Wattel Building on Banner Year as Tulipa Chope Begins Classic Campaign  

For some, Deauville is a summer playground. Horse sales, racing, good food and a spot of shopping. We have the Duc de Morny to thank for that. Having been instrumental in the construction of the racecourse at Longchamp in 1857, Napoleon's half-brother turned his attention to the Normandy seaside and by August 1864, racing was underway at Hippodrome la Touques in the town which has continued to draw the rich and famous, both for horse racing and film festivals.

Nowadays, Deauville is no longer home solely to the August meeting. With an all-weather track and floodlights in addition to the turf, there is also racing in the town in spring, autumn and winter. Since the early 1980s there has also been a training centre alongside the racecourse, which benefits from the proximity of the beach for a variety in the horses' exercise routines.

Managed, like Chantilly and Maisons-Laffitte, by France Galop, Deauville's training centre is currently home to 13 trainers, including Stephane Wattel, who made the town his home 30 years ago.

As he approaches his 60th birthday, the affable Wattel jokes that his daughter Anastasia, who trains separately to him but also in Deauville, drops regular hints that he should be considering retirement. But Wattel Sr is currently in his pomp. He trained his first Group 1 winner last year after several of his horses have come close to that important metric in the past, and his stable of around 80 horses boasts an increasingly international mix of owners.

“Things have changed a lot,” admits Wattel as he reflects on his three decades of training in Deauville, where the reigning champion trainer Jean-Claude Rouget now has a major satellite operation to complement his original base in Pau.

“But I did find from the beginning it was a nice place to train, because it was a relaxing place for horses. It was not far away from all the stud farms around and it was not so far away from Paris.”

 

 

Stud farms loomed large in the early education of Wattel, whose family had no prior involvement in racing but who found himself working at the Niarchos family's Spring Oak Farm (now Oak Tree Farm) in Kentucky at the age of 18 after deciding that his university course wasn't for him. He would later work at Haras de Fresnay-Le-Buffard and at Beech House Stud in Newmarket, which has recently returned to being a stallion stud since Shadwell relocated Baaeed (GB) and Mohaather (GB) from Nunnery Stud and added Mostahdaf (Ire) to the line-up.

“When I started I had only three horses,” he continues, “I had no owners really behind me, just one, and it would have been impossible for me to start at Chantilly. I would have been totally lost.

“In this training centre there was Nicolas Madamet. He was the first trainer to have the idea of training all year in Deauville. It used to be a place to train during the summer for the meeting, so people from Chantilly and other places would come, but the track was good for training and suddenly one trainer had the idea that it was possible to train all year round.

“I was assistant trainer to Nicolas Madamet and after that I moved up to Chantilly for three years to work with Alain de Royer Dupré and for the Aga Khan. When it was time for me to start my career I thought that Deauville would be a nice place to start.”

Wattel also recalls that it was more than just the sea air that made it advantageous to train in Deauville when he was first starting out.

“Now it seems unbelievable to think that in certain races – when we were going to race in maidens in Paris – we used to have three pounds less for our horses because we were training in the provinces,” he says. “It's difficult to imagine that now. Can you imagine Jean-Claude Rouget's horses having three pounds less because he's training in the provinces? But that was the case, and a lot of races in the provinces were closed to horses trained in Chantilly.”

The treble Group winner Boris De Deauville (Ire) (Soviet Star) was one of the earliest stars for the Wattel stable, while City Light (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) came close to landing his trainer a major international victory when beaten a short-head by Merchant Navy (Au) in the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. at Royal Ascot. Now at Haras d'Etreham, City Light has made a positive impression with his early runners and was France's leading first-season sire in 2023.

Haras de la Perelle's Rosacea (Ire) (Soldier Hollow {Ger}) was third in the G1 Prix de Diane two seasons ago and her full-sister, Rimja (Fr), is now pleasing Wattel after the odd niggle kept her off the track at two. Jurgen Winter, owner of Haras de la Perelle, is one of the owner-breeders who has long supported Wattel and has the largest number of horses in the stable along with Baron Edouard de Rothschild of the nearby Haras de Meautry.

The partnership with Winter was rewarded when the Perelle homebred Simca Mille (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) became the trainer's first top-level winner last year in the Grosser Preis von Berlin.

“Having my first Group 1 winner with Simca Mille for Haras de la Perelle meant a lot for me,” he says. “And it was a very nice story from the beginning to the end of his career here in France.”

After Simca Mille failed to sell at €68,000 at the yearling sales, Wattel agreed to take him on and the horse raced initially in his own colours before Winter renewed his interest in the colt. A prolific performer, Simca Mille won three Group 2 races and a Group 3 as well as finishing runner-up in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris and G1 Prix Ganay. Towards the end of last year he was bought by Wathnan Racing and over the winter he has been trained in Qatar by French ex-pat Alban de Mieulle.

For almost every trainer there is a pressure to trade good horses, and for Wattel that now means a time of rebuilding, though his stable does include at least one Classic prospect in the G3 Prix des Reservoirs winner Tulipa Chope (Fr) (Born To Sea {Ire}), who is entered for Sunday's G3 Prix de la Grotte at Longchamp.

“It's a little more difficult this year,” he notes. “We sold a couple of good horses, like Simca Mille, [Group 3 winner] Immensitude and [Listed winner] Autumn Starlight. But at the moment we've got Tulipa Chope, who proved her quality last year, and she worked very well [last week] to prepare for the Prix de la Grotte. She seems to be very well and has had a good winter.”

 

Tulipa Chope returns in the Prix de la Grotte on Sunday | Scoop Dyga

 

Wattel adds, “Having City Light start his stallion career so well is a big pleasure for all the stable. We had the horse for a long time; it was not only a short career at two and three, but we kept him for a long time and we're thrilled that he's having a lot of winners.”

He also points out that, despite the precocity shown by some of City Light's offspring, the horse himself improved in his later seasons. He remained in training at five and won seven of his 22 starts.

“He started to be a really good horse only at four years old. I think that his horses will improve with age,” Wattel says.

His own association with City Light's offspring extends to Celestial (Fr), who is unbeaten in two starts for a partnership which includes the former BHB Chairman and owner of Plumpton racecourse, Peter Savill, as well as Martin Cruddace, the chief executive officer of Arena Racing Company, which owns 16 British racecourses. They are also involved in the Calyx (GB) three-year-old Calypso King (GB), who runs at Deauville on Wednesday, and they are far from the only British names on Wattel's list of owners.

“The income from racing in Britain is really too low,” he says. “It's easy for them to come to Deauville. Some English owners came with one or two horses and they were surprised, even when you win a little race with French premiums, if it's a French-bred, how much it adds to their account. Of course, even if the atmosphere of English racing has no equivalent, they like to have some horses in training and racing in France.”

In 2018, Wattel was joined in the training ranks by his daughter Anastasia but not, as is the case with a number of racing families, as co-trainer, instead as a rival.

“I have to admit, when she started to think about working with horses, I wasn't completely sure it was really what she wanted to do. I didn't want her to have things easy at the start and I didn't help her at all,” he says. “She had to find a job by herself, and I have to say, if there are two people who really helped her that is Freddy Head and David Smaga. She worked for David for four years.”

He continues, “Now she has been training at Deauville for a couple of years and it's a big pleasure for me. I'm proud of what she has already accomplished. I will be 60 in less than one month, so she always repeats that and says that it may be time for me to go fishing.”

The sea may have its appeal, especially in a coastal town as lovely as Deauville, but it is horses, not fish, which should continue to occupy the mind of a trainer with the skills of Stephane Wattel.

 

 

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Born To Sea’s Tulipa Chope Best In the Reservoirs

Having beaten the subsequent G3 Prix des Chenes winner Zabiari (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in the Listed Criterium du FEE at Deauville in August, Alain Jathiere's Tulipa Chope (Fr) (Born To Sea {Ire}) took the next step up the ladder in her stride when returning to Normandy to capture Wednesday's G3 Prix des Reservoirs. Settled in behind the leader early by Theo Bachelot, the Stephane Wattel-trained bargain €5,000 Osarus September graduate was travelling best turning in and tanked her way to the front two out. Chased to the line by the Wertheimers' TDN Rising Star Aventure (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), the 2-1 second favourite had first run on that 17-10 market-leader and was not for catching as she registered a 1 1/4-length success.

“We intended to run her in the [G1 Prix Marcel] Boussac, but passed on it because I felt at that point that she was not as well as I would have hoped,” Wattel said of the winner, who was also third behind the subsequent Boussac third Les Pavots (Ire) (No Nay Never) in Vichy's Listed Prix des Jouvenceaux et des Jouvencelles in July. “After watching the Boussac, I had no regrets. She had been off since August and it is always a concern to return after such a long break, but her last piece of work was excellent so we hoped she would run well. You will see her again next year in the [G3] Prix de la Grotte.”

Pedigree Notes
Tulipa Chope is out of Tulipe Rouge (Fr) (Panis), who emanates from The Aga Khan's “V” family which features, among others, the G1 Prix de Diane heroine Valyra (GB) (Azamour {Ire}), the G1 Queen Anne S. and G1 Prix d'Ispahan hero Valixir (Ire) (Trempolino) and the GI Breeders' Cup Mile winner Val Royal (Fr) (Royal Academy). Her yearling filly Winne Chope (Fr) is by Gutaifan (Ire).

Wednesday, Deauville, France
PRIX DES RESERVOIRS-G3, €80,000, Deauville, 10-18, 2yo, f, 8fT, 1:43.75, gd.
1–TULIPA CHOPE (FR), 123, f, 2, by Born To Sea (Ire)
    1st Dam: Tulipe Rouge (Fr), by Panis
    2nd Dam: Vandalixa (Fr), by Linamix (Fr)
    3rd Dam: Vadlawysa (Ire), by Always Fair
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (€5,000 Ylg '22 OSASEP). O-Alain Jathiere; B-A Chopard & C Boutin (FR); T-Stephane Wattel; J-Theo Bachelot. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-2-0, €129,550. Werk Nick Rating: D. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Aventure (Ire), 123, f, 2, Sea The Stars (Ire)–Balladeuse (Fr), by Singspiel (Ire).
1ST BLACK-TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK-TYPE. TDN Rising Star. O/B-Wertheimer et Frere (IRE); T-Christophe Ferland. €16,000.
3–Dollerina (Ire), 123, f, 2, Territories (Ire)–Rag And Bone, by Street Cry (Ire).
1ST BLACK-TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK-TYPE. O-Brian Gleeson & J Brady; B-Brucetown Farms Ltd & John Brady (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien. €12,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 3/4, 3/4. Odds: 2.00, 1.70, 7.80.
Also Ran: Extraordinaire (Fr), Making Dreams (Ire), Seduisante (Fr), Babette (Fr), Shalella (Fr). Video, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Tamayuz’s Simca Mille Too Good For Grosser Preis von Berlin Rivals

Haras de la Perelle's 4-year-old colt Simca Mille (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}–Swertia {GB}, by Pivotal {GB}), a three-time Group 2 scorer back home in France and unbeaten in four pattern races shy of top-flight company, made the breakthrough in his fourth attempt at Group 1 level with a decisive win–and a landmark for trainer Stephane Wattel–in an international renewal of Sunday's G1 Westminster 133rd Grosser Preis von Berlin at Hoppegarten.

April's G1 Prix Ganay runner-up and June's G2 Grand Prix de Chantilly winner broke alertly from the outside stall, finding a modicum of cover after passing the judge first time, and was positioned within range of the leaders–headed by Godolphin's New London (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and dual Group 1-winning 2022 Deutsches Derby hero Sammarco (Ire) (Camelot {GB})–occupying a handy fourth out in the country. Powering forward out wide once into the straight, the 1-2 favourite inched ahead of last year's third Sammarco racing hard on the steel passing the quarter-mile marker and was ridden out inside the final furlong to easily withstand the late threat of 2021 G1 Deutsches Derby victor Sisfahan (Fr) (Isfahan {Ger}) by 3/4-of-a-length. Sisfahan's Henk Grewe stablemate and last term's sixth Assistent (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) ran on well to finish 2 1/4 lengths back in third. In a photographic quirk, Polish challenger Le Destrier (Ire) (Le Havre {Ire}), New London and Lady Ewelina (GB) (Mukhadram {GB}) were in unison at the line and dead-heated for fifth.

“It is fantastic for the horse and, I have to admit, it's very nice for me because it's my first Group 1 after more than 30 years of training,” said an emotional Wattel in the aftermath. “I am so happy it happened here in Berlin with this fantastic crowd. It's a difficult job and sometimes it's tough, but when we train horses of this quality we can forget everything as this makes it all worthwhile.” Looking to the immediate future, the trainer tipped his hat to recent winners Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) and Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and added, “Simca Mille is engaged in the [G1 Prix de l'] Arc de Triomphe and some good winners of this race have run very well in that race. That should be the next target and it's a very big one.”

Rider Alexis Pouchin engaged celebratory mode early and allowed his mount to coast home in the dying strides before unleashing a joyful shadow punch across the line. “We had a great trip, he's a very good horse and found it quite easy in the straight,” he said. “I just kept him going and he responded well.”

 

Pedigree Notes
Simca Mille, who becomes the fourth Group 1 winner for his sire, is the first of three foals and lone scorer produced by a daughter of G3 Prix de Conde, G3 Prix Penelope and G3 Prix Cleopatre third Sanjida (Ire) (Polish Precedent). Sanjida is kin to three black-type winners headed by multiple Group 1-winning European champion Sarafina (Fr) (Refuse To Bend {Ire}), herself the dam of Group 3-winning siblings Savarin (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Geniale (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Simca Mille, kin to the unraced 2-year-old filly Slawena (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), is from the family of G1 Grand Prix de Paris and G1 Preis von Europa hero Sumayr (Ire) (Ela-Mana-Mou {Ire}).

Sunday, Hoppegarten, Germany
WESTMINSTER 133RD GROSSER PREIS VON BERLIN-G1, €155,000, Hoppegarten, 8-13, 3yo/up, 12fT, 2:34.24, gd.
1–SIMCA MILLE (IRE), 132, c, 4, by Tamayuz (GB)
1st Dam: Swertia (GB), by Pivotal (GB)
2nd Dam: Sanjida (Ire), by Polish Precedent
3rd Dam: Sanariya (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (€68,000 RNA Ylg '20 ARQSEP). O-Haras de la Perelle & Stephane Wattel; B-Haras de la Perelle (IRE); T-Stephane Wattel; J-Alexis Pouchin. €100,000. Lifetime Record: MGSW & G1SP-Fr, 14-7-5-0, €610,840. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Sisfahan (Fr), 132, h, 5, Isfahan (Ger)–Kendalee (Fr), by Kendargent (Fr). (€16,000 Ylg '19 ARQNOV). O-Darius Racing & Michael Motschmann; B-Guy Pariente Holding (FR); T-Henk Grewe. €30,000.
3–Assistent (Ger), 132, c, 4, Sea The Moon (Ger)–Anna Kalla (Ger), by Kalatos (Ger). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (€58,000 Ylg '20 BBAGS). O-Eckhard Sauren & Liberty Racing 2020; B-Gestut Rottgen (GER); T-Henk Grewe. €15,000.
Margins: 3/4, 2 1/4, 3. Odds: 0.50, 17.20, 9.10.
Also Ran: Sammarco (Ire), *Le Destrier (Ire), *New London (Ire), *Lady Ewelina (GB).
*Three-way dead-heat for fifth.

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Simca Mille Back In Style

Returning from a break having failed to make an impact in the G1 Japan Cup, Haras de la Perelle and Stephane Wattel's Simca Mille (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}-Swertia {GB}, by Pivotal {GB}) again demonstrated his love of ParisLongchamp by winning Sunday's G2 Prix d'Harcourt. Impressive in the G2 Prix Niel here in September, having finished second to Onesto (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris over that same mile-and-a-half course and distance in July, the 7-1 shot was positioned close to the early pace by Alexis Pouchin dropping back in trip. In front at the top of the 2 1/2-furlong straight, he stayed on strongly as the G1 Prix Royal-Oak hero Iresine (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}) put up a spirited chase and had 3/4 of a length to spare at the line over that rival, who was giving away two pounds. Al Shaqab Racing's G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano scorer and Arc fourth Al Hakeem (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) was disappointing as the 4-5 favourite, beaten four lengths in fourth.

“I had hoped we could leave Japan behind us, but there was some concern,” trainer Stephane Wattel said. “I still don't have a clue what happened there-I believed he had a good chance, but he was beaten four out and I kept questioning myself as to whether or not I had done something wrong. He was training well for this return, but I didn't know if he still wanted to fight so he gave us the perfect answer. We were lucky to have good ground and a good pace and the shorter trip didn't prove a problem. He is good. Period. We will be back for the Ganay.”

Iresine's handler Jean-Pierre Gauvin is keen on a rematch in the course-and-distance feature in three weeks' time, which is set to feature the returning Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}) and Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). “It was a great performance for a comeback, giving weight,” he said. “He runs superbly well at Longchamp, whatever the distance or the ground so if he is well he will return for the Ganay.”

Pedigree Notes
Simca Mille, who was also successful in Chantilly's G3 Prix du Lys last term, is the first foal out of Swertia, a daughter of The Aga Khan's G3 Prix de Conde, G3 Prix Penelope and G3 Prix Cleopatre-placed Sanjida (Ire) (Polish Precedent). Among Sanjida's half-siblings is the G1 Prix de Diane, G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and G1 Prix Saint-Alary-winning champion Sarafina (Fr) (Refuse To Bend {Ire}), who is in turn the dam of the G3 Prix d'Aumale scorer Savarin (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and her G3 Prix Messidor-winning full-brother Geniale (Jpn). Swertia's 2-year-old filly by Invincible Spirit (Ire) is named Slawena (GB).

Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
PRIX D'HARCOURT-G2, €130,000, ParisLongchamp, 4-9, 4yo/up, 10fT, 2:03.39, g/s.
1–SIMCA MILLE (IRE), 128, c, 4, by Tamayuz (GB)
     1st Dam: Swertia (GB), by Pivotal (GB)
     2nd Dam: Sanjida (Ire), by Polish Precedent
     3rd Dam: Sanariya (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
(€68,000 RNA Ylg '20 ARQSEP). O-Haras de la Perelle & Stephane Wattel; B-Haras de la Perelle (IRE); T-Stephane Wattel; J-Alexis Pouchin. €74,100. Lifetime Record: 11-5-4-0, €368,160. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Iresine (Fr), 130, g, 6, Manduro (Ger)–Inanga (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB). (€6,000 Ylg '18 ARQOCT). O-Bertrand Milliere, Ecurie Jean-Paul Gauvin, Christian Goutelle et al; B-P Joyaux & Bnne M-L Van Dedem (FR); T-Jean-Pierre Gauvin. €28,600.
3–Kertez (GB), 126, g, 5, Intello (Ger)–Distortion (GB), by Distorted Humor. O/B-Wertheimer et Frere (GB); T-Andre Fabre. €13,650.
Margins: 3/4, 1 1/4, 2. Odds: 7.30, 4.20, 13.00.
Also Ran: Al Hakeem (GB), Haya Zark (Fr), Alter Adler (Ger), Calgary (Fr). Video, sponsored by TVG.

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