Haras de Beaumont Buys Into Classic Hero Ace Impact 

The Prix du Jockey Club winner Ace Impact (Fr) (Cracksman {GB}), who is currently the top-rated three-year-old in Europe, is to continue his racing career for a partnership which consists of his original owner Serge Stempniak and the Chehboub family. Upon his eventual retirement, he will stand at the Chehboub-owned Haras de Beaumont, close to Deauville.

Unbeaten in four starts to date, Ace Impact set a new race record in winning his Classic for Stempniak and trainer Jean-Claude Rouget. From the first crop of Cracksman, who was one of the earliest stars for his sire Frankel (GB), he was bred by Waltraut Spanner. Unsurprisingly, there has been interest in the exciting young colt from stallion farms around Europe.

“I was very keen for Ace Impact to remain in France for his future stallion career,” said Stempniak. ” It was also very important for me to engage in a French partnership. I had a lot of offers from abroad. However, I thought that this was a shame because the horse certainly has a great career ahead of him in the breeding shed in France. I'm very happy to enter into a partnership with the Chehboub family whom I met a short while ago. We hit it off straight away. They are people with great human values. I have retained a 50 per cent stake in Ace Impact, and the terms of our agreement stipulate that the horse will carry the colours of both concerns on an alternate race basis.  My last condition was that Ace Impact's Arc bid should be in my colours.”

Pauline Chehboub owns Haras de Beaumont with her father Kamel, traditionally racing their horses under the banner of La Gousserie. The stud, which is on part of the land formerly used by the historic Haras du Quesnay, was officially launched in December and is already home to the stallions Sealiway (Fr), who covered 160 mares in his first season this spring, and Intello (Ger), who was sent 130 mares.

She said, “Ace Impact is the best Classic winner of his generation in Europe, and his rating ranks him among the top five horses in the world. Ace Impact represents an exceptional opportunity for French breeders. We're really of the same mindset as Serge Stempniak, as letting him go abroad would have been a huge loss. He's also a very attractive type. With the help of Mathieu Alex, who is a key lynchpin in the success of Haras de Beaumont, we are fortunate to have enjoyed a successful first breeding season.”

Jean-Claude Rouget signed for Ace Impact as a yearling at Arqana for €75,000. He has indicated that his ultimate aim this season is the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, with the colt likely to be seen next in Deauville in the G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano. After that, Ace Impact could head either to Longchamp for the G2 Prix Niel, or to Leopardstown to contest the G1 Irish Champion S.

The trainer said, “This is a very good indicator for French racing and breeding. Kamel Chehboub has made a major statement by purchasing a 50 per cent stake in Ace Impact, and with the aim of standing him as a stallion at his Normandy stud when his racing career ends. Serge Stempniak, having acquired the colt as a yearling at the Deauville sales, will retain 50 per cent in the colt, at least until the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, in which we hope to run.”

Haras de Beaumont manager Mathieu Alex, who played a key role in the stallion career of another Prix du Jockey Club winner, Le Havre (Ire), added, “The stallion business is extremely competitive, so securing a high-class horse like Ace Impact is fantastic news for Haras de Beaumont and for France. Unbeaten, Ace Impact is the fastest Prix du Jockey Club winner and his rating of 123 makes him the best three-year-old in the world today. He's got a great mind and his turn of foot is exceptional. In the care of one of the best European trainers, Jean-Claude Rouget, his future is exciting.”

 

 

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German Duo Making an Impact in France 

In setting a new record time in last Sunday's Prix du Jockey Club, Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}) became the first Classic winner for his breeder Waltraut Spanner and the first to be raised at Barbara Moser's Haras du Long Champ. 

Moser had previously come close to tasting Jockey Club victory as a breeder herself when Patascoy (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) finished second in the 2018 edition, just half a length off Study Of Man (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).

“To win a race, any race, is always special, and this victory yielded the strongest emotions that you can imagine,” Moser says, “This win truly was a consecration, an apotheosis, a dream made reality! It is the dream of any breeder! When Patascoy ran, it was somewhat different as it was our first runner in the Jockey Club. I was incredibly stressed before, during, and even after the race. We came so close to winning, beaten by a short distance and with an enquiry.”

She adds, “This time around, I was less anxious before the race. I have already got used to having Classic runners! When Ace Impact began to pass his competitors one after another, it was an indescribable and unforgettable feeling.” 

Waltraut Spanner, who is, like Moser, a German native, first sent her mares to Haras du Long Champ in 2018, and the 2023 Jockey Club hero is the first generation of Spanner's young stock to have been raised there.

“I remember when they came to visit and it was pouring with rain, so I couldn't show them anything,” Moser says. “But I think that they were happy to find someone who spoke their language. They came by when on a tour of Normandy, just out of curiosity. Their first mare arrived here in 2018, and the rest came the following year. Our clientele on the stud is very international, and principally German.”

Owing to a downsizing of Spanner's breeding and racing operation, Ace Impact was sold as a yearling, consigned by Elise Drouet's Domaine de l'Etang, for €75,000 to his trainer Jean-Claude Rouget. His dam, Absolutly Me (Fr) (Anabaa Blue {Fr}), was bred by Eric Puerari and had been bought as a yearling by Henri-Alex Pantall. 

Spanner, along with her husband, had horses in training with Pantall at the time, as she explains. “During one of our visits, he showed us two yearlings that he had recently purchased: one of which was Absolutly Me,” she says. “We were so impressed by her that we bought her straightaway.”

The filly, who won on debut and was stakes-placed at two and three, then became the first broodmare for her owner. Her first cover to Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire) produced the hardy Apollo Flight (Fr), who won or placed on 20 of his 28 starts. Absolutly Me has since visited two sons and two grandsons of Galileo–Nathaniel (GB), Australia (Ire), Cracksman (GB) and Gleneagles (Ire)–each time producing inbreeding to the great Allegretta (GB) through the mare's damsire, the Prix du Jockey Club winner Anabaa Blue (GB) (Anabaa).

“This inbreeding was of course our intention as we soon realised that the Galileo-Allegretta mating worked very well with her pedigree,” says Spanner. “[Absolutly Me] doesn't have a yearling this year, but she does have a very nice colt foal by Waldgeist (GB), another son of Galileo. This year, for different reasons, she was covered by Almanzor (Fr).”

Spanner, who has been an owner since 2006, currently has three horses in training in France: two with Jerome Reynier and the two-year-old half-brother to Ace Impact, named Arrow Eagle (Fr) (Gleneagles), is with Jean-Claude Rouget. Spanner is one of an increasing number of German owner-breeders to cross the Rhine with their breeding stock.

“We decided to come to France as there is more activity here than in Germany, with a higher grade of racing and of course the owners' and breeders' premiums make it very attractive,” she explains. “We then chose to send our mares to Haras du Long Champ as it is a mid-sized stud, and Barbara and her partner [William Thareau] are extremely focused on providing the best possible environment for the horses. And, of course, Barbara is German too! I believe that the success that they have comes from the fact that they both have many years of experience and are personally involved at every step of the process.” 

All well as having bred Patascoy and raised Ace Impact, Moser is also the breeder of the high-class Light Infantry (Fr) (Fast Company {Ire}), who has thrice been runner-up at Group 1 level. His dam, Lights On Me (GB) (Kyllachy{GB}), was sold privately by Moser before passing through the ring at last year's Tattersalls December Sale where she was sold for 330,000gns. “When selecting a mare, there are certain things that I like to see in a pedigree, including a pedigree that is easy to cross with the majority of stallions that are easily available, who descend from Danehill and/or Galileo,” Moser says. “I also like mares that ran over a mile. Physically, I like mares that have an attractive, expressive head, and balance.”

It's also noticeable through Moser's matings that she rarely favours the commercial sires who produce sales favourites, rather tending towards the proven but less fashionable (and less expensive) options. Her sales consignments rarely draw fireworks, with Light Infantry picked from her draft for just €25,000, and Patascoy for €40,000, but Haras du Long Champ has a well-deserved reputation for breeding sound horses. 

“We take each horse on a case-by-case basis,” she says. “And I think it's important not to take them too far away from their natural habits–a horse is made to live outside. At the same time, we want them to become athletes at the highest level and so they need to be robust. Feeding is supremely important in the early years of a horse's life. This profession is one of observation, 24 hours a day, to pick up on any issues as early as possible and ensure the wellbeing of the animal. This, for me, is the base of breeding, although I don't think that we have invented anything new. Each person has their own way of doing things as best they can.”

Three Group 1 horses in five years will count as a success for any breeding operation. It is also worth noting that it is just 11 years since Moser's first experience at the highest level as a breeder when, in 2012, Testa Rossi (Fr) (Dr Fong) took second in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Her results and her personal broodmare band have seen significant improvement over this period. 

“Each year, we cull our broodmare band and invest in new mares,” says Moser. “So we have improved our stock and our results, as seen on the track. We are a small operation, and we treat each horse individually, and with the utmost care. This daily attention means that we miss very little on the farm. I really believe in the importance of surveying everything that happens during the day.”

Based just an hour from Deauville, Haras du Long Champ is part of the property surrounding the magnificent 18th century Manoir de Cléronde, and the stud land was inaugurated by Comte Joseph de Lastours in 1938. 

“Horses were part of my life since childhood,” says Moser. “My grandfather was a trotting trainer. However, my parents forbade me from working with horses and so I continued with my studies, although always keeping one eye on racing.”

Having worked in racing in her home country and Australia, she started breeding in France in 2001, and managed the breeding interests of Maurice de Lastours at Haras de Gruchy, before setting up Haras du Long Champ with William Thareau on part of that property in 2004.

She says, “We had a very modest broodmare band in the beginning, but we regularly produced winners. One of the first of those was Ile De Re (Fr) (Linamix {Fr}), who won both the Chester Cup and the Northumberland Plate in the same year. His dam, Ile Mamou (Ire) (Ela Mana Mou {Ire}) is Long Champ's 'first lady' and has been with us for 29 years–I bought her as a yearling.”

Moser adds, “I love France. There are vast pastures to raise horses, with the ideal climate, and the racing system here is very favourable for the breeder.”

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Marhaba Ya Sanafi Seeking Classic Double 

Twelve horses stood their ground for Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club, led by Jaber Abdullah's homebred G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner Marhaba Ya Sanafi (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}), and there will be one supplementary entry in Feed The Flame (Fr) (Kingman {GB}).

The Andreas Schutz-trained Marhaba Ya Sanafi is joined by Yeguada Centurion's Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), who has won a pair of Group 3 contests for Christopher Head this season and is the current market favourite.

The unbeaten Feed The Flame is trained by Pascal Bary, a six-time winner of the French Classic, who said, “Feed The Flame had a few issues at two and it was only in February that he started to come to hand and he has improved throughout with each run.

“He has only run twice, but he is professional enough that he can handle the Prix du Jockey Club. He's a very big horse and like all big horses, he needed time to grow into himself. At the time the entries were made I never thought he'd be running this Sunday.

“He only made his debut six weeks ago. I thought he would win but I didn't think he would win that easily. We then ran him again quickly because I felt if he had any chance of running in this, he would need time between a second run and a Classic. When he won easily again we then made the decision the supplement him.”

Almost half the likely field is supplied by two stables, with Jean-Claude Rouget keeping Rajapour (Ire) (Almanzor {GB}), Padishakh (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}) in contention, while Aidan O'Brien also has the trio of Adelaide River (Ire) (Australia {GB}), Cairo (Ire) (Quality Road) and Continuous  (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) still engaged.

The French Classic has long been the target for the John and Thady Gosden-trained Epictetus (GB) (Kingman {GB}), who won the Blue Riband Trial at Epsom for owner/breeder George Strawbridge. Another homebred, the G3 Prix Noailles winner Flight Leader (GB) (Frankel {GB}), represents Juddmonte Farms and Andre Fabre.

Malcolm Parrish's American Flag (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) had the beating of Marhaba Ya Sanafi in the G3 Prix de Fontainebleau before running fourth in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains. He represents the Deauville stable of Yann Barberot, while Chantilly-based Alessandro Botti, whose brother Endo recently won the G2 Derby Italiano with Goldenas (Ire) (Golden Horn {GB}), will saddle Listed Prix de l'Avre winner Winter Pudding (Fr) (Seahenge).

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Head Rock Steady as Classic Dream Builds

It has been a good spell for Christopher Head. On Sunday, his colt Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) became the latest group winner for owner-breeder Yeguada Centurion, followed two days later by a TDN Rising Star award for the trainer's first juvenile runner of the season, Ramatuelle (Justify), who demolished her opposition in the Prix du Premier Pas at Chantilly.

This prominent start to the season picks up where Head left off last year: his first Group 1 success came in October's Prix Marcel Boussac with Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), another Yeguada Centurion homebred.

It would be easy to imagine that the 36-year-old has merely waltzed in to pick up the reins upon the retirement of his father Freddy last year, but in fact he started out four years ago with a handful of horses trained from boxes rented from Pascal Bary, saying at the time, “I wanted to be seen as a trainer in my own right.”

That he very much is now. His appearance in the training ranks coincided with the expansion of the breeding operation of Spaniard Leopoldo Fernandez Pujals, whose Yeguada Centurion banner is now represented on the racecourse by the offspring of the mares recruited in France, Ireland, Britain and America at some considerable expense. These included Hardiyna (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), a close relative of dual Derby winner Harzand (Ire), who was bought unraced from the Aga Khan Studs carrying her first foal, who would go on to be named Big Rock and become one of the leading French Classic prospects of the season.

“Many factors affect me when it comes to Big Rock,” says Head, who has nurtured the colt through six starts to date, winning for the first time in a handicap at Chantilly in February before going on to an easy victory in the Listed Prix Maurice Caillault, then Sunday's G3 Prix La Force. What was most taking about his recent win is the manner in which he dominated the race from the off before finding more when asked to go on in the final furlong. 

“Starting with the colt himself: he is beautiful, willing in his work and talented. He is also from a renowned Aga Khan maternal family and I have a great respect and admiration for Prince Aga Khan. Being French and a lover of horse racing, how could it be otherwise?

“Big Rock is one of the last offspring of Rock of Gibraltar, who was a fabulous Classic racehorse. During his stallion career, Rock of Gibraltar has produced both Group 1 winners and horses capable of winning more than 10 races in their career. I admire this type of career and it is also the type of pathway that I hope to have with horses that will perform as well on the track as at breeding.”

Head adds, “And last but not least, he is a representative of the Yeguada Centurion colours and their young breeding operation. The Yeguada is the owner that brought me my first group winner, and that is a special attachment in a trainer's career.

“I owe him everything and of course we are nothing as trainers without the right horses.”

That first group winner was Sibila Spain (Ire), who took last season's G2 Prix du Muguet, and she had also been Head's first Classic runner a year earlier when fourth in the G1 Prix de Diane. As well as the success of Blue Rose Cen last year, the stable was also represented by Tigrais (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}), owned by OTI Racing and Gerard Augustin Normand. The winner of the G3 Prix La Rochette, she is another potential Classic contender this year.

In regard to Big Rock's immediate future, Head outlines, “Plan A is to go the Prix de Guiche [on May 9] to prepare for the Prix du Jockey Club. I still want to see how he is after Sunday's race but he seems to have come out of it brilliantly.”

Blue Rose Cen, meanwhile, is set to shed her winter wraps and step back into the limelight at Longchamp on Sunday for the G3 Prix de la Grotte, which could also feature Tigrais, depending on the weather in the interim.

“We are on schedule for everything,” Head says. “Blue Rose Cen is ready for her first race of the season, and of course the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches is going to be the main target.

“She's a fast learner and always wanted to work, and she hasn't changed a bit in that respect. She has strengthened up over the winter. She has a great mental attitude and I think that's what really makes the difference.”

He continues, “We will see after the Pouliches if she can go up to 2,100m for the Prix de Diane, but it's too early to say yet.”

Of her stable-mate, Head adds, “We know that Tigrais doesn't cope with heavy ground, so we will see. At the moment the plan is for her also to go to the Prix de la Grotte, but if it rains all week we won't go there. The only thing that counts is doing what's right for her.”

From that initial team of six horses back in 2019, the inhabitants of his Chantilly stable, which he bought from his father, have grown in number to around 50. Their owners include Eric Puerari, Haras d'Etreham, Guy Pariente, Nurlan Bizakov, Haras de la Gousserie, Qatar Racing, and of course his family's Haras du Quesnay, which has two homebreds by Recoletos (Fr) in the yard.

“We are trying to grow in a way that we are able to keep the quality of work that we are doing right now,” he says. “I am very happy with the team that I've built up and I'm very happy with the owners we have with us who are helping us to grow and to go into those races. 

“We bought the stable this year so now we are able to stay in one place. It's good to be able to tell people that we are here to stay for a long time. We are at around 50 horses this year. I think we will stay at this number for now, and we already have what we need for this season, but of course we are open for next season for new owners.”

Last year represented a significant time of change for the Head family and for French racing itself, with the death of patriarch Alec Head at the age of 97 in June, and the retirement of Freddy Head in September. Moreover, the family's revered Haras du Quesnay is also in the process of changing hands. But the name that has become synonymous with Chantilly is still represented among the training ranks by Christopher and his sister Victoria, who has trained her first two winners this year.

“I really want to be able to continue what my grandfather and my father have built,” Head says. “It's hard for me to say that I will be as good as them because they have done so many things that are impressive, but I will try to continue in this way.”

Quizzed by TDN on Tuesday morning as to how his juvenile team for 2023 was shaping up, he had replied, “It's a bit early but will be able to assess the others from what happens today. It's about the first runner, and then everything else sorts itself out after that.”

So, after watching Ramatuelle put clear daylight between herself and her 14 rivals at Chantilly, how's he feeling now?

“I am very happy. I've never had a filly that had that much speed and precocity at the same time. This race was really important and I'm really happy that the stable is capable of having that kind of programme for her,” Head says.

“It's too soon to make firm plans. For now, the plan is to stay in France for her next race, whatever happens. But of course we will have a discussion, and it could be an option to go to Royal Ascot for the Queen Mary, but we will see.”

 

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