Sealiway the Centrepiece at Brand New Beaumont

It is unquestionable that the cessation of the Head family's operation at Haras du Quesnay is a sad development for French breeding but there is at least one phoenix to rise from those ashes in the launch of the Chehboub family's Haras de Beaumont. Set on 100 acres of land formerly owned by Alec and Ghislaine Head on the Quesnay estate, and just across the road from the chateau, the new operation's proximity to Deauville is one major draw, as is the retirement to the French stallion ranks of the dual Group 1 winner Sealiway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}), who carried the Chehboubs' green-and-yellow silks of their Haras de la Gousserie with distinction in France and England. 

Kamel Chehboub and his daughter Pauline, who plays a key role in the family's racing and breeding interests, campaigned Sealiway in partnership with his breeder Guy Pariente having bought him as a yearling at the Arqana August Sale in 2019. His subsequent rise to Group 1 star is very much a feather in the cap of Pariente's Haras de Colleville, as not only is Sealiway from the first crop of resident stallion Galiway, a son of Galileo (Ire), but his dam Kensea (Fr) was also bred there and is by the stallion that made the farm's name, Kendargent (Fr). Step back one more generation in the pedigree of Sealiway and we find that his second dam Sea Island (Fr), bought inexpensively by Pariente as a yearling, is by the former Quesnay resident Gold Away (Ire). What goes around, comes around. 

The success of this horse on the racecourse has in no small way driven the Chehboubs' desire to make a major impact on the French scene by launching their own stallion operation. Sealiway has been joined at Haras de Beaumont by the 12-year-old Intello (Ger), whose stud career thus far has been split between Quesnay and Cheveley Park Stud in Newmarket, and the George Strawbridge-bred Stunning Spirit (GB), a Group 3-winning miler by Invincible Spirit (Ire) in the same colours as Sealiway who started his stud career at Haras de Hoguenet and has his first foals on the ground this year. It is plain, however, that this new venture very much centres on one horse.

“Sealiway, It starts with him,” says Pauline Chehboub. “We have a horse like him, a champion, and we wanted to do the best for him. We are very proud to offer Sealiway in France. He won the Champion Stakes in the UK and he was the best two-year-old in France.”

The Chehboubs are certainly not newcomers to the racing scene. Hailing from Marseille, Kamel and his brother Bouzid raced the 2008 GI Arlington Million winner Spirit One (Fr) (Anabaa Blue {GB}) who spent some years at stud in France. They already own Haras de la Gousserie in the Loire region, and they also enjoyed a major victory on Arc weekend last year when Rougir (Fr) (Territories {Ire}) won the G1 Prix de l'Opera. She was subsequently sold for €3 million to Peter Brant and Michael Tabor and went on to win this season's GI EP Taylor S. for Chad Brown.

Running a commercial stallion operation is a new direction, however, and the family has played a masterstroke in appointing Mathieu and Emilie Alex to run Haras de Beaumont. Mathieu Alex, who cut his teeth in the business with a lengthy stint at Coolmore, was a key player in the success of Haras de la Cauviniere, later Montfort et Preaux, and its flagship stallion Le Havre (Ire), who died earlier this year. 

Pauline Chehboub adds, “We are very happy to establish this new project in France and to do that with family and with a good team like Mathieu and Emilie. That's super exciting.”

Alex is all too aware of the commercial imperatives key to launching a new stallion when he says, “It's clear [Sealiway had] quite an extraordinary racing career because he won his first race as a two-year-old in May over six furlongs. He had the speed to win over six. He won the Champion Stakes over ten. He was second only to St Mark's Basilica in the French Derby, which is a great stallion-making race. He was a champion two-year-old in France.

“It's the interesting part about him. Because he raced at two, three and four people forget, but he was extremely good as a two-year-old and had a lot of precocity, and there is a lot of precocity in his pedigree. And that's one of the targets with him, to try to target that two-year-old market as well.”

Sealiway, who had only arrived at Haras de Beaumont three days in advance of TDN's visit in early December, is certainly playing his part well so far. A relaxed individual who appears to enjoy posing for the camera, he is an easy-moving horse who will surely draw admirers as visitors descend on the new stud through the early months of 2023 and for the Route des Etalons on January 21 and 22.

“Sealiway is obviously a very important horse for for the this new operation and this farm,” Alex continues. “The owners want to support the horse. It's so important not only to send good mares to the horse, but also to raise [the offspring] properly and send them to good trainers. It doesn't always work, but this is the formula we like to follow.”

Alex acknowledges that the former inhabitants of the land now known as Haras de Beaumont set a formidable example to follow.

He says, “It's part of the Quesnay, which has been extremely successful. It's going to be very difficult to do as well as the Head family but we'll try hard for sure. And we are very fortunate to have this land. A lot of champions have been bred here. Treve has been raised here. So, you know, it's a dream for us, but we work hard for it. This location as well, when you're standing stallions, we are 10 minutes away from Deauville, so when people are at the sales, they can give us a call, we have a shuttle, they come here, they'll see the horses, and they can be back in town 10 minutes later.”

Sealiway is of course not alone in the new stallion barn. His fellow Galileo-line sire Intello is rising 13 and has the Group/Grade 1 winners Intellogent (Ire) and Adhamo (Ire) to his credit. Stunning Spirit, meanwhile, hails from the Strawbridge family that produced Group 1 winner Rainbow View (Dynaformer), a sister to his dam. 

“Intello has got an extraordinary ratio of stakes horses, 11% stakes performers to runners, which is huge,” Alex notes. “And he's a very well-bred, good-looking horse. He was a French Derby winner, and he's a proven sire at a very reasonable fee, so we are very happy to have him, and we are also going to stand Stunning Spirit, who is a group winner by Invincible Spirit and his dam is a full-sister to Group 1 winner.”

As outlined by Alex, the Chehboub family plans to support Sealiway with a number of mares from their own broodmare band as well as some recent purchases, including Key Success (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), the dam of black-type earners Axdavali (Fr) (Goken {Fr}) and Axdaliva (Fr) (Elusive City), bought at Arqana last weekend.

Pauline Chehboub says, “We bought three mares at Goffs especially for him: one by Dubawi, one by Acclamation in foal to Sea The Stars, and another Group 1-placed [mare], so we'll send maybe 25 or 30 mares to him this year.”

Pauline will have her work cut out as she oversees the family's stable in Chantilly, which is the base of trainer Ludovic Rovisse. Their 55 horses in training are also spread between a number of trainers including Jean-Claude Rouget, Francis-Henri Graffard, Yann Barberot and Didier Guillemin.

“I have a lot of trainers to follow and we have maybe 25 two-year-olds, so it is very busy,” she says. “But I love the breeding, it is my passion, so I will help Mathieu and Emilie and spend time in Deauville and Chantilly.”

She adds of Sealiway's recent retirement from the Graffard yard, “It was a special moment when he left the stable at Chantilly for the last time because there was a lot of sentiment for this horse. He has been different class from the beginning, since my father saw him as a yearling. He's a good mover, he could do short distances and Classic distances so, for me, he had everything.”

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Sealiway to Stand at New Venture Haras de Beaumont 

The 2021 G1 Champion S. winner Sealiway (Fr) will retire to his owner's Haras de Beaumont near Deauville for the 2023 covering season.

The 4-year-old son of Galiway (GB) will be the first stallion to stand under the Beaumont banner, the new base for Kamel and Pauline Chehboub's breeding enterprise on land purchased from the Head family at the famed Haras du Quesnay. Haras de Beaumont will be managed by Mathieu Alex.

“I think we have the place for this champion in France. He deserves his place at stud,” Pauline Chehboub told TDN. “He was the best 2-year-old in France, one of the best 2-year-olds in Europe, and he was the best horse in France last year.

“To be able to stand him at such a magical place as Quesnay and to have as our first stallion a champion such as Sealiway makes us very proud and excited. It is a new turn in our career as owners and breeders. Our goal is to breed at the top level and to race the next champion.”

The Chehboubs, who race under the name Haras de la Gousserie, campaigned Sealiway in partnership with his breeder Guy Pariente. Among his five victories at two, he won the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, the race also won by France's current champion sire Siyouni (Fr). The following season Sealiway was runner-up to St Mark's Basilica (Fr) in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club and also ran fifth in the Arc before winning the Champion S., in which he beat Classic winners Adayar (Ire), Mac Swiney (Ire), and Mishriff (Ire).

The Chehboub family previously stood their homebred Arlington Million winner Spirit One (Fr) at stud in France but are now in the midst of a significant expansion of both their racing and breeding operations. Kamel Chehboub's daughter Pauline is managing the racing stable recently purchased in Chantilly which is now the base of Ludovic Rovisse, who is training 35 horses for the family.

Commenting on the significant purchase of part of Quesnay, Chehboub said, “I think it's very important to us to perpetuate what has happened on this land. The Head family was an example for everyone in this industry and for us too. 

“Beaumont is a major project, a story of people and encounters. We have called on Mathieu and Emilie Alex who, thanks to their expertise, will support us in doing everything possible to try to achieve our objectives.”

“It will be exciting in December to be able to show breeders the stud and Sealiway when they are in Deauville for the sales. We will be supporting the horse and we would love to add some new mares to the stud because he deserves to be covering mares at the top level. Unfortunately we sold Rougir last year, as he deserves this type of filly.”

In a banner year for Haras de la Gousserie in 2021, Rougir (Fr) (Territories {Ire}) won the G1 Prix de l'Opera on Arc weekend a fortnight before Sealiway's triumph on British Champions Day at Ascot. The filly was sold later that year by Alex under the Sumbe banner for €3 million to Michel Zerolo on behalf of Peter Brant and Michael Tabor. In Tabor's colours she won last weekend's GI EP Taylor S. for the Chad Brown stable. 

“We are proud to have raced such a filly,” said Chehboub. “She showed on Saturday that she was still the mare we had in France. I think she just needed some time to acclimatise to a new country, and one that's very different in France.”

For Chehboub and her father, the search is now on for the next stars to race under their new title of Ecurie de la Gousserie from their Chantilly yard alongside Les Aigles.

“I think my father is proud of what we have achieved so far, and the continuity of that is our project now. We have our eyes on the future. I would say the best is in front of us and that's very exciting.”

At Haras de Beaumont, Mathieu Alex has been appointed to run the stud and launch the career of Sealiway, a role for which he is well qualified, having previously worked with leading French sire Le Havre (Ire), among others, during his days at Haras de Montfort et Préaux, later known as Sumbe.

“It is exciting to start our activity with a horse with the class of Sealiway,” he said.  “His performances at the highest level, his warrior attitude and his longevity make him a true champion. 

“The Chehboub family and Guy Pariente are determined to do everything they can to give Sealiway the best possible start at stud. This is very positive for the French breeding industry. We will do our utmost to involve breeders in this exciting project and thus share the success of such an adventure.”

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Toronado Colt Shines At Arqana September

Arqana's inaugural September Yearling Sale, a replacement for the v.2 Yearling Sale, started its two-day run on Thursday, and a smart colt by the former French-based stallion Toronado (Ire) brought a session-topping bid of €120,000 from Mathieu Alex on behalf of Pauline Chehboub's SAS Yellow Agency.

Part of the Fairway Consignment draft and already named Tomokay (Fr), lot 34 is the fifth foal from his dam, the winning Hold That Tiger mare Loumaxaye (Fr). His half-brother Hayejohn (Fr), by first-season sire Johnny Barnes (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), carried all before him in the Listed Prix des Jouvenceaux et des Jouvencelles at Vichy after the catalogue was published.

This is also the extended family of the dual listed winner Sully (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and G1 Futurity S., G1 Queen Elizabeth S. and G1 Caulfield Cup S. heroine Aqua d'Amore (Aus) (Danehill).

Second on the buyers' sheets was lot 82, Tiger King (Fr) (Inns Of Court {Ire}). Originally a €9,500 in utero purchase by Jean-Claud Olivier out of the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale in 2020, the colt was re-sold one year later in that same sale for €19,000 to Six of Us. Offered by Haras de Grandcamp on Thursday, the February-foaled colt was snapped up for €85,000 by John Hassett of The Bloodstock Connection for GET IN THE GAME. Out of the listed-placed Pink Cloud (Fr) (Octagonal {NZ}), his dam is a half-sister to two-time listed winner Pink Gin (Fr) (Kouroun {Fr}), as well as the stakes-placed Pink Anabella (Fr) (Anabaa).

John Hassett said, “He's a magnificent colt, that comes from a good stud. I'm very pleased with this purchase. It's possible that he might come back to Deauville for the Breeze Up next May, but nothing is decided yet.”

Hassett had struck for a colt by Shalaa (Ire) earlier in the day, when shelling out €68,000 for lot 71 as JCH Bloodstock. Haras de Castillon consigned the bay, whose dam is a half-sister to none other than outstanding third-crop sire and dual Group 2 winner Mehmas (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), who was also runner up in the G1 National S. and third in the G1 Middle Park S.

John Hammond bought four on the day for owner Gerard Augustin-Normand ranging in price from €5,000 to €80,000. Leading the quartet was a colt by City Light (Fr) (lot 101) from the draft of Haras d'Aspel. His dam is a half-sister to the stakes winner and stakes producer Rioticism (Fr) (Rio de la Plata), responsible for three-time stakes winner and G3 Round Tower S. third Ladies Church (GB) (Churchill {Ire}), while his half-brother by Birchwood graduated at Deauville this summer for Joel Boisnard. This colt will also join the Boisnard string.

Thursday's most expensive filly was a daughter of Ten Sovereigns (Ire) (lot 47). Purchased for €77,000 by Hammond from Haras de la Haie Neuve, the well-bred miss is from the same family as Group 1 winner Sequoyah (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), the dam of dual Classic winner Henrythenavigator (Kingmambo), and the Classic-placed Group 3 winner Queen Cleopatra (Ire) (Kingmambo); while Sequoyah's half-sister Listen (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) took the G1 Fillies' Mile and was runner-up in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. Carrying this filly, her dam brought €55,000 from Narvick International at the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale in 2020.

“She's a lovely filly, that is very like her sire,” said Hammond. “I really like her physique and she has a lot of strength. We'll decide on her future at a later date.”

At the end of the day, 101 yearlings (71.6%) had sold from 141 offered. The gross was a respectable €2,113,000. The average was €20,921 and the median settled at €15,000.

The sale continues Friday at 2 p.­m.

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Prominent French Sire Le Havre Pensioned

Le Havre (Ire) (Noverre), winner of the 2009 G1 Prix du Jockey Club and one of France's leading sires, has been retired at the age of 16 at Sumbe's Haras de Montfort et Préaux in Normandy. He has been hailed as “the most important horse of my life” by his owner Gérard Augustin-Normand.

In a statement released on Saturday, Sumbe manager Mathieu Alex said, “Due to health issues which occurred at the end of last year, the decision was made to end his stallion career. We owe him so much and our priority is his wellbeing. Le Havre is a true champion. Winner of a magnificent Prix du Jockey Club, he was a leading stallion from his debut at stud.”

He added, “The sire of 50 Stakes winners, including two dual winners of the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and the Prix de Diane, Le Havre is a source of French pride. We know how rare these horses are. He gave us the most beautiful emotions. We have lived with him for more than 10 years and are enjoying every moment.”

Bred by the Sundstrom family under their Team Hogdala banner, Le Havre was the first foal of his dam Marie Rheinberg (Ger) (Surako {Ger}), a half-sister to the Group 1-winning sprinter Polar Falcon (Nureyev), whose later accolades include being the sire of Pivotal (GB). 

Le Havre was bought by his trainer Jean-Claude Rouget for €100,000 at Arqana's August Sale and became the first major flag-bearer in Thoroughbred racing for his prolific owner. He won his first two starts as a juvenile and was clearly held in high regard by Rouget, who then ran him in the G1 Critérium International, in which he was seventh, beaten less than three lengths.

The trainer's confidence was well founded. Le Havre won the Listed Prix Djebel on his 3-year-old debut, beating the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère winner Naaqoos (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) into second. The pair finished in the same order on their next start in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains, but this time it was in second and third behind Silver Frost (Ire) (Verglas {Ire}). Le Havre had his revenge a month later, however, when delivering a commanding performance to win the Prix du Jockey Club in its fifth year at the reduced distance of 2,100 metres.

His retirement to what was then known as Haras de la Cauvinière in 2009 prompted a significant foray into the breeding world by Augustin-Normand, who through his former racing manager and bloodstock advisor Sylvain Vidal bought a decent array of mares to support his exciting young stallion. Le Havre's arrival on the French scene came at a time when the country's stallion ranks had been quite seriously depleted with the deaths or retirement of some significant names such as Anabaa, Highest Honor and Linamix (Fr). Around the same time, Kendargent (Fr) and Siyouni (Fr) also retired to Normandy studs, and the trio has made a significant contribution to the resurgence of France's breeding industry over the last decade. 

Vidal's judgement in those broodmare purchases for their new stallion, who was the first to stand at the farm he ran with his former wife Elisabeth, soon became apparent and Le Havre was arguably the first of the three to make an impact. A well-named filly from his first crop, Avenir Certain (Fr), bred by Elisabeth Vidal, became Le Havre's first Classic winner in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and swiftly followed up in the Prix de Diane. Two years later the Augustin-Normand-bred La Cressonniere (Fr) completed the same Classic double, with both fillies having been campaigned by Augustin-Normand and Antonio Caro and trained by Rouget. 

Augustin-Normand told TDN on Saturday, “Le Havre has been the most important horse of my life. He was the beginning and it's very emotional for me. I wouldn't have been in the breeding business if he had not been there. Everything began with Le Havre and I wouldn't have started breeding horses without him.”

He continued, “When he went to stud I wanted to give him the best chances, everything he needed to succeed. I was so grateful to him for what he had given me, and that has not stopped. To have won two Poules and the Prix de Diane twice [with his daughters] is incredible.”

Paying tribute to the team that contributed to Le Havre's success on the racecourse and at stud, Augustin-Normand added, “I am very grateful to Jean-Claude Rouget, I think it was his first win in the Jockey Club, and it was a wonderful year for us. I am also very grateful to Christophe Lemaire, Sylvain Vidal, Mathieu Vidal and all the team. I must also say a word for Anna Sundstrom, the breeder of Le Havre. His story was the beginning for her also, and it will not be the end. Anna is a wonderful woman and is very important to me.”

Le Havre's first crop also included Suedois (Fr), who became his first colt to win at the top level in the GI Shadwell Turf Mile, while Villa Marina won the G1 Prix de l'Opera, and Wonderful Tonight (Fr), bred by Sylvain Vidal and Mathieu Alex, won the G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S. and the G1 Prix de Royallieu among her five stakes wins for David Menuisier and Chris Wright. 

To date, Le Havre is the sire of 20 group winners and 30 listed winners, and features as the broodmare sire of G1 Coronation Cup winner Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}). A number of his daughters have been exported to Japan, including both his French Classic winners. Avenir Certain's first of two foals before her untimely death, Des Ailes (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), won last year's G2 Hanshin Himba S., and has struck early in 2022 with victory in the G3 Aichi Hai. Le Havre's daughter Sea Front (Fr) is now the dam of the Grade 2-winning juvenile Serifos (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}). 

Le Havre will remain at Haras de Montfort et Préaux in retirement. Of his decision to bring the curtain down on the horse's stud career, Augustin-Normand said, “It has not been easy but it is the right thing to do. We love him so much and he has given us the biggest emotions. I went to Montfort last week to see him and it was really emotional. I hope he will stay with us as long as possible.”

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