Zarkava To Visit Siyouni

Zarkava (Ire) (Zamindar), the Aga Khan's unbeaten 2008 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner and the dam of last year's champion French first-season sire Zarak (Fr), will be covered by another Aga Khan superstar, Siyouni (Fr), in 2022. Zarkava has already produced the listed-winning filly Zaykava (Fr) from a mating with Siyouni, and she has a yearling colt by the French champion sire. Zarkava's listed-winning and Group 1-placed daughter Zarkamiya (Fr) (Frankel {GB}) is currently in foal to Siyouni.

Siyouni stands for a second consecutive season for €140,000 at the Aga Khan's Haras de Bonneval, and his 2022 book also includes Bob Scarborough's Cabaret (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the dam of Siyouni's 2021 Horse of the Year and dual Classic winner St Mark's Basilica (Fr).

Other Aga Khan homebred Group 1 performers or producers booked to Siyouni this season include the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic victress Dolniya (Fr) (Azamour {Ire}), whose first two foals are stakes performers; Ebiyza (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), the dam of high-class fillies Edisa (Kitten's Joy) and Ebaiyra (Distorted Humor); and the maiden mare Sagamiyra (Fr) (Sea The Moon {Ger}), who won the G3 Prix du Pin last year and was second to Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) in the G1 Prix Rothschild.

Outside breeders supporting Siyouni include Wertheimer et Frere, George Strawbridge and Kirsten Rausing, who will collectively send Group 1 winners Solemia (Ire) (Poliglote {GB}), Galikova (Fr) (Galileo {Ire}), With You (GB) (Dansili {GB}), Left Hand (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Madame Chiang (GB) (Archipenko). Juddmonte will send the dams of Group 1 winners Viadera (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) and Juliet Foxtrot (GB) (Dansili {GB}).

Siyouni's 2022 book also includes sisters to Group 1 winners Japan (GB), Mogul (GB), Secret Gesture (GB), Lope De Vega (Ire), Zelzal (Fr), Timepiece (GB), Passage Of Time (GB), Sacred Life (Fr) and National Defense (GB), as well as the dams of Group 1 winners A Raving Beauty (Ger) and Wings Of Eagles (Fr).

Among the mares due to foal to Siyouni this season are Starlet's Sister (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the dam of Siyouni's Arc and Prix du Jockey Club winner Sottsass (Fr); Group 2 winner and multiple Group 1-placed Eziyra (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}); Group 1 winners Kitesurf (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Watch Me (Fr) (Olympic Glory {Ire}) and Qemah (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), and Venetia's Dream (Ire), the dam of G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches winner Dream And Do (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}).

The post Zarkava To Visit Siyouni appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

No Starlet But Monceaux Still Aiming For The Stars

Since 2012, Ecurie des Monceaux has had a stranglehold of the top consignor spot at the Arqana August Yearling Sale. The only unusual thing about last year was the fact that the auction was not actually held in August, with Covid complications forcing it to be renamed the Select Sale and held in mid-September. Otherwise, it was business as usual for Henri Bozo and his team, who sold 32 yearlings for €10,682,000. 

Almost a quarter of that sum was given for the Dubawi (Ire) filly out of one of Monceaux's crown jewels, Starlet's Sister (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who sold for €2.5 million to lead the sale and is now in training with Roger Varian for HH Shaikh Nasser Al Khalifa and KHK Racing. This time around there may be no starlet, but hopefully plenty of stars, as Monceaux has shipped in 38 yearlings from its Normandy base less than an hour from Arqana's Deauville sales complex.

“Everybody has asked me about Starlet's Sister's yearling but, obviously, for reasons that everybody can understand, we've decided to keep her,” says Bozo, who, despite having arguably one of the most stressful jobs in French bloodstock as his biggest week of the year approaches, does an exceptionally convincing impression of someone without a worry in the world.

He adds, “She's a really nice Dubawi filly, but it would be a huge professional error to sell this filly without having a sister to make sure the family is still in our hands, because all the fillies have been sold so far. They are all in the hands of Peter Brant, except the 2-year-old. We are really happy to keep this one.”

Perhaps we will see Starlet's Sister's current foal, a full-brother to last year's Arc winner Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), at Arqana next August, but for now there are plenty of other youngsters worth perusing, including half-siblings to five Group/Grade 1 winners and the first yearling by Triple Crown winner Justify to be offered in Europe. In fact, as is to be expected at a select sale, the draft is replete with yearlings by some of the biggest stallion names in world breeding, including Galileo (Ire), Frankel (GB), Dubawi (Ire), Siyouni (Fr), Lope De Vega (Ire), Sea The Stars (Ire) and Medaglia d'Oro. That geographical spread also reflects the broad international client base of Ecurie des Monceaux, many of whom are in strategic partnerships which have flourished despite the fact that so many of us have been restricted to our own countries for much of the last 18 months.

Bozo says, “For the moment, it feels like we are back to normal, and I think that everybody is happy to get back to normal. Fortunately, our business has been pretty much the same. I mean, the only thing is that we have been travelling less so there has been less linking up with people. But from the technical point of view it has been exactly the same, and maybe even better because we have all been on the farm more and focusing on new projects or trying to improve things. But we meet fewer people, and I think everybody is quite impatient to travel a bit and meet people again.”

He continues, “I think it's a very positive aspect. It means that we are bringing more people in, and that can be people already in the business or people discovering the business. And I think, for everyone, it gives confidence to join with breeders and to be in partnership with others, to invest in a mare or to invest in yearlings, or to join the game. We now have a wide range of partners from America, China, Australia, England, Germany, Greece, and from France too. And I must say that it's very challenging. There is great input of ideas at the meetings, for the decisions, for everything, and I really enjoy it. It takes more time, of course, but it's interesting. And I think it's something that many French breeders share now.”

Sottsass and his half-sibling Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) hog the top of the leader board on the Monceaux hall of fame with 11 Group/Grade 1 wins between them, but they are just two of nine top-flight winners to have emanated from the farm over the last decade. Another of those is the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner National Defense (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Fr}), the young Irish National Stud stallion who notched his first stakes winner at Deauville over the weekend with Twilight Gleaming (Ire). National Defense's half-sister by Siyouni is set to sell on Sunday as lot 133, and the family has received an extra boost this season as the filly shares her second dam Anna Palariva (Ire) (Caerleon) with the Derby and King George winner Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).

The aforementioned Justify filly, who appears during Saturday evening's opening session as lot 52, is the second foal of Media Mischief, an Into Mischief half-sister to Juddmonte's G1 Prix de Diane winner Nebraska Tornado (Storm Cat). In keeping with the heightened online information now provided by consignors in the wake of the pandemic, Monceaux has produced its own mini-catalogue which is available on its website and comes compete with handy annotated updates. In the case of this filly, potential buyers can instantly see that the mare's first foal is in training with Wesley Ward and her current foal is a colt by Siyouni.

Monceaux also consigns the sole yearling by another American-based sire at a more advanced stage of his career, Medaglia d'Oro. Lot 15 is the first foal of the listed-placed Golden Attitude (Redoute's Choice {Aus}), herself a daughter of G3 Prix Cleopatre winner Gold Round (Ire), a half-sister to champion miler Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa).

“We have a mix, most of them by very proven sires, like Lope de Vega, who is a horse I love for his statistics at group level,” says Bozo. “We've got two very nice yearlings by Dubawi, who is an amazing stallion. We are very lucky to be able to use him. I'm very enthusiastic about the Medaglia d'Oro colt from the great family of Goldikova, and Medaglia d'Oro is such a good, tough sire.”

Another family which regularly features prominently in the Monceaux draft is that of Platonic (GB) (Zafonic), the grandam of Group 1 winners Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), both of whom are daughters of Prudenzia (GB) (Dansili {GB}). Two of the latter's sisters, Prudente (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and Pacifique (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) have yearlings in the forthcoming sale, with Prudente being represented by her Lope De Vega colt (lot 79) and Pacifique by a Kodiac (GB) filly (lot 70). The latter has already produced the Group 3 winner Paix (GB).

“Paix is by Muhaarar (GB) who is also a sprinting type,” says Bozo, explaining his decision to send the mare to Kodiac. “We wanted to bring a bit more power and maybe a bit more speed into the family. Pacifique is a nice, rangy mare with a great stride and we wanted to try to bring a bit of compactness to her.”

The immediate family has received two more Classic updates this year with Philomene (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who topped the 2019 August Sale at €1,625,000 having finished runner-up in the G1 Prix de Diane and Chicquita's daughter Nicest (Ire) (American Pharaoh) taking third in the G1 Irish Oaks.

Promoting Youth

When Antoine Bellanger, Ecurie des Monceaux's yearling manager of 10 years, left to set up his own consigning business Arcadia Elevage, into his shoes last year stepped the youthful Jordan Tancrede.

“Jordan has been with us for nine years,” says Bozo. “He was a really young kid when he arrived and he looked like he was 10 years old. He arrived here one day with his parents and he told me, 'I love animals. I love horses, I love rabbits, I love any animal.' He had a really kind face and he learned to work here with our team. We soon found that he was not only a great horseman but also very good with people, very kind and gentle.”

Bozo arranged work for his protégé at studs in Australia, America and England to give him a better understanding of different regional practices within the industry. 

He adds, “Then, he came back, and when Antoine started his own venture we decided to give a chance to Jordan, who has grown up a lot and now looks like he's 12 and a half. And I was honestly amazed by the way he handled the pressure, because, you can say whatever you like, you've got pressure when you bring yearlings to the sales. There is a lot of expectation for the owners, for everyone. He handles that very well and he's a real gentleman and horse lover who works really hard. And, like a rugby captain, he leads the team by his example.”

Tancrede is actually now 24, which is still a very young age to hold such a position of responsibility on a major stud farm, but his approach to his job displays a maturity beyond his years.

Heading into his second August Sale at the helm of the yearling team after topping last year's auction, Tancrede says, “I'm not nervous. I can't explain that, but you need to stay focused on the programme. And if I stay focused, all the team is going to stay focused as well.”

He continues, “For me it starts with the animal. I love all animals, definitely the horses, and I love caring for them. Sometimes the job can be a bit difficult, like in the winter when we got a lot of bad weather, but that's also the time when we can make all the difference because every day we bring the horses inside. We don't leave them all out in the fields. And every day when we bring the horses in, we handle them, we checks their legs. All the details are very important.”

Those details are constantly logged and programmes adjusted to suit the individual, especially when the countdown to the sales begins through the formal prep.

“They change a lot during that time,” Tancrede explains. “Every week we have a meeting and we check the feed, the care, note if a horse has any problems. They are all different, so we need to keep data for every horse and change the programme slightly, horse by horse.”

The post No Starlet But Monceaux Still Aiming For The Stars appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

The Weekly Wrap: The Power And The Glory

It has been quite the week for two young stallions from Tally-Ho Stud. We barely stopped hearing about Mehmas (Ire) last season during his record-breaking assault on the freshman sires' championship, and the big question is always how a stallion will follow up on that early promise. It can be a long way to fall after a reputation is so swiftly created, but in the case of the 7-year-old son of Acclamation (GB) it looks very much as if he is consolidating his position as a stallion to follow with great interest. 

He now leads the second-season sires' list in Europe and has accrued progeny earnings almost double his nearest rival, Territories (Ire). A further nine black-type winners have been added this year, including Saturday's G3 Anglesey S. winner Beauty Inspire (Ire) and Going Global (Ire), who has doubtless broadened Mehmas's international appeal by winning three graded stakes in California. 

Almost certain to try his hand next in stakes company will be Gubbass (Ire), of whom we will hear more in tomorrow's TDN, the unbeaten winner of the Weatherbys Super Sprint.

Mehmas's fee rose in line with that burgeoning reputation from his 2020 low of €7,500 to €25,000 (he began his career at €12,500). By all accounts, his book was not difficult to fill at that price. Quite the opposite in fact.

Cotai Glory (GB) joined the Tally-Ho roster the following year and, of the 85 named foals from his first crop, more than half of them have already made it to the racecourse: 46 at the time of writing, of which 21 are now winners.

Six of those winners came in an eye-catching week for the 9-year-old stallion, which also included a second group victory for Atomic Force (Ire), who has now landed the G2 Prix Robert Papin and G3 Prix du Bois from his two French forays. Trained by Kevin Ryan for Siu Pak Kwan, the juvenile was gelded after his runner-up finish on debut at Musselburgh and has won all three subsequent starts. Naturally, he is now ruled out of a stud career himself but that only means that, like his sire, Atomic Force could potentially have a fairly lengthy career, whether he remains in Europe or heads to Hong Kong, where his owner is also heavily involved.

Cotai Glory himself raced for four years, winning the G3 Molecomb S. in his debut season. The son of top dual-hemisphere sire Exceed And Excel (Aus) had the G2 Flying Childers S. at his mercy on his next start, only to jink within the final furlong and unship his rider George Baker. An out-and-out sprinter, he raced beyond the minimum trip only five times in his 30 starts, and ran his fellow freshman sire Profitable (Ire) to a neck when second in the G1 King's Stand S. as a 4-year-old.

Over the last few years, there has been a concerted push by French racing to encourage more British owners to race in France for improved prize-money. How much the pandemic and onerous restrictions have acted as a deterrent for owners who would be unable to travel to see their horses is unknown, but undoubtedly the double whammy of Covid and Brexit has led to a significant drop in horse movements between the UK and France. 

Ryan is one of those trainers who has persisted with travelling horses and now has two group wins to show for it, while Charlie Appleby landed last week's G1 Grand Prix de Paris in scintillating fashion with the Irish Derby winner Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). 

Remarkably, the Robert Papin has been won by British-based trainers in nine of the last 10 years, and has only gone to a French trainer in 11 of the last 30 years. The first three home this time around were all trained outside France, with Italy's Vincenzo Fazio sending out the runner-up Baghed (GB) (Twilight Son {GB}) and George Boughey continuing his good season with the third-placed Hellomydarlin (GB). The latter represents another young Tally-Ho Stud resident, Galileo Gold (GB), who is alone among his peers in having sired two first-crop stakes winners to date in the listed winners Ebro River (Ire) and System (Ire). Both Hellomydarlin and Ebro River were bred by the O'Callaghans at Tally-Ho, as was Saturday's Redcar novice winner Uncs (Ire)–another from the Boughey stable.

Tally-Ho Stud can also claim some reflected praise from Cotai Glory's nearest challenger in the freshman sires' table, Ardad (Ire). The Overbury Stud stallion is currently leading the British charge and has similarly encouraging statistics in that he had only 63 named foals, 31 of which have run to date providing him with 14 winners including the G2 Norfolk S. winner Perfect Power (GB). He is trained by Richard Fahey, who also has Ardad's G2 Coventry S-placed Vintage Clarets (GB). Ardad was himself bred and breezed by Tally-Ho and is a son of the stud's flagship stallion Kodiac (GB), who is now in danger of being upstaged by some of his barn-mates.

Japan's Global Outlook

On the back of a strong Tattersalls July Sale in Newmarket, the JRHA's dominant Select Sale also returned a clearance rate of 93% and some eye-watering figures for its consecutive sessions of yearlings and foals in Hokkaido. The equivalent of roughly £150 million (€175 million) was spent across the two days, and though international participation is not necessarily a theme of the sale, particularly during the pandemic, there is no shortage of global interest when it comes to the bloodlines on offer. 

Even among just the top ten lots on each day, the foals and yearlings represented mares who had been recruited, usually by the Yoshida brothers, from around the world, including America, Australia, Argentina, Britain, Ireland, France and Germany.

Katsumi Yoshida also contributed last week to a new world record for the pandemic-inspired boom market of digital sales when buying the Australian Group 1 winner Funstar (Aus) (Adelaide {Ire}) for A$2.7 million. This made her the second highest-priced broodmare sold in Australia this year whether online or in person.

Yoshida's Northern Farm is also home to Funstar's fellow Group 1-winning half-sister Youngstar (Aus) (High Chaparral {Ire}) whom he acquired for A$1.4 million. Another of their half-sisters, the minor winner Baggy Green (Aus) (Galileo {Ire}), is the dam of the treble Group 1 winner Tofane (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}), and the family traces its way back through the first two generations at least, to Ireland and Britain.

The sisters are grand-daughters of Bill Gredley's User Friendly (GB) (Slip Anchor {GB}), who won the Oaks, Irish Oaks, Yorkshire Oaks and St Leger and was second in the Arc through her outstanding Classic season. She was sold at the end of her racing career at Keeneland for $2.5 million to Kazuo Nakamura and her first two daughters, User History (Mr Prospector) and Lady Venus (Kingmambo), both ended up as broodmares in Japan. Resold four years later to Barronstown Stud for $1.7 million, User Friendly went on to produce seven winners in Europe, including Funstar's dam Starspangled (Ire) (Danehill).

The family has also been represented in Europe in recent seasons by the Gredleys' 2018 champion juvenile filly Pretty Pollyanna (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), a grand-daughter of User Friendly's half-sister Friendlier (GB) (Zafonic).

Pure Anticipation

This Friday may provide a first chance to witness the latest runner from Ecurie des Monceaux's high-class broodmare Starlet's Sister (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

The chestnut filly Pure Dignity (GB), a Dubawi (Ire) half-sister to Arc winner Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and multiple Grade 1 winner Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}), topped Arqana's Select Sale last September when sold to Fawzi Nass and Oliver St Lawrence for €2.5 million. She is now in training in Newmarket with Roger Varian for her owners HH Shaikh Nasser Al Khalifa and KHK Racing and has her first entry at Ascot in the John Guest Racing British EBF Fillies' Novice Stakes on the opening day of the King George meeting.

Meanwhile, ongoing changes to restrictions, particularly between France and England, continues to make planning for the early part of the sales season a little fraught. Arqana's flagship August Yearling Sale had to be delayed last year until September and was thus renamed the Select Sale. The British government's announcement on Friday that travellers returning from France will have to undergo 10 days' quarantine and PCR testing threw a spanner in the works just ahead of so-called Freedom Day.

It is possible to attend both Arqana and the Goffs UK Premier Sale, which starts a week after the end of the August Sale and six days after Arqana's V.2 if taking up the test-to-release option after five days of quarantine, which of course comes at another extra cost. However, the rules are set to be reviewed once more at the beginning of August, so there is still hope that the 10-day quarantine, which does not apply to other countries on the UK's 'amber list' of foreign destinations, is removed before the European sales season gets underway. 

At least there is now free movement between Britain and Ireland. Long may that last, especially when it comes to offering some sort of stability for those sales companies and consignors trying to finalise yearling plans.

Royal Flush

The Queen may have only made it to her beloved Royal Ascot for the final day of the meeting but her horses are ensuring that she is enjoying a throughly decent season even if she cannot be on track. Tactical (GB) (Toronado {Ire}), King's Lynn (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}) and Light Refrain (GB) (Frankel {GB}) are all homebred listed winners in the royal silks this year, with the latter also winning the G3 Summer S. on her latest outing on July 9.

On Friday, The Queen was represented by three runners from three different stables at Newbury and Newmarket, and all returned victorious, including Portfolio (Jpn), a daughter of Japan's late champion sire Deep Impact (Jpn) out of the listed winner Diploma (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) who has won her last two starts for Sir Michael Stoute. 

McCain Girls Chip In

Donald McCain may have trained a Grand National winner of his own and been closely connected to the most famous Grand National horse of all time through his father's training of Red Rum (GB), but a Class 6 handicap and a maiden hurdle on July 14 nevertheless combined to provide an equally special day.

McCain's two daughters, Abbie and Ella, have both pursued a career in the saddle, with Abbie currently riding as a conditional over jumps and Ella as an apprentice on Flat. Last Wednesday, the stable's two winners at Uttoxeter and Ripon were each ridden by a McCain.

The trainer tweeted, “2 daughters, 2 rides, 2 codes, flat and jumps, 2 winners!! A very proud day.” Rightly so.

The post The Weekly Wrap: The Power And The Glory appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Bozo: “It’s Going To Be A Year Of Opportunity”

As the leading consignor at the Arqana August Yearling Sale for eight years running, the team at Ecurie des Monceaux knows a thing or two about the importance of drawing a diverse, international assortment of buyers for the blueblooded yearlings on display. Not only did Monceaux breed and sell the top three lots at the 2019 edition of Arqana’s flagship sale; it also offered the sale’s only two seven-figure yearlings, which went through the ring back-to-back and sold to Godolphin (a €1.625-million Dubawi {Ire} filly now named Philomene {Ire} who makes her first start for Andre Fabre at ParisLongchamp on Thursday) and Japanese trainer Mitsu Nakauchida (a €1.5-million Galileo {Ire} colt now named Hinoshita Kaizan {Fr}).

As August came and went without an Arqana yearling sale, it was already very clear that this was a year unlike any other. The sale, rebranded as the Deauville Select Sale, will take place at the company’s seaside headquarters on Sept. 9 to 11 with a typically star-studded catalogue, but without the usual panache that comes along when racing and bloodstock afficionados descend upon Deauville each summer–the coronavirus pandemic, social distancing and travel bans have put paid to that.

But despite the fact that this year will include fewer celebratory handshakes, dinners at Le Drakkar, trips to Trouville or late night mojitos at Brok, and that most of those on the grounds will be coming from near rather than far, Monceaux’s Henri Bozo said he thinks buyers have greater reason than ever to shop this year’s catalogue. Even putting his own 40-horse draft aside, Bozo described the catalogue as “really strong.”

“There are some amazing pedigrees, some foundation pedigrees in there,” he said. “People may not be thinking of buying something this year or may not be thinking about Europe, but it’s definitely going to be a year with a lot of opportunities.”

“This year is of course a bit different and not as many people as usual will be able to be on site in Deauville or anywhere,” Bozo added. “We are all expecting a more difficult market and I think the reaction of the breeders is that the industry has to keep the machine going and keep things rolling. I think it’s going to be a year of opportunity for racehorse owners and also for breeders who could take this opportunity to invest in some proper pedigrees. I’m thinking of the American breeders who are getting back more into the turf pedigrees because of the rise of turf racing in America at the moment. I think it’s definitely an opportunity for breeders to invest in some proper turf pedigrees in Europe, and in Deauville in particular where we have some fillies that could become foundation mares in the future.”

If there is a breeder who knows a thing or two about such fillies it is Bozo. The Monceaux-bred Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) was scooped up for just €12,000 at Arqana’s October yearling sale in 2015 before later being sold privately to Peter Brant and going on to win seven Grade Is and an Eclipse Award in America.

“The French pedigrees have done really well in America for the past 20 years and the American trainers like buying from France, so I think there is no reason why they shouldn’t take the opportunity this year to invest in Europe and in France,” Bozo said.

Next week buyers will have the chance to tussle over a Dubawi half-sister to Sistercharlie, although they will have to pay much more than €12,000 for her. Sistercharlie is the first foal out of her dam Starlet’s Sister (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and the page has been greatly enhanced not only by the great mare herself but by G1 Prix du Jockey Club and G1 Prix Ganay scorer Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and My Sister Nat (Fr), a Group 3 winner in both France and the U.S. Starlet’s Sister’s Fastnet Rock (Aus) colt fetched €700,000 in Deauville last summer and is now named Parliament (GB).

“We have a sister to Sottsass and Sistercharlie by Dubawi (lot 251) and she’s a superb individual with of course an amazing page,” Bozo said. “That’s a rare page to have and she’ll be considered by any breeding operation as a foundation mare in the future. She’s a great mover with a lot of quality.”

The Monceaux consignment-all of which, as per usual, are homebreds-includes 10 yearlings by Siyouni, seven of which are fillies including a half-sister to G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest winner Polydream (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and G3 Prix Sigy winner Big Brothers Pride (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) (lot 194) and a half-sister to G1 Prix Jean Prat scorer Intellogent (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) (lot 174).

Bozo said of lot 194: “she’s a beautiful filly; she looks exactly like we were hoping she would when we did the mating. She’s a really athletic and precocious type.” Of lot 174, he added, “it’s a beautiful page from one of the best German families and the filly is very nice; she’s a very good cross between Siyouni and this German family. She’s a very, very attractive filly.”

Among three Frankels in the draft is a half-sister to Group 3 winner and Group 1 and Classic-placed Wind Chimes (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}). Monceaux also offers two fillies by Kodiac (GB), Europe’s leading sire of 2-year-olds in 2020: lot 99, a daughter of the listed-placed Game Zone (Ire) (Hurricane Run {Ire}) from the family of Immortal Verse (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) and lot 200, the first foal out of the listed-winning Qatar Power (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}).

“We have two Kodiac fillies and Kodiac is definitely a source of speed and precocity, and we have two nice fillies by him,” Bozo said.

Among the consignment’s top colts will be a son of one of Monceaux’s crown jewels in Prudenzia (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) (lot 199). He is a full-brother to Group 1 winner Magic Wand (Ire), a three-quarter brother to G1 Irish Oaks winner Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and a half-brother to last year’s sale-topping filly Philomene. Prudenzia has supplied a remarkable five seven-figure yearlings and two yearling sale toppers in addition to Chicquita, who topped the 2013 Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale at €6-million.

“He has a lot of class,” Bozo said of Prudenzia’s Galileo colt. “He’s very appealing, he has that little something and he moves very well.”

Sure to offer him plenty of competition in the ring is lot 103, another Galileo colt who is the first foal out of G3 Prix Minerve winner Golden Valentine (Fr) (Dalakhani {Ire}).

“She’s from the Wertheimer family of Goldikova and we have her in partnership with LNJ Foxwoods,” Bozo said of Golden Valentine. “This first foal is lovely, he’s a magnificent mover and very sound with a very good mind, and we’re sure he’ll attract many buyers.”

Monceaux offers three by Lope De Vega (Ire)-“Lope De Vega is an amazing stallion, he has some great statistics and we really like using him,” Bozo said-including a colt out of the listed-placed Sotka (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) (lot 248). He is a half to Group 3 winners Fas (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and Silva (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and the mare’s Kingman (GB) colt made €400,000 from SackvilleDonald in Deauville last year. Speaking of Kingman, there is one of those in the Monceaux consignment too: lot 149, a half-brother to stakes winners Marbre Rose (Ire) (Smart Strike), Gidu (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Aviatress (Ire) (Shamardal). Marbre Rose’s Dubawi (Ire) colt follows his relative through the ring (lot 150) and they will be the last two offerings on day one of the sale.

Bozo notes that Monceaux typically uses proven sires but has gambled on first-crop sires Almanzor (Fr), Caravaggio (Ire) and Churchill (Ire).

“We try to use proven stallions as much as we can, but this year we have two Almanzors,” he said. “They’re from his first crop and they’re two very nice yearlings, very good movers with very good minds.” Those colts are lot 87, a half-brother to Grade I winners Coil (Point Given) and Chiropractor (Kitten’s Joy) and lot 101, a half-brother to triple Grade I winner Miss Temple City (Temple City) and Grade III winner Pricedtoperfection (Temple City).

“We also have a lovely filly by Caravaggio out of a Galileo mare (lot 128),” Bozo added. “She’s a good advertisement for the stallion as she looks like a precocious type.”

“We also have some Churchill yearlings; he was a fast Galileo with a lot of power and a very interesting pedigree so we’ve backed him since the beginning and we have three nice individuals by Churchill,” Bozo said. Those include lot 162, a colt out of Debutante (Fr) (Gold Away {Ire}), a listed-placed half-sister to Danedream (Ger) (Lomitas {GB}).

“I think it’s one of the best drafts we’ve ever had go to the sale,” Bozo summarized. “I have a lot of faith in them and I’m sure they’ll do well on the racetrack. Hopefully things will go well at the sale and hopefully people will come and try their luck at the sale.”

The post Bozo: “It’s Going To Be A Year Of Opportunity” appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights