Bred by American-based Adam Bowden of Diamond Creek Farm, Onesto could just as easily have appeared in the Juddmonte studbook. In fact, just one generation back his family does just that. His dam Onshore (GB) was sold to Bowden by Juddmonte as a three-year-old for 320,000gns.

“Her pedigree was the huge draw for me,” Bowden said in a TDN interview back in 2022. It is easy to see why. Onshore is a daughter of Kalima (GB) (Kahyasi {GB}), who is a full-sister to the celebrated Hasili (GB), dam of the stallions Dansili (GB), Champs Elysees (GB) and Cacique (GB) as well as the top racemares Banks Hill (GB), Intercontinental (GB) and Heat Haze (GB). 

He added, “We had circled the mare and my agent Mike Akers went to see her and said, 'well if you're willing to spend what it takes to buy her, then I think she is the type of filly that we want.' And it worked out.”

Indeed it did. Onesto was stopping the clock even before his first race, with an eye-catching breeze in Ocala, Florida which sent agent Hubert Guy running almost as fast to ensure that he could assemble a syndicate to buy and race Onesto.

That team, which contributed to him being bought for $535,000, consisted of the former champion trotting trainer, driver and breeder Jean-Etienne Dubois, his father Jean-Pierre-Joseph Dubois, Ecurie Hunter Valley, Ecurie Billon, Onesto's trainer Fabrice Chappet and Guy himself. Crucially, too, Haras d'Etreham was involved from the start and now, after a Group 1-winning career, that is where Onesto finds himself as he embarks on his second career as a stallion. 

Nicolas de Chambure of Haras d'Etreham recalls, “We got a funny phone call from Hubert Guy after he breezed, and he said that he saw something special from a horse that was not meant to do what he did that early in his career, and because of his breeding. And he said he had a lot of faith in the horse since he saw him breeze. So it was mainly him and Jean-Etienne Dubois at the time that put a syndicate together. And we participated because we agreed that we saw something a bit different, a bit special. And that's how it all started.”

Having returned to Europe to begin his training at Chappet's Chantilly yard, the chestnut colt made his winning debut over a mile at Chantilly that September.

“Onesto got a Rising Star from the TDN when he won first time out,” de Chambure says. “He arrived in Chantilly in June with Fabrice Chappet. Fabrice was taking his time with him. He didn't want to rush him into into fast work too early, but you know, the more he was doing with him, the more he was seeing things that the breeze-up suggested. And it was excitement and relief and a bit of a mix when he won so well in a very good maiden in Chantilly. And the way he did it, with that great turn of foot. The dream was really alive then.”

A below-par run when eighth in the G3 Prix de Fontainebleau on his first start at three may have felt like a setback at the time, but Onesto soon put that behind him when winning another important Classic trial, the G2 Prix Greffulhe, on his next start three weeks later. 

His wide draw in gate 14 did not help his chances in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club, in which Onesto was fifth behind Vadeni (Fr) but he again bounced back, this time for his first start in the colours of his new part-owner Gerard Augustin-Normand in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris. Following that first success at the top level, Onesto returned to the land of his birth to run a fine second to Luxembourg (Ire) in the G1 Irish Champion S., with Vadeni just behind him that time. 

“His career has been [a mixture of] great results and unlucky moments as well. He got some bad draws, sometimes it was the wrong ground,” says de Chambure in reference to the heavy conditions the horse encountered in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe of 2022. “But, you know, every time things went his way, he showed how good he was, with that turn of foot, and that he was a true Group 1 horse and Group 1 winner.

“The Grand Prix de Paris is becoming one of the main race days in France of the year because it's Bastille Day, so there is a big concert and a lot of people at the races and a great atmosphere. He beat a really good field that day.”

Remaining in training as a four-year-old, Onesto warmed up with a fourth-place finish over a mile in the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois and also took third, beaten just a length and three-quarters when making his second appearance in the Arc last season. 

De Chambure continues, “In France you have to have that tactical speed to quicken and that's his main attribute, I think. His last 600 metres in the Arc were amazing and he was only beaten a head for second. His last 200 metres were the quickest of the race.”

Onesto's team of owners, a number of whom are also noted breeders, remains fully behind him at stud. 

“It was good because there were some new owners in the game, so it was great for them. There were some older people that have been involved in racing all their life. So it was a good mix,” de Chambure adds. “All of the people that were involved in his career are staying involved for his stallion career. And you know, he's got such a good pedigree, he could really make it as a stallion, and the journey continues because the group is the same. We've opened the horse for syndication but they all stayed involved at a level in the horse.”

Haras d'Etreham's long history of standing stallions includes the recent extraordinary turnaround of Wootton Bassett (GB), from a one-time €4,000 sire to his eventual sale to Coolmore and his current place as the joint-second-most expensive stallion in Europe. It would be no easy feat to emulate that story but de Chambure feels confident that Onesto has enough qualities to at least pique breeders' interest at this crucial early stage. 

“When you talk to breeders, you feel that the last few years, some good horses have done it coming from lighter pedigrees and it was more the racing and the [horse's] sire that were important,” he says. “Then a horse like Onesto retires, coming from one of the best Juddmonte families. And suddenly, breeders come to us and say they're so excited about this horse because he's so well bred. So it is very important to breeders, and it gives him credit. It gives him, I think, more chance than just another horse.”

Onesto's next test comes when the doors of the Haras d'Etreham stallion unit are thrown wide to welcome visitors during this weekend Route des Etalons. He's bound to be busy, but de Chambure is not worried about him coping with the extra attention.

He says, “He's travelled the world. He's been to Japan, he's been to America, he's been to the breeze-ups in Florida. So, you know, he's got a great mind and he has settled really well here.”

The post On Paper, On Course, Onesto Had Plenty in his Favour appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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DEAUVILLE, France–As the co-breeder of the outstanding matriarch Urban Sea, Maurice Lagasse will forever be famed in the racing world but it is another family that has put his Gestut Zur Kuste in the spotlight of late, and on Saturday night his Dubawi (Ire) half-sister to two Group 1 winners topped the August Sale at €2.4 million.

Oliver St Lawrence is no stranger to plucking expensive yearlings from Arqana's flagship sale and it was his name on the docket for lot 214 after he outbid Anthony Stroud on behalf of Bahraini interests for the sibling of last weekend's G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. winner Bucanero Fuerte (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and his full-brother, the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye winner Wooded (Ire). The transaction put the seal on a memorable day for Nicolas de Chambure of Haras d'Etreham, who clinched the G2 Prix du Calvados with co-owner Craig Bernick and their filly Les Pavots (Ire) before racing back to the sales grounds to oversee a momentous evening for his Etreham draft, which consigned the filly on behalf of longstanding client Lagasse.

The filly's dam Frida La Blonde (Fr) is a daughter of the late Etreham stallion Elusive City and was co-bred by Lagasse before racing in his colours.

Reflecting on the family, and the filly's second dam Firm Friend (Affirmed), Lagasse said, “I loved her immensely. She was ordinary looking, but she broke her maiden at two at Evry, and she beat a very good filly in Sky Paradise, and then she won a Listed, she beat a Breeders' Cup winner in Lit De Justice, and a multiple graded stakes winner in Borodislew.  

He added of Frida La Blonde, “The dam is empty this year, but she should be going back to Wootton Bassett because Dubawi is too expensive.” 

The Dubawi half-sister to recent Group 1 winner Bucanero Fuerte and Wooded is knocked down to @OStLawrence for €2.4m @InfoArqana. Big result for @Haras_d_Etreham. pic.twitter.com/x1PptIxUpv

— Brian Sheerin (@BrianSheerin91) August 19, 2023

After being slapped on the back by almost everyone who passed him on his way out of the ring, a beaming de Chambure added, “There was more excitement than pressure, and I'm glad she's going to a great home. Maurice was a friend of my grandfather and has been with us for many, many years, so it was a great thrill to have this filly for him.”

Etreham was also the vendor of Bucanero Fuerte at last year's sale, for €165,000 to Robson Aguiar, as well as €90,000 October graduate Wooded. 

St Lawrence, whose clients have purchased the filly as a future foundation mare, said, “She is a nice filly. She has her few little faults but so did her brother here last year. Hopefully he can go on and win a few more Group 1s; he won very easily the other day at the Curragh.”

He added, “We knew that she had to be making somewhere around two million-plus. I don't know how much more was in the tank. She's worth virtually that if she wins an ordinary race.”

The Sons Also Rise

It wasn't just the progeny of Dubawi that was in high demand as his stallion sons Night Of Thunder (Ire) and Ghaiyyath (Ire) played star roles with yearlings selling for €660,000 and €600,000 respectively. 

The Night Of Thunder colt (196) was consigned by Ecurie des Monceaux on behalf of breeder Guy Heald and benefited from a major recent update when his three-parts-brother Arabian Crown (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}), who made €600,000 at this sale 12 months ago, won the Stonehenge S. for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby on Wednesday. 

The future looks bright for Classic candidate Arabian Crown, as indeed it does for the stallion sons of Dubawi, with Blandford Bloodstock's Richard Brown lauding Night Of Thunder after signing for the colt on behalf of his existing and successful client.

He said, “I thought this was an absolute smasher. Night Of Thunder, for me, is a stallion who is going to explode in the next few years. The mare has done it all–she had a very impressive two-year-old winner by Dubawi the other day.”

Blandford Bloodstock has signed for four yearlings for a total spend of €2,180,000 over the past two days and Brown added, “This colt has come from an exceptional farm. I haven't bought many horses from Henri [Bozo] over the years because I haven't been able to but the record of Monceaux speaks for itself. He's for the same existing client and he will go back to England and then we will make plans.”

It was Anthony Stroud, buying on behalf of Godolphin, who snapped up the Ghaiyyath colt from Haras des Capucines for €600,000. Out of Dubai Opera (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), an own-sister to Group 3 winner Lockwood (Ire), lot 195 was the third yearling Godolphin bought from as many offerings by the stallion on the day, having snapped up lot 176 and 160 earlier in the session. That worked out at a total spend of €1,365,000 on yearlings by Ghaiyyath by the powerful operation. 

€600,000 from @godolphin secures lot 1️⃣9️⃣5️⃣, a colt by first crop sire #Ghaiyyath @DarleyEurope out of DUBAI OPERA from the family of Group performer LOCKWOOD. He was offered by @HarasCapucines at the #AugustSale. pic.twitter.com/AR2VUNo00H

— ARQANA (@InfoArqana) August 19, 2023

Day Two Talking Points

• The figures were similarly strong to those posted on Friday. Comparing Saturday's trade to the corresponding day 12 months ago, the aggregate, average, median and clearance rate all climbed. Of the 82 lots offered on Saturday, 70 were sold, resulting in an 85% clearance rate compared to 81% in 2022. The average also rose 2.6% to €239,914 and the aggregate was up 10.49% to €16,794,000.
• Al Shaqab has certainly made its presence felt over the past few days. Sheikh Joaan Al Thani has been spotted on the sales ground and he clearly means business given the operation has already added eight yearlings for a total spend of €2,885,000.
• Godolphin's support of Ghaiyyath (Ire) was noticeable with the operation signing for all three yearlings by the Darley freshman stallion for €1,365,000.
• It was perhaps unsurprising for a sale held in Blue Rose Cen's home country, but the progeny of Churchill (Ire) held up well. He's hot at the moment, which was evident in the fact that three of his yearlings sold for an average of €226,667.
• Helped by the rip-roaring €525,000 sale of the Sottsass (Fr) colt by Coulonces to Mitsu Nakauchida, the progeny of the Arc winner continued to make a big impression among buyers. He's had eight yearlings sell for an average of €227,125, which sees him performing favourably against a lot of proven sires.
• It shouldn't go unnoticed the excellent start that Pinatubo (Ire) has made, either. He's holding up at a rock-solid €207,857 for seven yearlings sold over the past two days.
• Romanised had just one horse in the sale but it was a notable one with a filly by the Irish 2,000 Guineas and Jacques le Marois winner, who stands at Haras de Bouquetot for €7,000, making €170,000 to Haras de Meautry. In an era where high-class sprinters are rushed off to stud much quicker than even classy milers like Romanised, it would be nice to see the former Ken Condon-trained star do well at stud. 

Family Ties Run Deep for Coulonces and Sottsass

As the last yearlings by the late Le Havre (Ire) go through the ring in Arqana, there was a special moment for his breeders the Sundstrom family, who, in partnership with long-term friend Charlotte Hutchinson, bred the most expensive member of the first crop of Sottsass (Fr). The colt (lot 183) out of Dalakania (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) will race in Japan after being bought by trainer Mitsu Nakauchida for €525,000.

Like Le Havre, Sottsass won the Prix du Jockey Club, and he also has close ties to Anna Sundstrom's Coulonces operation, in which she is assisted by her daughters Moa and Lillie.

“I thought Sottsass was one of the most tremendous racehorses, but also, when Moa was little, the first mare that she presented [at the sales] was Premiere Creation, who is the dam of the dam of Sottsass. So the dam of Sottsass was born at our place,” said Sundstrom. 

“It's been an amazing family and when we do our matings with Charlotte we take into account a lot of things that we think will be good for us. It's not always about the market, and this was very close to the heart.”

She continued, “Sottsass is a beautiful horse and we really wanted to use him. When [this colt] was born we then decided that we had to cover another mare with him and we have a stunning foal out of a Wildenstein mare that will come here next year, and we have mares in foal to Sottsass. There's a lot of emotion behind these coverings, there's always a story behind it.”

Emotional moments for breeders Charlotte Hutchinson (leading up) and Anna, Moa and Lillie Sundstrom after their Sottsass colt sold for €525,000 to Mitsu Nakauchida. pic.twitter.com/2JDOAN9pGM

— Emma Berry (@CollingsBerry) August 19, 2023

Wiping away tears, she added, “It's life-changing. [This colt is] so much like Le Havre. He has the same intelligence. I can't wait to see him run.”

Charlotte Hutchinson was for a long time a familiar face on the French scene and an integral part of Coulonces Sales. In recent years she has returned home to England but still keeps six mares in partnership with Sundstrom, including Dalakania, whom they bought from the Wertheimer family in 2014 for €16,000.

 “We have a long history and the whole team at Coulonces has done a great job prepping him. They are excellent at what they do,” Hutchinson said after making a star guest appearance on the shank to take the Sottsass colt through the ring, her smile growing wider as he neared his final sale price.

“Anna has made it possible for all of us. I'm working back at home with my family on the farm but it's nice to come back and be part of the team again.”

Superpowers Do Battle for Bourgeauville's Colt

Juddmonte and Godolphin locked horns for a colt by Camelot (GB) from the select draft of his breeder Haras de Bourgeauville, with Juddmonte's Simon Mockridge having the final say at €520,000 for lot 154.

The colt is the second foal of the treble winner Bella Bollide (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), herself a half-sister to Es Que (GB) (Inchinor {GB}), the dam of three group winners. The third dam Bellarida (Fr) (Bellypha {GB}) has also produced the Group 3 winner In Clover (GB) (Inchinor {GB}), who in turn is the dam of three Group 1 winners for George Strawbridge, including We Are (Ire) (Dansili {GB}).

“He's been very popular the whole five days he's been here,” said Philip Lybeck, who runs Haras de Bourgeauville with his parents Amelie and Robert Ehrnrooth. The family moved to France from their native Finland, and the farm close to Deauville has been in their ownership from 1992. 

Lybeck continued, “He's a homebred and his dam is a homebred, so it's now the second generation. We've had a lot of the family and we still have. It was two superpowers involved in the bidding and we are delighted that we could breed a horse good enough to attract them.”

He added, “We're the only Finnish Thoroughbred breeders in the world as far as we know.”

On behalf of @JuddmonteFarms, @SackvilleDonald goes to €520,000 to secure lot 1️⃣5️⃣4️⃣ a colt by Camelot?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Camelot @coolmorestud out of the maternal family of WITH YOU and WE ARE. He was offered by Haras de Bourgeauville at the #AugustSale. pic.twitter.com/5oOvJKbBQ9

— ARQANA (@InfoArqana) August 19, 2023

The Next Blue Rose Cen? 

Superstar French filly Blue Rose Cen (Ire) has done her bit to raise the profile of Churchill (Ire) by storming to three Group 1 successes and American bloodstock agent Ben Gowans is hoping that he found the latest top-class filly by the sire on Saturday.

Gowans went to €340,000 to secure Camas Park Stud's Churchill filly [lot 151], who is a half-sister to six individual winners, including the Grade I winner Bayrir (Fr) (Medicean {GB}).

Gowans purchased the Churchill filly on behalf of Mark Grier, who was a late non-runner on the trip to Deauvlle for the sale due to illness, but the owner won't have to wait long to see his latest acquisition given she will race in America. 

Gowans said, “I work for Gainesway and they are very nice to allow me to do some business on the side. We are here for the first time on behalf of Mark Grier, who lives in New Jersey in the United States, and they have long been planning on coming over here to experience the sale. Unfortunately, Mark was diagnosed with Lyme Disease a few weeks ago so he couldn't make the sale, but his wife Jackie and son Jack are here and are having a great time. We're pretty happy with the filly we have bought them.”

He added, “Obviously Blue Rose Cen is a very good filly and Churchill seems to do well with fillies in particular. His stock is rising at the moment. This is a strong and athletic filly. She is well built and moves well. She's got the pedigree and she's got the looks. She will go back to America and she'll go to Arnaud Delacour in Fair Hill.”

Buy of the Day

By Brian Sheerin

Lot 168, B, C, Persian King (Ire)-Cap Verite (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire})
Vendor: La Motteraye Consignment
Buyer: Joseph O'Brien
Price: €70,000

Joseph O'Brien may have got himself a bit of value in lot 168, a nice colt by Persian King (Ire), who fetched €70,000. 

There is a lot to like about this colt on pedigree and looks. Offered by the La Motteraye Consignment, he is out of the listed winner Cap Verite (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and hails from a deep black-type family that includes the brilliant Tally-Ho Stud-based sire Mehmas (Ire).

A big-walking son of the French 2,000 Guineas winner, lot 168 boasts a big hip, plenty of power, and looks sure to run at two, but is likely to progress beyond his juvenile season. 

He has gone to one of the best hotels there is and is probably one to make a note of with regards to an Irish maiden this time next year or even beforehand. 

Of the nine Persian Kings to sell here at Arqana over the past two days, they have averaged €74,556, with Freddy Head going to €160,000 for a filly by him and Peter and Ross Doyle paying €135,000 for a colt by the freshman sire. 

Time might prove that the €70,000 outlay of O'Brien, operating at such a competitive sale, as being a decent bit of business for the horses purchased under the €100,000 bracket this week. 

Of those that made a lot more, the Sottsass (Fr) colt sold by Coulonces to Mitsu Nakauchida for €525,000 really was a belter. It will be fascinating to follow his career in Japan and he could be a high-class colt. 

The post Elation For Etreham As Well-Bred Dubawi Filly Makes €2.4m  appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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The collaboration may be relatively new, but the ownership between Nicolas de Chambure of Haras d'Etreham and Craig Bernick is the blending of two established families of the turf on each side of the Atlantic. Bernick's grandparents Leonard and Bernice Lavin founded Glen Hill Farm in Florida in 1967, while the Chambure family has been at Etreham in Normandy since the 1940s.

Les Pavots (Ire) (No Nay Never), trained by Francis Graffard who took both group contests at Deauville on Saturday, made her winning debut back in May and has earned black type in each of her four starts since then. Bought privately from her breeder Coolmore, she was one of three fillies acquired by the partnership last year through agent Hubie de Burgh, and is the first to run.

“Hubie put it together, and did all the leg work on a few dozen horses,” said a delighted Bernick in the winner's enclosure at Deauville. “We picked some out and we were able to make a deal. The de Chambures are wonderful partners and know exactly what they are doing.”

He added, “The first time she ran she looked like a top filly and the next two races she got run off her feet a little bit. The Listed race was over a shorter distance and in the [G3 Prix du Bois] against Ramatuelle she wasn't as good, but last time over seven furlongs was the first time we took hold of her and she finished it out well, and today again. She's probably learning to run a bit and we are really excited to have her.”

Even without being a group winner Les Pavots has plenty to recommend her on paper, for not only is she a half-sister to the G1 Cox Plate winner Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) but her granddam All Too Beautiful (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) is a sister to Galileo (Ire) and was runner-up in the Oaks before winning the G3 Middleton S.

Bernick continued, “Francis is a great trainer and he has always said, even when she was getting beat, that he really liked the filly because she's so sound mentally. With No Nay Never over an Oasis Dream mare you wouldn't think distance, but her pedigree goes back to Urban Sea.

“She really lacks nothing. She's a beautiful filly with a great pedigree and now she's a Group 2 winner in her two-year-old year in Deauville. We're just over the moon to have her.”

Bernick also has horses in training in Ireland, notably the Fozzy Stack-trained homebred Aspen Grove (Ire) (Justify), who won the GI Belmont Oaks when on her travels in July. He boards mares at Norelands Stud in Ireland as well as in France. 

“We keep a couple of our own and a few together with Etreham and they're great,” he said of his French venture. “My family has been in the business since before I was born and Nicolas's family also has done much more than we have. They're great partners and Hubie has had a long relationship with the de Chambures, and fortunately we were able to tap into their relationship. Days like this are very special.”

Hubie de Burgh added, “It's very hard to buy into families like this. You just can't get your hands on them. They'll never sell her and she'll go to the best stallions in the world. It's the start of a long story.”

Bernick, who said he was “cautiously shopping” at Arqana, bought a Dubawi (Ire) filly on the opening night of the sale for €390,000 through de Burgh. Her dam Right Hand (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) is a half-sister to the Wertheimers' G1 Prix Vermeille winner Left Hand (GB), who is also by Dubawi.

The post ‘Days Like This Are Very Special’: Bernick and Etreham Toast G2 Success appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Nicolas de Chambure told TDN Europe that the partnership (Haras D'Etreham and Craig Bernick) had privately purchased three yearling fillies from Coolmore last year, one of which was Les Pavots.

“We do all these deals through Hubie De Burgh and it was a big team effort with Hubie and Craig to buy those fillies from Coolmore,” de Chambure said. “It's the first one of the three to race, and it's a great start to that partnership.”

The other fillies were also by No Nay Never, one out of Believe'N'Succeed (Aus) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) making her a half-sister to Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and the other is out of G1 Irish Oaks winner Bracelet (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}).

“Coolmore breed such brilliant horses, and it was great to be able to buy some of those well-bred fillies with long-term plans,” he added. “The filly out of Believe'N'Succeed is with Fabrice Chappet and the Bracelet filly is with Christophe Ferland.”

Les Pavots is the fifth of six foals and fourth scorer from as many runners produced by G3 Ballyogan S. third Sparrow (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}), herself out of G3 Middleton S. victrix and G1 Oaks second All Too Beautiful (Ire) (Sadler's Wells). All Too Beautiful, in turn, is a daughter of storied matriarch Urban Sea (Miswaki). The March-foaled chestnut is a half-sister to G1 Cox Plate and G1 Tancred S. hero Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), dual stakes-winning G3 Gordon S. and G3 N E Manion Cup placegetter Sir Lucan (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and a yearling colt by Camelot (GB).

1st-Chantilly, €30,000, Mdn, 5-4, unraced 2yo, 6fT, 1:11.84, g/s.
LES PAVOTS (IRE), f, 2, by No Nay Never
1st Dam: Sparrow (Ire) (GSP-Ire), by Oasis Dream (GB)
2nd Dam: All Too Beautiful (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Urban Sea, by Miswaki
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, €15,000. *1/2 to Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), MG1SW-Aus, GSW-Eng & G1SP-Ire, $3,663,231; and Sir Lucan (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), SW & GSP-Aus, SW-Ire & GSP-Eng, $192,495. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.
O-Craig Bernick & Haras d'Etreham; B-Coolmore Stud (IRE); T-Francis-Henri Graffard; J-Tony Piccone.

Impressive 2YO winner for Champion 2YO Sire NO NAY NEVER as Les Pavots bolts up by 3½ lengths on debut @fgchantilly for @GraffardRacing & @craigb1818 @Haras_d_Etreham#CoolmoreSires #HomeOfChampions
pic.twitter.com/5ksbJWg7Qn

— Coolmore (@coolmorestud) May 4, 2023

The post Partnership Off To Flying Start With No Nay Never Rising Star In France appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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A similar story was shared on one of the final stops of this year's Route des Etalons at Haras de Montaigu as the stud's Mathieu Leffray, along with his brother and father, sourced a mare by the name of Idaho Falls (Fr) for the miserly sum of €500 from the French equivalent of Done Deal.

The great No Risk At All, sire of Allegorie De Vassy, who should harden her reputation as a leading Cheltenham Festival contender @thurlesraces today.
Already the sire of Allaho and Epatante, it's easy to see why @HarasMontaigu's No Risk At All is so popular with NH breeders. pic.twitter.com/JPKxuZT0Bz

— Brian Sheerin (@BrianSheerin91) January 22, 2023

What has that got to do with anything, you might ask? Because it was Idaho Falls who went on to produce multiple Grade 1-winning chaser Allaho (Fr), the highest-rated son of Haras de Montaigu's No Risk At All (Fr), who played a starring role on the Route des Etalons.

No Risk At All has proven his versatility as a jumps sire given he is also responsible for Champion Hurdle-winning mare Epatante (Fr) and, as he stood proud in the French sunshine, another high-class prospect, Allegorie De Vassy (Fr), hardened her reputation for Cheltenham Festival honours when winning by a street at Thurles.

Opportunity does not just knock for the National Hunt breeder alone at Haras de Montaigu, either, with G1 Prix Morny and G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Dabirsim (Fr) new to the roster, as Emma Berry highlighted in her preview of La Route.

Along with the opportunities available to Flat an National Hunt breeders in France, another thing that quickly became apparent whilst touring through Normandie was how interconnected the breeding sector is, with every stud playing host to a foreign-registered vehicle and many of the same faces who toured the Irish Stallion Trail a week previously spotted in attendance.

One man in particular who reported an increased level of international traffic, largely down to young sires Persian King and Hello Youmzain, was Nicolas de Chambure of Haras d'Etreham. A strapping son of Kingman (GB), the French 2,000 Guineas winner Persian King is quite the contrast to the dual Group 1-winning sprinter Hello Youmzain (Fr), but both stallions, whose foals sold well in 2022, compliment each other at stud.

“We have great expectations for them,” de Chambure said. “We put in plenty of work in getting Persian King and Hello Youmzain purchased and then by putting the syndicate together to support them.

“When the foals arrived, it was the first step towards seeing a little bit more of them, and obviously the breeders had high expectations and they've met those expectations so we are very happy.
“Persian King and Hello Youmzain are very different horses. That is also why we took the risk to retire two horses in the same year because they have very different profiles and are from different sire lines.

“The foals also looked different and were what you'd expect from their stallions. We will keep a good eye on them throughout the spring and right up to the yearling sales. That's going to be very important for them and then hopefully they will be spread out among good trainers around Europe. We will be supporting them as well.”

First stop on the Route des Etalons, the TDN Europe team drop in to @Haras_d_Etreham, where Nicolas de Chambure tells @BrianSheerin91 all about young sires Hello Youmzain and Persian King. pic.twitter.com/gBKjV4B5gn

— TDN (@theTDN) January 21, 2023

De Chambure added, “The fact that British and Irish breeders can see that these good French sires have appeal to the main pinhookers and trainers in the industry, I think that will give them the confidence to increase their trust in these French stallions on the whole. It has been very positive.”

Etreham also has the first 2-year-olds by City Light (Fr), a smart miler by Siyouni (Fr), to look forward to in 2023 while, interestingly, de Chambure revealed that breeders are now adopting a different approach to the mares they are sending to Almanzor (Fr).

He explained, “City Light has over 90 2-year-olds to run this season and, being a son of Siyouni, there is a bit of a buzz about him. The first reports are positive. His 2-year-olds are quite racey and, by the end of the year, we can expect them to be showing what they can do because they should be 2-year-olds.

“Almanzor has four or five exciting horses who have just turned three. He has an important year ahead of him but I think he has the numbers coming and breeders have adapted in the mares that they have been sending him. We are going to continue to see him improve and his next big horse is just around the corner, I am sure of that.”

That horse could well be the Aga Khan's Rajapour (Ire), unbeaten in three starts at two and, crucially, hailing from the smart Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire) mare Raydara (Ire), who is exactly the type de Chambure will be encouraging breeders to send Almonzor going forward.

“We were all a bit surprised that Almanzor had been throwing some size and, from his first crop, we got a few who were a bit big and backward. We all realised that and, even though they were like that, he showed that he can sire a really good horse. They can quicken and they have a turn of foot. Most of the breeders, the mares they have sent him now have a bit more speed and are more short-coupled, and we have seen the difference in the progeny.”

a half an hour down the road from Etreham, some of the finest National Hunt sires standing in France were on show Haras de la Hetraie , including Gold Cup-producing Kapgarde (Fr), whose Fakir D'Oudaires (Fr) took the feature G2 Kinloch Brae Chase at Thurles on Sunday.

The sire of last year's Gold Cup hero A Plus Tard (Fr) was joined in parade by fellow accomplished National Hunt stallion Great Pretender (Ire), best known for being the sire of Benie Des Dieux (Fr) and Greaneteen (Fr).

But it wasn't all about the stallions at Haras de la Hetraie, as not only did the stud offer top-notch entertainment when For Fun (Fr) lived up to his name by trying his hardest to break away from his handler, but the spread on offer was not bettered on the trip.

If it's French onion soup made by the boss himself, Pascal Noue, a fine selection of cured meats and enough oysters to feed a small village, Haras de la Hetraie was worth the trip even for those who hadn't got a mare in tow.

However, the majority of the people who made the trip to Sumbe were there in a professional capacity, according to Mathieu Le Forestier, nominations and racing manager at the stud, who reported that a lot of business had been done across the two days.

Easy to see why. Horses like Mishriff (Ire) don't retire to stud very often and, despite the fact that his debut season will be interrupted due to a slight setback, Le Forestier explained how interest in the stallion has not dwindled in the slightest because of it.

He said, “We envisage him covering 140 mares this year, which is a good number. The Prince [Faisal] will send him 35 to 40 mares of his own, which leaves about 100 nominations in Mishriff. “There have been virtually no cancellations from breeders after we announced his setback and the interest in him did not wane. We expect that he will resume covering on Mar. 15 and we don't see it being a big issue, except maybe for in the case of maiden mares.

how good is Mishriff looking? pic.twitter.com/G0LfM6XLKr

— TDN (@theTDN) January 22, 2023

“There aren't many alternatives to a horse of the quality Mishriff has in France and we have waited a long time to have a freshman with credentials as good as he has in the stud book here. Selling him is not the hardest job in my life.

“The good thing about Mishriff and Golden Horde (Ire) here at Sumbe is that they do the talking. We have done a lot of business over the past two days. There have not been many passers by and most of the people that have come here have been serious breeders.”

On the 2020 G1 Commonwealth Cup winner Golden Horde, who stands for €8,000, he added, “Golden Horde has been popular. He'll have good numbers but, most importantly, the right blend of people who breed to race and those who breed to sell have used him. We have 15 yearlings by him that we plan to race and they will be divided up between Andre Fabre, Jean-Claude Rouget, Roger Varian and Clive Cox.”

The sentiments shared by Le Forestier about Mishriff were be echoed by Mathieu Alex at Haras de Beaumont about G1 Qipco Champion S. winner Sealiway, set to stand for €12,000 this season, and very much the pride and joy of Pauline Cheboub's operation.

Asked if there had been much international interest at Haras de Beaumont on Saturday and Sunday, Alex said, “Yes, German, Irish, English, Swedish, Danish, American–we have had plenty of interest. This is business but also, and this is very important, the Route des Etalons gives us a chance to open our doors to the public and the industry needs that. Tourists, neighbors, it doesn't matter, everyone is welcome and we have to open the doors and explain our game. We have to show them that we love our horses. We have a mission.”

He added, “Sealiway was a champion two-year-old, which is extremely important nowadays. He won a Group 1 in England, the Champion S., where he beat three Classic winners, so he is a serious horse for France. That type of horse usually retires somewhere else. This place is for him. If it wasn't for him, none of this would be here. He's an extremely important horse and stallions like him are extremely important for this country. You've seen it with Le Havre (Ire), Siyouni (Fr), Wootton Bassett (GB), the whole country is propped up by them because they attract breeders from abroad. Also, they prop up the sales. So we need stallions like that.

“There has been a short-supply of top-class stallions in France and then we had three or four good ones at the same time. I don't know why that is. Siyouni is getting old, Le Havre is dead and now Wootton Bassett is gone. There is an opening and we need new good ones coming through. French people know that and, without mares, it doesn't matter how good Sealiway is, we need the mares. We are in the process of sorting out the mares for him this year and the important thing is numbers.”

If La Hetraie boasted the best food of the tour, well then the biggest crowd was recorded at Haras de Bonneval, where over 100 people turned out to see Siyouni and co strut their stuff during one of the afternoon sessions on Saturday.

Siyouni may have been the star attraction but Zarak (Fr), one of the hottest properties the country has to offer and set to stand for €60,000 this term, sent tongues wagging. Even Alain De Royer-Dupre turned out to say a few words about his Group 1-winning son of Dubawi (Ire) who has quickly made his mark at stud.

Wooded is quite impressive @AlShaqabRacing! pic.twitter.com/cDKQU0WEPU

— TDN (@theTDN) January 21, 2023

One of the more famous studs in France, Haras de Bouquetot, were provided with an opportunity to showcase some of its newbies, with Galileo Gold (GB) having made the move from Tally-Ho to stand alongside fellow newcomer Thunder Moon (Ire). Armor (GB) should make plenty of appeal to breeders, being a speedy son of No Nay Never, but there was no doubting the star attraction, as Wooded (Ire) wowed everyone in attendance and makes plenty of sense at €12,000.

Whether you are a high-end breeder on the Flat, want to produce the next big jumping star or are in search of a bit of value over both codes, the 2023 Route des Etalons confirms that there is something for everyone in France.

Three takeaways from the Route des Etalons
After a helter-skelter two days touring some of the best studs in France, here are some takeaways from a memorable trip.

Important Newbies
Mathieu Alex obviously has a vested interest in seeing Sealiway succeed but he spoke frankly and honestly about the need for another superstar stallion in France.

Siyouni is obviously operating at his pomp and, if Zarak continues on the trajectory that he is on, he could well take over the mantle but the importance of horses like Sealiway and Mishriff entering the stud book in France cannot be understated. Let's hope they are a success as there is clearly an opening there.

Well hello Zarak @AgaKhanStuds pic.twitter.com/5t42wzsa1L

— TDN (@theTDN) January 21, 2023

Exciting Times For Haras d'Etreham
Haras de Etreham managed Wootton Bassett from a €6,000 freshman to becoming a €40,000 stallion after just seven seasons before Coolmore swooped in and secured a deal for him to stand in Ireland in 2021 where he stands to this day for a cool €150,000.

Have Etreham uncovered the next Wootton Bassett in either Persian King or Hello Youmzain? That is obviously an exceptionally high bar to aim for but the early signs are promising.

In Persian King, Etreham can offer breeders a quality son of Kingman who has plenty of size while Hello Youmzain is exactly what you'd expect one of the fastest sons of Kodiac to look like.
The first foals by both stallions went down well in 2022, with some notable names signing for the progeny of the two, and it appears as though the future is bright for everyone at the famous French stud.

Dominance Of The Jumps
The dominance of the French-breds over jumps in Britain and Ireland is nothing new and a major highlight of the trip was getting the chance to see Kapgarde and No Risk At All in the flesh.
On Saturday, the Willie Mullins-trained It's For Me (Fr) (Jeu St Eloi {Fr}) shot to the head of the Champion Bumper betting when bolting up in a Navan bumper for Simon Munir and Isaac Souede.

Jeu St Eloi is more or less an unknown as a stallion in Britain and Ireland, which goes back to the point made about France's ability as a nation to churn out top-class horses time and time again from relatively obscure origins.

Not an easy name to pronounce, but Beaumec De Houelle could be an interesting one for NH breeders in Britain and Ireland being a Grade 1-winning hurdler by Martaline. pic.twitter.com/tNqNpYARgR

— Brian Sheerin (@BrianSheerin91) January 22, 2023

Beaumec De Houelle (Fr) could be the next sleeper of a stallion for National Hunt breeders to take note of. One of the only sons of Martaline (GB) to stand in France, he won five of his six starts, including the G1 three-year-old hurdle at Auteuil in 2018.

Of course, jumps horses retiring to stud is nothing new in France, with Balko being another example, whereas it is quite rare in Ireland. Apart from Nickname, few entires have competed at the highest level, although who's to say what heights Sir Eric would have reached had he not suffered a fatal injury.

The French do things differently, that's for sure, and they are all the better for it. The proof, as they say, is in the eating, and there was a lot to digest on this trip.

The post “Everyone Is Welcome,” – Opportunity Knocks On La Route Des Etalons appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Since Wootton Bassett's sale, Etreham has reinvested in young sires Persian King (GB) and Hello Youmzain (Fr), both multiple Group 1 winners, and they stand on a young roster alongside Wootton Bassett's champion 3-year-old Almanzor (Fr), whose first crop are three this year, and City Light (Fr), whose first crop are yearlings.

In sharing some of Etreham's 2022 mating plans, Nicolas de Chambure noted that the stud has increased its support of its own stallions in recent seasons and will this year send each of them about 10 mares in addition to using outside proven sires.

MALAKEH (GB) (m, 7, Harbour Watch {Ire}-Marisa {Ger}, by Desert Sun {GB}), visits Almanzor (Fr)
Malakeh was a listed-winning and multiple group-placed miler, including a second in the G2 German One Thousand Guineas. Bred by Gestut Gorlsdorf, she is owned in partnership with SF Bloodstock and will be bred to Almanzor for her second covering, having already produced a “nice filly” by Hello Youmzain. “She is a strong-bodied mare who is going to suit Almanzor very well,” de Chambure said.

KOUBALIBRE (IRE) (m, 6, Galileo {Ire}-Kheleyf's Silver {Ire}, by Kheleyf), visits Siyouni (Fr)
Koubalibre is a winning half-sister to champion 2-year-old filly Tiggy Wiggy (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}). Her first foal, a yearling colt, is by Kodiac, and she is due to Wootton Bassett this season after which she will visit Siyouni. “That cross has been very successful,” de Chambure noted of the Siyouni/Galileo pairing. “She is a good-looking mare with great strength for a daughter of Galileo.”

MISSION IMPASSIBLE (IRE) (m, 7, Galileo {Ire}-Margot Did {Ire}, by Exceed and Excel {Aus}), visits Wootton Bassett (GB)
Mission Impassible is a daughter of Group 1 winner Margot Did who was herself a listed winner and placed in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac and GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup for Mohamed Fahad Al-Attiyah and Etreham. Mission Impassible's first foal is a 2-year-old colt by Kingman with Jean-Claude Rouget, while she has a yearling colt by Almanzor, whose sire she will visit this year after foaling a Lope De Vega.

BOOS (FR) (m, 8, Dream Ahead-La Belliere {Ire}, by Kheleyf), visits Persian King
Boos ran exclusively at age two, fitting in nine starts between May and October for two wins and a second in the G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte. Having produced her first foal, a Kitten's Joy filly, last year, Boos was bought by Etreham for $175,000 at Keeneland November to support Persian King in his second season. She is currently in foal to Mendelssohn. “She is a really good-looking mare with strength and quality,” said de Chambure.

STEIP AMACH (IRE) (m, 10, Vocalised-Ceist Eile {Ire}, by Noverre), visits Mehmas
Etreham and Riviera Equine purchased Steip Amach from Jim Bolger when she was four after winning the G3 Amethyst S., and she placed in the G1 Prix Rothschild and G1 Prix Jean Romanet after transferring to David Smaga. She is in foal to Wootton Bassett and will visit Mehmas, the sire of last year's Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte winner and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf runner-up Malavath (Ire), who is out of Steip Amach's half-sister Fidaaha (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}). “We are using a proven cross and a stallion that should suit her very well physically,” said de Chambure.

INTERESTING (IRE) (m, 12, Raven's Pass-With Fascination, by Dayjur), visits No Nay Never
Interesting was a group performer at two and her second foal is Fast Raaj (Fr) (Iffraaj {GB}), who won last year's G3 Prix Djebel and made it back-to-back Chantilly conditions wins on Tuesday. She has produced a “nice filly foal” by Hello Youmzain and visits No Nay Never. “She is suited to size, speed, and Mr. Prospector blood, so hopefully the cross will work,” de Chambure said.

PURELY PRICELESS (IRE) (m, 12, Galileo {Ire}-Peeping Fawn, by Danehill), visits Lope De Vega (Ire)
Purely Priceless is beautifully bred, being out of the excellent racemare and producer Peeping Fawn, and three of her first four foals are black-type horses. Purely Priceless is due to Almanzor and visits Lope De Vega to emulate the cross of her dual listed-winning daughter Alzire (Fr) (Shamardal).

SHADAN (FR) (m, 7, Orpen-Alatasarai {Ire}, by Giant's Causeway), visits Hello Youmzain (Fr)
Shadan was a listed-winning 3-year-old and is a half-sister to the GII Sands Point S. winner and Grade I-placed Tamahere (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}). She is due to Tamahere's sire and visits Hello Youmzain. “The family needs strength and substance and can do with some precocity, so Hello Youmzain is the perfect candidate,” said de Chambure.

HIDDEN BREEZE (GB) (m, 4, Dark Angel {Ire}-Noyelles {Ire}, by Docksider), visits Kingman (GB)
The winning Hidden Breeze is a full-sister to the Group 3-winning and Group 1-placed Lily's Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) from the immediate family of George Strawbridge's excellent producer In Clover (GB) (Inchinor {GB}). “Her first cover will be Kingman as she has a great mind and a lot of bone and substance,” said de Chambure. “They should compliment each other very well.”

VADSARIYA (FR) (m, 8, Exceed and Excel {Aus}-Valasyra {Fr}, by Sinndar {Ire}), visits City Light (Fr)
Vadsariya is from the Aga Khan family of G1 Prix de Diane winner Valyra (GB) (Azamour {Ire}), and was bought by Etreham for €140,000 at Arqana December in 2017. She has a yearling filly by Almanzor and visits City Light.

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The best son of the in-demand Wootton Bassett, Almanzor is already the sire of winners in Ireland, England, the USA and France, where his three first-crop winners include the filly Queen Trezy (Fr), a three-length maiden winner at Lyon-Parilly Sept. 8 and a latest runner-up in the G3 Prix des Reservoirs at Deauville who has the G1 Prix de Diane as a long-term objective; and Saving Grace (Fr), not worse than second in her three runs to date and most recently second in the Listed Prix Isonomy at Deauville Oct. 20. Abbado (GB) has won two in a row for Sir Mark Prescott and Cheveley Park Stud and is likely to be aimed for a Derby trial next spring, while Unanimous Consent (GB) was a very impressive maiden winner on debut for Chad Brown and Klaravich Stables last month. The John & Thady Gosden-trained Filistine (Ire) became his sire's latest winner when taking out a novice race over seven furlongs at Newmarket Oct. 29.

City Light (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) is represented by his first crop of foals in 2021, some of which are headed to the upcoming breeding stock sales, and he covered a book of 119 mares this past breeding season. His service fee holds steady at €7,000.

Persian King (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) was well received in his first year at stud in 2021 and remains at €30,000 fo 2022 after covering a full book this year, while Hello Youmzain (Fr) (Kodiac {GB}) will stand for €25,000 after being fully booked for his inaugural season.

“I would like to take advantage of this announcement of our stallion fees to thank once again all breeders, both new and loyal clients, for their support in 2021,” said Haras d'Etreham's Executive Director Nicolas de Chambure. “This is also an opportunity to confirm that our stallions will once again be limited to 140 mares for the season. In a polarized market where the risk of overproduction is real, this choice seems both obvious and necessary. The rarity factor is a creator of value and in this way, we aim to guarantee the enhancement of returns on investments for breeders who support us and our stallions.”

The post Haras d’Etreham Announces 2022 Service Fees appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Qatar Racing's Roaring Lion was euthanized in August 2019 in New Zealand after suffering several bouts of colic. The grey had not long before finished covering a debut book at Tweenhills Stud in Britain that resulted in 90 registered foals.

David Redvers, racing manager to Qatar Racing and owner/managing director of Tweenhills Stud, said, “We've seen quite a lot of the Roaring Lions that are around and we have a good number here, somewhere between 30 and 40. They're a very good, level group of miler, middle-distance type of horse very much in Roaring Lion's image at the same stage.”

Redvers would know. He and his team picked out Roaring Lion at the same point in his life, on the first day of Keeneland September in 2016, for $160,000-not quite a steal, but certainly under the radar of the $305,171 session average. Placed under the tutelage of John Gosden, Roaring Lion won his first three starts on the bounce, including the G2 Royal Lodge S., before finishing a neck second to Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the G1 Racing Post Trophy. Third behind eventual Derby winner Masar (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) in the G3 Craven S. and fifth behind Saxon Warrior in the Guineas, Roaring Lion bounced back to win the G2 Dante S. by 4 1/2 lengths before finishing third in the Derby. He then embarked on a remarkable four race Group 1 win streak taking in the Coral-Eclipse, Juddmonte International, Irish Champion S. and Queen Elizabeth II S., the Group 1 winners in his wake including Saxon Warrior, Laurens (GB), Addeybb (Ire), Study Of Man (Jpn), Rhododendron (Ire), Thunder Snow (Ire) and Hawkbill.

“When the horse has been and gone it's easy to forget what a brilliant racehorse he was, but there have been so many by him that are similar in their action and that have his quality,” Redvers said. “The ones that have just started their prep, we love their outlook, movement, everything. We're delighted with what we're seeing and we're massively invested. Qatar Racing is going to have 25 to 30 in training by him.”

Redvers said he and his team will also be on the lookout for the Roaring Lions at the sales, likening the scenario to another Horse of the Year that was lost too soon, Dubai Millennium, and Dubawi, the champion sire he left in his lone crop.

“We'll be trying to identify one or two of the best horses [at the sales] and the hope is that we will identify the Dubawi in the Dubai Millennium crop,” Redvers said. “And while we know what we like the look of, we don't have a crystal ball, so there will be plenty of opportunity for other people there as well.”

Roaring Lion finished second only to Saxon Warrior by average among first-crop sires at the foal sales last year, his eight sold averaging £61,027/€71,985, and his first yearling to step into a sales ring will be lot 4 at Arqana on Saturday, a colt out of the Pivotal (GB) mare Every Time (GB). He is a homebred for Haras d'Etreham, which purchased the mare for 300,000gns at Tattersalls December in 2015. Every Time is a placed half-sister to the dams of G3 Oh So Sharp S. winner Mot Juste (Distorted Humor) and G1 Moyglare Stud S. and G3 Albany S. winner Cursory Glance (Distorted Humor), whose half-sister Willow View (Lemon Drop Kid) is the dam of American Grade I winner Digital Age (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). The Roaring Lion colt is the fifth foal out of the mare, whose first foal is a winner. The mare's second foal, a filly by Invincible Spirit (Ire), was injured before she could go into training and her third, the Zoffany (Ire) filly Villa Wagram (Ire), has been placed this year at three. She also has a 2-year-old colt by Camelot (GB).

“He's a colt we've always liked; he has size, scope, a bit of quality about him, and a good walk,” said Etreham's Nicolas de Chambure. “He looks a Classic type of horse to me. He looks mature already, and as the Americans would say, he's a real two-turn type of horse. We're very happy with him. He has that bit of class that Roaring Lion had.”

Etreham also sends the final Roaring Lion of the sale through the ring. Lot 321 is out of the winning Amarysia (Fr) (Medicean {GB}), a two-time winner and half-sister to the stakes-winning and producing Skia (Fr) (Motivator {GB}). Lot 321 was a €65,000 Arqana December foal.

“He is being pinhooked by one of our clients,” de Chambure said. “He has a very good mind as well, and that's something those [Roaring Lion] colts have in common. He has a bit of scope, and he looks a bit earlier. He's a bit more compact and more close to the ground, but he has that good walk as well and some quality about him.”

Ecurie des Monceaux offers a homebred Roaring Lion colt (lot 96) out of Secrete (Fr) (Cape Cross {Ire}). The 12-year-old mare has repaid the €250,000 Monceaux invested when it purchased her out of the Wertheimer et Frere draft at the 2012 Arqana December Sale; her first foal, Normandy Eagle (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), was Group 3 placed and her third foal, Solage (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) was a listed winner in Ireland. Her fourth foal, Rumi (Fr) (Frankel {GB}) won this year's G3 Prix Vanteaux. Both Solage and Rumi were €700,000 yearlings at this sale.

“I was quite impressed with Roaring Lion and I wanted to send him a nice mare,” said Monceaux's Henri Bozo. “Secrete is the mare we sent him and she's a really nice one-she's produced three black-type horses including Solage who won a stakes in Ireland and Rumi who won a Group 3 in France this year. It's a very proven family in Europe. The Roaring Lion colt is quite similar to the stallion; he has a good walk and a good temperament so I'm happy with him. He's a nice horse and I think it's interesting to have the Kitten's Joy bloodline.”

The other Roaring Lions on offer are Haras de la Perelle's colt out of G1 Falmouth S. winner Giofra (GB) (Dansili {GB}) (lot 13); La Motteraye's filly who is the first foal out of the listed-winning Lbretha (Fr) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) (lot 38); Haras du Cadran's filly out of the dual listed-winning Avenue Gabriel (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) (lot 137); Haras des Capucines's colt out of the listed-winning Cheriearch (Arch) (lot 153); and Normandie Breeding's colt out of New Desire (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), a full-sister to champion Islington (lot 239).

Tweenhills launches another sire at this year's yearling sales, and although categorized as a first-crop sire on these shores he is in fact not at all, having already made waves in the Southern Hemisphere with his first four crops to race. Zoustar won the G2 BRC Sires' Produce S. at two before going on to take the G1 Golden Rose S., G2 Roman Consul S. and G1 Coolmore Stud S. at three, after which Qatar Racing and Widden Stud bought into him. The decision was taken to wait to shuttle the son of Northern Meteor (Aus) until he had proven successful Down Under, and thus when he covered his first Northern Hemisphere book of mares at a fee of £25,000 in 2019 he already had seven stakes winners Down Under led by the brilliant Sunlight (Aus), who had led home a 1-2-3 for her sire in the 2018 edition of the Coolmore Stud S. Zoustar's first Northern Hemisphere book resulted in 103 foals-which averaged £57,028/€67,268 at the foal sales last year–and his proficiency continued in such fashion in Australia that his fee actually rose to £30,000 for his second British book in 2020.

“His best crop is his second crop, which is an extraordinary thing,” Redvers said. “His nomination fee went up and he got a bigger book of mares and that was because his second crop was off the back of his extraordinary results with his first 3-year-olds in Australia,” Redvers said. “He had the first three in the Coolmore Stud S. and produced a couple champions. We've had the benefit of seeing what an extraordinary sire of sprinters and milers he is in Australia and that's as close you can get to an open goal as a breeder.”

“They're a different type of horse to the Roaring Lions,” Redvers continued. “The Roaring Lions are all quality and screaming back-end 2-year-old and a mile to 10 furlong 3-year-old. The Zoustars that are bred on speed lines look like absolute rockets, but they don't look like small, precocious horses; they have big hips and a great action. So many of them have his undeniable, immediately recognizable characteristics: that big broad head and jaw, and you can just see him in them. I'm as excited about him as it is possible to be about a stallion, and hopefully we're going to see a new era in the production of speed horses in the UK and Europe.”

There are five Zoustars catalogued at Arqana, and Etreham offers a colt out of the winning Fortitude (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) (lot 181). Etreham purchased Fortitude as a 3-year-old for 90,000gns at Tattersalls December in 2017 and she has enjoyed some major family updates this year, with her 5-year-old half-brother Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) winning four stakes races including the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, and her 2-year-old half-brother Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}) taking the Listed Chesham S. at Royal Ascot. Fortitude has a 2-year-old by another Australian-bred sire, the Etreham shuttler Scissor Kick (Aus), and the Zoustar colt is her second foal. De Chambure said that in sending Fortitude to Zoustar, he was attempting to replicate the speed-on-speed matings that have worked so well for Zoustar Down Under.

“I thought it would be interesting to breed that Green Desert line to Zoustar,” he explained. “He's done really well with those speedy Australian mares and I thought I'd try to replicate that by sending him a mare that has a bit of speed. Sometimes we probably make the mistake of using those Australian sires to speed up a pedigree and send them a Classic mare or 2400 metre type of mare, and sometimes that doesn't work because it's too extreme. So I thought I'd send him a mare with true speed. We're happy with the colt, he has that good length from Oasis Dream and he's very athletic and a good walker.”

Monceaux's Zoustar filly, lot 269, is the first foal for her dam, the winning Saccharose (GB), who is by Australian champion sire Exceed and Excel. Monceaux bought Saccharose for €170,000 at Arqana December carrying this filly in 2019.

“She's has the physical and she moves well, and she looks quite forward and precocious,” Bozo said. “She looks like she could run early. I have another Zoustar selling in October. I have three of them and they're all very athletic horses; they have a lot of strength.”

The other Zoustars catalogued for Arqana are a filly out of the Listed Lanwades Stud S. winner Arabda (GB) (Elnadim) (lot 134) offered by Arcadia Elevage; Haras de Saint Pair's half-sister to Grade III winner Guildsman (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) from the family of Almanzor (Fr) (lot 162); and Haras d'Haspel's colt out of Meandering (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a full-sister to multiple group winner Up (Ire) and a half to multiple Group 1 winner and sire Dutch Art (GB) (lot 224).

It is exciting times for the team at Tweenhills Stud. Although Roaring Lion is much missed, he and Zoustar's first yearlings look to usher in a new era for the stud, which also has some first-crop yearlings by the crack miler Lightning Spear (GB) (Pivotal {GB}). Its elder statesman Havana Gold has hit another gear this season, and G1 2000 Guineas winner Kameko covered his first book this spring.

“Roaring Lion was the first serious world champion we produced so it's incredibly exciting seeing his first crop of yearlings going through, obviously tinged with a huge amount of sadness that there aren't more crops to follow for him,” Redvers said. “But Zoustar is possibly the horse that excites me personally even more, because we know already that he is the sire of two Group 1 winners from his first crop in Australia and that he's going from strength to strength down there. So it's going to be the most fascinating 12 months. Hopefully this time next year we'll be seeing the fruits of it.”

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Breaking and pre-training specialists Laura Vanska and Nicolas Leroch, will be responsible for Haras du Bois. Vanska, a 2015 Godolphin Flying Start graduate, holds a public trainers licence and gained experience with the Ehnrooth family, John Hammond, and Francis-Henri Graffard. She spent the past three years as an assistant to Nicolas Clement. A past showjumper, Leroch worked as Fabrice Chappet's head lad for two years and worked for Madame Fabre for the past eight years.

Nicolas de Chambure said, “Haras d'Etreham now has many more horses in training than in the past. This is explained by the selective nature of the yearling market but also by strategic choices to support our own stallions or investment in race fillies. This growth, combined with the evolution in training methods, means that we have been searching for some years for a property to accommodate both our horses and our clients' horses during the different phases of their development. We are very satisfied to have been able to purchase Haras du Bois which fulfills our requirements exactly. Once the straight training track is completed, it will be a comprehensive facility. Laura and Nicolas have extensive experience with young horses, both in training and also the breaking-in process, and we are delighted to welcome them to the Haras d'Etreham within this new project.”

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SF owns stallions in the U.S., Australia and Europe, and this year the group will find out if its backing of the 2016 champion 3-year-old Almanzor (Fr) will bear fruit, with that three-time Group 1 winner soon set to be represented by his first runners. Meanwhile, SF has continued its patronage of the French breeding business, and in particular the de Chambure family's Haras d'Etreham, by purchasing shares in Etreham's two new flat sires for 2021: Group 1 winners Hello Youmzain (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and Persian King (GB) (Kingman {GB}).

“Our working relationship with Etreham started with Almanzor after [Etreham's Nicolas de Chambure] presented us with an opportunity to purchase an interest whilst he was still in training,” said SF's Tom Ryan. “Nico and his team do a wonderful job at Etreham. He has an energetic, youthful team around him and momentum on his side.”

Hello Youmzain covers his first book this season at an advertised fee of €25,000, and Ryan said of the G1 Haydock Sprint Cup and G1 Diamond Jubilee S. winner, “Hello Youmzain is a particularly beautiful specimen with all the attributes the commercial market looks for in a stallion prospect. His gate speed was electric–that's one of the many invaluable weapons in his arsenal, as demonstrated last summer at Royal Ascot, when he led gate to wire to win the Diamond Jubilee. His looks and sire lines should serve him well. Kodiac and [damsire] Shamardal both continue to leave an indelible mark on the breed.”

Persian King, a Group 3 winner at two who went on to win the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and the G1 Prix d'Ispahan and G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp last year at four, is available for €30,000.

“Persian King, on his best day, was simply brilliant,” Ryan said. “His sire Kingman is well on his way to becoming a dominating force amongst the ranks of the leading Europeans sires. Persian King was remarkably versatile and held in the highest regard by Andre Fabre. He will be supported by some of the most influential European breeders.”

SF's European stallion portfolio also includes the Irish National Stud's G1 Irish 2000 Guineas winner Phoenix Of Spain (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), and Ryan noted that the operation is supporting its young sires in Europe with its select broodmare band based there. Chief among those is Black Dahlia (GB) (Dansili {GB}), whose stock was considerably bolstered in 2020 when her G3 Round Tower S. winner Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) picked up placings in the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas, G1 Prix Jean Prat, G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest and GI Breeders' Cup Mile. Black Dahlia's G2 Vintage S. scorer Dark Vision (Ire) (Dream Ahead) won last year's G2 Oettingen Rennen as well as Royal Ascot's Royal Hunt Cup.

“Black Dahlia is arguably our flagship mare in Europe,” Ryan said. “She is a three-time stakes producer and is coming into this season off the back of a phenomenal 2020. She foaled a beautiful filly by Wootton Bassett this month and will be bred back to Hello Youmzain.”

SF is also supporting Hello Youmzain with the maiden mare Malakeh (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}), who was a listed winner and Classic-placed in Germany and third in Woodbine's G2 Nassau S.; and Sumthingtotalkabt (Mutakddim), whose Grade III-winning daughter Lady Shipman (Midshipman) is the dam of last year's GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner Golden Pal (Uncle Mo).

“Malakeh is a maiden mare for 2021,” Ryan said. “Nicolas de Chambure purchased her at Keeneland in November of 2020 [for $115,000] and we were delighted to partner with him and her racing owner Sol Kumin. She was bred and began her racing career in Europe and then raced and ultimately retired in the U.S. She is in foal to Hello Youmzain.

“Sumthingtotalkabt is a mare that we have owned in the U.S. for a number of years. She is the dam of Lady Shipman, making her the second dam of Golden Pal, the 2020 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner who was also second in the G2 Norfolk S. at Royal Ascot. She's a great example of a proven mare that we think can really bolster the book of a young sire so we sent her to France to be bred to Hello Youmzain.”

Persian King, meanwhile, will have the support of Eversmile (Theatrical {Ire}), the dam of four stakes horses including Grade I winners Coil (Point Given) and Chiropractor (Kitten's Joy), and young listed-winning mare Northern Eclipse (Northern Afleet). Eversmile, who is also a half-sister to American champion turf mare Possibly Perfect (Northern Baby) first visited Europe in 2014 to be covered by Galileo (Ire), a mating that resulted in the Grade III-placed Decorating, and she returned last year to visit Almanzor (Fr), to whom she is due to foal soon.

“Eversmile is another anchor broodmare for us in Europe,” Ryan said. “She is a Theatrical mare from a beautiful family and is a four-time stakes-producing mare. She is in-foal to Almanzor and will be bred to Persian King.

“Northern Eclipse is a newer addition to our broodmare band in Europe. She is a stakes-winning mare by Northern Afleet. We purchased her off the track in the U.S. and sent her to Europe to be bred to Phoenix Of Spain. She foaled a big, strong filly by him in January and will be bred back to Persian King.”

With stallion shares and broodmares stationed on three continents, one can imagine SF's matings planning to be something of a jigsaw puzzle. Ryan said key factors taken into consideration include conformation and getting young sires off the ground.

“We try to keep our matings process as straightforward as possible,” he said. “I think it's easy to get lost in the weeds and there is a lot to consider. For us, physicality is a big component; I don't think mating ill-matched physicals is ever a good idea, so we pay attention to previous progeny and what they have taught us. Oftentimes, though, we are mating with our stallions in mind and so we come at it not only from the angle of getting the best mating for our mares but also trying to give our stallions some solid support, especially the younger ones.”

Ryan acknowledged the importance of SF supporting its young sires especially during their second, third and fourth years in light of the market's bias towards first-season or proven sires.

“The market certainly is favoring top proven and first-season horses, so for us I think it's important that we support the young sires we're invested in to ensure that they have plenty in the pipeline when their first runners hit the track, and also to make sure that they're well represented at the sales with progeny out of both proven established broodmares and also younger mares that excelled on the track,” he said. “We understand what draws breeders to top proven horses and to first-season stallions, but there are plenty of excellent young stallions like Almanzor in subsequent years at stud that are being well supported and deservedly so. We know that if we want breeder support of our stallions in their second, third, and fourth seasons, we have to show that we believe in them too.”

SF, which typically offers its European stock at public auction, has partnered with de Chambure to race an Almanzor colt bought for 160,000gns at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale in 2019.

“By virtue of our smaller numbers in Europe we haven't typically retained to race, however we did purchase an Almanzor weanling colt in 2019 with Nicolas de Chambure,” Ryan said. “Now a 2-year-old, he is named Faro de San Juan (Ire) and is in training with Francis Graffard. We are very excited about Almanzor; he has all the makings of a top sire and is poised to follow in his sire Wootton Bassett's footsteps.”

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