australian 11-time Group 1 winner Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}).

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It was Lester Piggott who was responsible for my being in France. Returning from America in early 1985, jobless, I had bumped into him and he asked me if I had any plans. I didn't. 

'You should go and work for this Fabre guy in France, he's very good, you know.' 

He wasn't wrong there. It was the year he was to spend much of riding for André so he kindly made the phone call and got me the job. I got to know him quite well, often ferrying him from the airport to the races in my Austin mini. He was fun, chatty. Those in the car park at the races were always baffled by the mode of transport of this icon of the sport but I think it rather amused him. Lester was never about bling; limousines weren't required to go from A to B.

Returning to Saturday, 8 December 1990. It was a miserable day, raining hail. The old horse cocked his jaw, pulled Lester's arms out, came to win then faded to be third. Returning to the unsaddling enclosure dripping wet, freezing cold, Lester got off and gave the horse a friendly pat before trudging off to the jocks' room. There wasn't much to say. 

Back in the car, returning to the airport after his one ride, he said  'He's silly that old horse, he shouldn't pull like that, he could have won, you know.' 

I think most jockeys would have used considerably saltier language about the horse or, more so, the fact that he had paid for his own plane ticket and sacrificed a day to come to France for one average ride in shocking weather. But he wasn't unhappy, more the opposite: I had the impression he'd enjoyed his day.  It was a month after his famous comeback ride on Royal Academy in the Breeders' Cup and he knew how much he'd missed it.

He had a unique empathy, relationship, with horses. It wasn't sentimental, more mutual respect. He would ask for more when they had more to give but not when a horse was empty. He knew the difference, sometimes being unjustifiably penalised for easing one down. Never did I hear him using pejorative language about a horse that, occasionally for understandable reasons, some do. He liked them.

I  feel lucky to have known him.

John Hammond
Chantilly

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Torquator Tasso shocked the racing world by becoming the longest-priced winner in Arc history when returning a 72-1 chance in a race where he had Dermot Weld's globetrotting mare Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal) and Irish Derby hero Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in behind. 

The poster boy of German racing will return in the G2 Grosser Preis der Badischen Wirtschaft at Baden-Baden, a track he tasted top-notch success at last term when snaring the 149th Wettstar Grosser Preis von Baden before his memorable triumph at ParisLongchamp, and Weiss has described his stable star as having done very well over the winter. 

Speaking to TDN Europe, he said, “Torquator Tasso has wintered very well, settled down even more. He has been working very well, the preparation has been going according to plan and we are very hopeful for Baden-Baden, even though he is not yet at a 100%.”

Weiss has a big red circle around the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and will chart a path back to ParisLongchamp in the autumn with the aim of Torquator Tasso defending his crown.

Mapping out the campaign, he said, “The further plan is to go into the G2 Hansa-Preis at Hamburg, then there will be either Ascot [for the King George] or Berlin before we are planning for the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden and then onto the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.”

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By Derby day itself, Piz Badile (Ire) (Ulysses {Ire}) will almost certainly shorten merely for the fact that Frankie Dettori has been booked to ride him, but there is plenty to suggest that he would not be unworthy of that support. We'll see.

In the meantime, thoughts have turned to the Prix du Jockey Club, a great stopgap between the Guineas and Derby since its distance was shortened to 2,100m back in 2005. On Sunday, Charlie Appleby said of his Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), “I always had it in the back of my mind that he might be a French Derby horse.” With that colt having become the first British-trained winner of the race for 17 years, it would be no surprise to see him attempt to emulate the last one, Shamardal, by snaring a French Classic double. It would also help to alleviate one problem faced by Appleby in attempting to keep Modern Games, Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) apart. But let's face it, as problems go, it's high on the first-world list.

Jean-Claude Rouget has also been waxing lyrical about the Prix des Suresnes winner Al Hakeem (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), drawing flattering comparisons to Sottsass (Ire), and seemingly not just for the very similar pattern of his breeding. Then there is the good-looking Lassaut (Fr), from the first crop of Jockey Club winner Almanzor (Fr), whose running-on fifth in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains can be regarded as a decent trial for June 5.

It would also be folly to overlook the claims of G2 Prix Greffulhe winner Onesto (Ire), the colt by Frankel (GB) who returned to Europe after being an unlikely candidate for a Florida breeze-up sale. But he breezed with ease, earning himself a $535,000 price tag and a place in Fabrice Chappet's Chantilly stable. We'll be hearing more about Onesto later this week in TDN, but a viewing of him during Chappet's second lot on Monday morning was enough to leave a strong impression that he is a horse with a perfect temperament for the big day.

Mosse Pockets His Plans

The indefatigable Gerald Mosse, impeccably bedecked in his trademark white gloves and a silver brooch of two horses' head at the collar of his silks, rode his 15th French Classic winner at Longchamp on Sunday. It was his first since winning the Prix du Jockey Club on Reliable Man (GB) in 2011.

Of his latest, Mangoustine (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}), he said, “She really kicked strongly and fought all the way to the line. She kept something in the pocket for the end.”

Mangoustine was not the only one. The 55-year-old jockey has already passed the necessary exams to start a secondary career as a trainer but, understandably after the elation of his second win in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches following Zalaiyka (Fr) (Royal Academy) 24 years ago, he said thoughts of retirement are far from his mind.

“For now I'll keep my training licence in my pocket,” added Mosse.

Born To Run

Somewhat unusually, four of the top five lots at last year's Arqana Breeding Stock Sale have remained in training this season, and three of them have enjoyed a real purple patch of late.

On Saturday, Rougir (Fr) (Territories {Ire}), the sale-topper at €3 million, made a triumphant comeback in her new home country of America, where she was the impressive victrix of the GIII Beaugay S. for Peter Brant, Michael Tabor and trainer Chad Brown.

Brant and Brown also teamed up with Speak Of The Devil (Fr) Wootton Bassett {GB}), a €1.95 million purchase, to win the GII Longines Churchill Distaff S. on the Kentucky Derby undercard. Meanwhile Grand Glory (GB) (Olympic Glory {Ire}), now six, has remained in training in France with Gianluca Bietolini for her new owner Haras de Hus, and she has added the Listed Prix Zarkava and G3 Prix Allez France to her tally of wins this season.

The World's Gone Mad

It would be churlish to present a round-up of the action of the past week and not mention the mighty Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who won his third G2 Yorkshire Cup. It seems extraordinary that the horse who last week set a new European record for the number of Group wins (18) should have an invisible question mark hanging over him with regard to his future stud career. 

Too small and the wrong colour for a National Hunt stallion, some say, but frankly that option shouldn't even be in the reckoning. Wouldn't it be refreshing if a son of one of the best horses most of us have ever seen, from a Wildenstein dynasty deep with talent, who has proved his own abundant ability and soundness year after year, be afforded the respect he deserves by Flat breeders. After all, who among us would not love to race a horse such as this?

Too much to ask? Let's hope not.

Titannia Upholds Family Honour

Two years ago we noted the Danish Classic double of Tassmania (Den), the filly whose existence is largely owing to her dam Transsylvania (Den) (Le Havre {Ire}) having won a nomination to Sir Percy (GB) as part of her prize for landing the Listed Lanwades Stud S. in Norway in 2015.

Transsylvania's owner/breeders Dean and Mette Olsen duly bred her to Sir Percy, resulting in victory in the Danish 1000 Guineas and 2000 Guineas for her daughter Tassmania. Now the family is at it again. 

Transsylvania's current 3-year-old Titannia (Den), by Appel Au Maitre (Fr), won the Danish 1000 Guineas on May 7 and is now poised to attempt to emulate her half-sister by taking on the colts. The filly, who was retained by the Olsens, also provided Lars Kelp with his first Classic victory since returning to the training ranks with just five horses under his care.

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ROSACEA (IRE), Soldier Hollow (GB)–Relizane (GB) (Zamindar)
Owner/Breeder: Haras De La Perelle
Trainer: Stephane Wattel
Pedigree insight: She is the third foal out of Relizane (GB) (Zamindar), a winner in France and half-sister to the Canadian Grade I winner Reggane (Red Ransom).

TIMES SQUARE (FR), Zarak (Fr)–See You Always (GB) (Siyouni {Fr})
Owner: Allan Belshaw
Breeder: Times Of Wigan Ltd
Pedigree insight: The dam is an unraced half-sister to the useful sprinter Direct Times (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), who is out of a winning half-sister, Elegant Times (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), to Group 2 scorer Welsh Emperor (Ire) (Emperor Jones) and listed-winning sprinter Majestic Times (Ire) (Bluebird).

ACER ALLEY (GB), Siyouni (Fr)–Willow View (Lemon Drop Kid)
Owner/Breeder: Merry Fox Stud Limited
Trainer: Francis Graffard
Pedigree insight: A half-sister to nine-furlong Grade I winner Digital Age (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), this filly's unraced dam is a half-sister to G1 Moyglare Stud S. winner Cursory Glance (Distorted Humor).

JUMBLY (GB), Gleneagles (Ire)–Thistle Bird (GB) (Selkirk)
Owner: Emmy Rothschild and Partner
Breeder: Emily Rothschild
Trainer: Roger and Harry Charlton
Pedigree insight: A half-sister to three winners, she is the fourth foal out of the classy race mare Thistle Bird (GB), who won the G1 Pretty Polly S. at the Curragh in 2014.

TOY (IRE), Galileo (Ire)–You'resothrilling (Ire) (Storm Cat)
Owner: D Smith, Mrs J Magnier, M Tabor, Westerberg
Breeder: Coolmore
Trainer: Aidan O'Brien
Pedigree insight: From an outstanding family, she is a sister to seven black-type performers, including dual Guineas and St James's Palace S. winner Gleneagles (Ire), and Irish 1000 Guineas winner Marvellous (Ire). You'resothrilling was also a classy race mare and won the G2 Cherry Hinton S.

DAISY MAISY (GB), Wootton Bassett (GB)–Shasta Daisy (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB})
Owner: Mme Gitte Poulsen-Allaire & Philippe Allaire
Breeder: Gestut Zur Kuste Ag
Trainer: Yann Barberot
Sales history: Bought for €240,000 at the Arqana Select Yearling Sale at Deauville (Yann Barberot).
Pedigree insight: Her dam Shasta Daisy (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) is out of a winning stakes-placed sister to Juddmonte-bred sires Showcasing (GB) and Camacho (GB).

ZELDA (FR), Zelzal (Fr)–Hortensia (Ity) (Orpen)
Owner: Infinity Nine Horses, Ecurie Castillon Bloodstock and Ecurie Jeffroy
Breeder: SCEA des Prairies, Ecurie De Castillon et al
Trainer: Jean-Claude Rouget
Pedigree insight: From the first crop of Zelzal, her half-brother Chez Pierre (Fr) (Mehmas {Ire}) is unbeaten in France and recently won a stakes race in the U.S. Her dam is a half-sister to the dam of Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Vale Of York (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).

MANGOUSTINE (FR), Dark Angel (Ire)–Zotilla (Ire) (Zamindar)
Owner: Infinity Nine Horses, Ecurie des Monceaux et al
Breeder: Ecurie des Monceaux, Lordship Stud & Qatar Bloodstock Limited
Trainer: Mikel Delzangles
Sales history: Bought for €46,000 at the Arqana Deauville Select Yearling Sale (David Redvers).
Pedigree insight: She is out of a half-sister to the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Flotilla (Fr) (Mizzen Mast). Granddam Louvain (Ire) (Sinndat {Ire}) is a half-sister to the G1 Haydock Sprint Cup winner G Force (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}). This is the same family as Lassaut (Fr), who runs in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains.

HEAT OF THE MOMENT (GB), Bobby's Kitten–Heat Of The Night (GB) (Lear Fan)
Owner/Breeder: Kirsten Rausing
Trainer: Jane Chapple-Hyam
Pedigree insight: Her half-sister Here To Eternity (Stormy Atlantic) has produced the Hong Kong Group 1 winners Time Warp (GB) and Glorious Forever (GB), both by Archipenko, and was herself a listed-winning miler.

CACHET (IRE), Aclaim (Ire)–Poyle Sophie (GB) (Teofilo {Ire})
'TDN Rising Star'.
Owner: Highclere Thoroughbred Racing – Wild Flower
Breeder: Hyde Park Stud
Trainer: George Boughey
Sales history: Unsold at the Tattersalls Ascot Yearling Sale, she reappeared at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-up Sale in April 2021 and was bought by Highclere for 60,000gns.
Pedigree insight: While she was bred by Hyde Park Stud, it was the late Cecil Wiggins who did the mating, and nurtured the family for generations. Poyle Sophie formed part of a dispersal of his stock when she sold carrying Cachet for just 3,000gns to John Bourke of Hyde Park Stud at the Tattersalls December Sale. Poyle Sophie is a half-sister to four winners.

MQSE DE SEVIGNE (IRE), Siyouni (Fr)–Penne (Fr) (Sevres Rose {Ire})
Owner: Baron Edouard De Rothschild
Breeder: Sc Ecurie De Meautry
Trainer: Andre Fabre
Pedigree insight: A half-sister to five winners including German Group 1 scorer Meandre (Fr) (Slickly {Fr}), her dam was listed-placed in France.

SEA OF ASH (FR), Wooton Bassett (GB)–Sea Of Leaves (Stormy Atlantic)
Owner: Albert Frassetto
Breeder: Johayro Investments Limited
Trainer: Gianluca Bietolini
Sales history: Sold for €55,000 at the Arqana Deauville Select Sale (Marco Bozzi Bloodstock).
Pedigree insight: A half-sister to two winners, she is her twice-winning dam's sixth foal, and is from the family of American Grade I winners Aptitude (A.P. Indy) and Sleep Easy (Seattle Slew).

OSMOSE (FR), Zoffany (Ire)–Meseika (Medaglia d'Oro)
'TDN Rising Star'.
Owner: H H Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Thani
Breeder: Al Shahania Stud
Trainer: Jean-Claude Rouget
Pedigree insight: Her dam is an unraced half-sister to dual American Grade I winner Unique Bella (Tapit), whose dam, Unrivaled Belle (Unbridled's Song), won the GI Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic in 2010.

SICILIAN DEFENSE (GB), Muhaarar (GB)–Manasarova (More Than Ready)
Owner: Benjamin Teboul
Breeder: Haras de Saint Pair
Trainer: Yann Barberot
Sales history: Sold for €35,000 from Saint Pair in a private sale at the Arqana Deauville Select Yearling Sale.
Pedigree insight: She is the second foal out of the listed-placed 2-year-old winner Manasarova, who is out of an unraced half-sister to a US Grade II winner Shakis (Machiavellian), and from the family of Singspiel (Ire) (In the Wings {GB}) and Rahy (Blushing Groom {Fr}).

WHO KNOWS (FR), Siyouni (Fr)–Zain Al Boldan (GB) (Poliglote {GB})
Owner: Teruya Yoshida
Breeder: S.A.S Gerard Larrieu, S.A. Aga Khan & Sarl Haras De Saint-Faust
Trainer: Stephane Wattel
Sales history: Sold at the Arqana Deauville Select Yearling Sale for €150,000 (Gerard Larrieu).
Pedigree insight: A half-sister to the Group 2 winner Poetic Dream (Ire) (Poet's Voice {GB}) and black-type performer Chevalier Cathre (Fr) (Sea The Moon {Ger}), her dam, Zain Al Boldan (GB) (Poliglote {GB}) was a listed winner in Britain.

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