‘I Do The Matings As If I Were Rich’: Cadran’s Pierre Talvard on Plans for 2023

One of the most passionate horsemen in France, Pierre Talvard began breeding over four decades ago from a caravan on a handful of acres. Today, his Haras du Cadran stretches over 400 hectares on the rolling Orne hills in Normandy, with 117 mares stationed on the farm. Over the last decade Cadran has been a regular name in the leading breeder lists in France, with graduates including French Derby winner and sire The Grey Gatsby (Fr), and Group 1 winners Gentoo (Fr) (Loup Solitaire {USA}), Qemah (Ire) (Danehill Dancer (Ire}), and Pretty Gorgeous (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}). 

Last year was an outstanding one for Cadran, with stakes performances from Wally (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}), Sippinsoda (Fr) (War Front), Anna Karenine (Fr) (Toronado {Ire}), and Kyrov (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}), as well as Jean-Claude Seroul's Marianachic (Fr) (Authorized{Ire}), Wootton City (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and Marianafoot (Footstepsinthesand {GB}). Talvard came agonisingly close to enjoying a second Classic victory at Chantilly when La Parisienne (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) went down by a short head to Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the G1 Prix de Diane. 

Talvard, always a passionate supporter of his protégées at the races, was in tears of joy at the finish exclaiming that it felt as if they had won the race. La Parisienne stays in training for 2023, with the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe her objective, having been balloted out of the race last year. 

“She spent two months here after Arc weekend and is now back in training” says Talvard, who lights up at the mention of the filly trained by his great friends and frequent business partners Carlos and Yann Lerner for Peter Bradley and associates. “And she is magnificent. She has put on topline, she looks stronger than last year. We just have to hope she gets in the race this time. But it should help pass the year. Her dam, Skysweeper (Fr) (Hurricane Run {Ire}), will return to Zarak. He has really impressed me this year, his statistics are fantastic. I also like the cross of Dubawi and Hurricane Run.” 

Skysweeper is out of the Lomitas (GB) mare Varsity (GB), and had already produced a group winner in GM Hopkins (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}). She was bred by Talvard and bought back by her breeder alongside Carlos Lerner for €44,000 as a yearling, and then again for €12,000 as a broodmare carrying to Makfi (GB). The resulting filly foal, Scripturale (Fr), was Listed and Group 3-placed; La Parisienne is her first group winner. Her New Bay (GB) yearling colt sold for €90,000 at the Arqana August Yearling Sale in 2022, with the Lerner father-and-son training duo reinvesting in this family. 

The 104-rated Queen Trezy (Fr) was bought by Talvard and his associates at the most recent Arqana December Sale for €800,000 from her breeder Haras d'Etreham. Queen Trezy is from the first crop of Etreham's Almanzor (Fr) and out of Elodie (GB) (Dansili {GB}), a full-sister to Group 1 winners We Are (GB) and With You (GB). She finished second in the competitive juvenile G3 Prix des Reservoirs, before placing four times at stakes level at three including third in the G1 Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary. 

“She will be covered by Lope de Vega (Ire), which suits my partners as Ballylinch Stud is one of them,” explains Talvard, “She is by Almanzor and out of a Dansili mare. The resulting foal will be an outcross, which is essential for me. She's a mid-sized mare, which I prefer over big mares as you never know what they will produce and how to cross them. Lope De Vega puts size and scope in to first foals, so I like him for maiden mares. I have had success with the sire; we bred Trixia De Vega (Fr) for Jean-Claude Seroul who went on to be a Listed winner, and I sold a Lope De Vega colt very well last year [for €575,000 to Godolphin].” 

That colt was out of Golden Lilas (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the full-sister to G1 Prix de Diane victrix Golden Lilac (Ire), who returns to the Ballylinch flagship sire this year. Talvard elaborates, “She unfortunately lost her foal this year. She had already been to Lope De Vega once before, and she will return to him. She produced a colt who was perfect in every way. We sold him at Arqana last year, where he was bought by Godolphin. She is already in foal.” 

Another recent purchase by Talvard is the multiple group performer Flighty Lady (Ire) (Sir Percy {GB}). “I was delighted to have bought this mare this year in partnership with three others,” he says. “She is a maiden by a good broodmare sire in Sir Percy and was a Group 1 performer. Her dam is by Dansili, another very good damsire. She's a very attractive mare, average-sized and from the close family of Early March. She finished third in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac and placed several times at group level in the States. She has already been covered by Wootton Bassett and she is in foal. He should suit her.” 

Sir Percy is continuing to grow his reputation as a broodmare sire, with 95 winners from his daughters and 30 2-year-old winners, including the G2 City Of York S. winner Shine So Bright (GB).

Like Zarak, for example, he produces horses that want to race. Last year, he was already impressive, but this year has been exceptional.

Ecurie Melanie is Talvard's biggest partner, and they own a number of mares together including Night Music (Ger) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), Happy Approach (Fr) (New Approach ({Ire}), Mint Julep (Fr) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), Golden Lilas and Tickle Me Green (Ger). 

“A Talvard special,” laughs the breeder, “Tickle Me Green is a daughter of Sea The Moon who was quite a good racemare. She comes from a nice Cheveley Park family. She has a nice Oasis Dream yearling colt and is unfortunately not in foal this year to Lope De Vega. She has been covered by Siyouni.  She's a very attractive mare, and so I hope that this mating will produce a lovely foal.” 

The Gorlsdorf-bred and raced mare was a Listed winner in France and multiple Group-placed, including second in the G2 Prix de la Nonette. She was bought for €800,000 by Talvard, Ecurie Melanie and Gandharvi Racing at the Arqana December Sale in 2021 in foal to Oasis Dream (GB).

Bred and raced by Talvard's longtime associate, Ecurie Melanie, quadruple laureate Sippinsoda (Fr) (War Front {Ire}) returned to Cadran at the end of 2022 to begin her second career. She is another that will head up the road to visit the French champion sire Siyouni. 

“We sold her dam, Let's Misbehave (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), at Arqana last December [for €920,000 to BBA Ireland], and so we have brought the daughter home,” says Talvard. “She deserves to go to Siyouni as she was a good performer on the track; she was a Listed winner and finished fourth in the G1 Prix Saint Alary just a short-head from Queen Trezy, and a length from Place du Carrousel (Ire), who went on to win the G1 Prix de l'Opera. She also finished second in the G3 Prix Chloe.”

Another Cadran/Melanie homebred, Roman Candle (GB) (Le Havre {Fr}), now stands at Haras de l'Hetraie after a promising career came prematurely to an end–but not before he made five appearances at group level, always in the first five home, including a win in the G2 Prix Greffuhle. He was the second foal and first runner for his dam, Holy Dazzle (GB) [Sunday Break {Jpn}]. 

Talvard continues, “Holy Dazzle has a lovely foal by St Mark's Basilica (Fr), and she will go to Saxon Warrior (Jpn) this year. He has had a great start, although it is too early to really be able to judge him, as is the case for all sons of Deep Impact (Jpn). However, Deep Impact has such influence in Japan and across the world, that his sons merit our interest. She's a small mare but she produces good-sized foals. She has a nice Siyouni colt, who was a June foal, in training with Carlos and Yann [named Wapi], that we retained in a partnership. I like him a lot.”

He continues, “One that I really like is Kerila (Fr). She's a daughter of Makfi, and her first three foals are very nice horses; Darkness (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), who is a 2-year-old Listed winner and group-placed, and Shaikha (Fr) (Ribchester {GB}), who won the Prix de Lisieux in a record time. She has a very nice Wootton Bassett 2-year-old in training with Andre Fabre for Al Shaqab Racing. She is in foal to Wootton Bassett, and she will return to him this year. She's a small mare and he will give her a bit of size and quality. I really liked her first foal by the sire, and now that he has gone into training with André Fabre, I am dreaming. We bought her in foal for the first time to Siyouni from the Aga Khan, and that foal was Darkness.” 

Talvard continues, “I bought back Silver Lining (Fr), the half-sister to Wally (Fr), at the end of last year. She is by Caravaggio and she finished fourth in the Prix d'Aumale. A maiden, she will go to Blue Point (Ire) to give her a bit of size, and to keep the speed. Another son of Shamardal, but all our mares have Galileo in their pedigree and as I don't like inbreeding the choices are limited. Sons of Shamardal, sons of Dubawi, sons of Deep Impact or Kodiac and Siyouni are lines that we use. But if you don't want to inbreed to Danehill or Galileo you are restricted in your choice. I need to use stallions who regularly produce good-looking stock, as they all go to the sales, like Wootton Bassett, who is nearly certain to give you an attractive yearling.” 

I do all the foaling, and all the mares foal here. I want to take pleasure in each arrival.

Wootton Bassett left Haras d'Etreham for Coolmore in 2020, where he now commands a fee of €150,000, having begun his career at a modest €4,000 in 2012. Now sire of six Group 1 winners, his best-bred crops are still to come. 

Talvard adds, “Due to foal to Wootton Bassett this year is Chuppy (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), on her maiden cover. She is the full-sister to Wonderful Tonight (Fr), and she will visit Mehmas (Ire) this year. Marianabaa (Fr) (Anabaa {USA}), the dam of G1 Maurice de Gheest winner Marianafoot, and dual Listed winner Marianachic (Fr) (Authorized {Ire}), will be covered by Zarak.

“In France, I mostly use Zarak, Siyouni, and the three Haras d'Etreham sires: Almanzor, Persian King (Ire) and Hello Youmzain (Fr), and I still support The Grey Gatsby as he is our homebred.  I have a share in him, but in general I try not to take shares in stallions as you are then obliged to use them, which is also the reason I don't have stallions on the stud. I prefer to be free to make my choice of mating based on the mare and send her to the best possible sire.”

With such elite breeding stock in his paddocks, Talvard takes his mating planning seriously, working on it from the start of September through to the end of the year. 

“I do a couple every night,” he says. “I have a few rules; there is not to be any inbreeding, and the bloodlines need to work. I follow the race results of every race in the world throughout the year, and see what sires are succeeding and how their progeny race. Like Zarak, for example, he produces horses that want to race. Last year, he was already impressive, but this year has been exceptional. Even in smaller races, if there is one by Zarak in the race, it will be in the first three. They love their racing. He has such a pedigree as well, even if he is expensive I will use him. I have four going to him this year. 

“Another stallion who impressed me last year was Cracksman (GB), who I am sending two or three mares. We were really not expecting him to produce 2-year-olds, but he did. Jean-Claude Rouget has two for this year that look very good. John Gosden has several very well-bred 3-year-olds by him that haven't debuted yet. Another that I really like is Earthlight (Ire). I have a lovely filly by him, and I think he is at reasonable price. I have to balance with some of the very expensive sires that we are using, as we also need to think of our budget.”

Talvard adds, “I don't add up the nominations bill. I do the matings as if I were rich, and if the mare deserves the cover she will go to the stallion. I do this job because I want to breed beautiful foals; I do all the foaling, and all the mares foal here. I want to take pleasure in each arrival.”

The post ‘I Do The Matings As If I Were Rich’: Cadran’s Pierre Talvard on Plans for 2023 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Arqana Adds Second January Online Sale

Following the success of the Arqana Online Sale held Jan. 17, a second online sale will be held on Jan. 31 from 3-5 p.m. The catalogue is made up of four stallion shares and breeding rights and five purebred Arabians of racing age.

Among the breeding rights and stallion shares will be an interest in dual Group 1 winner The Grey Gatsby (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) (lot 6), a breeding right to multiple Group 2 winner Cloth of Stars (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) (lot 7), and a share in G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois winner Al Wukair (Ire) (Dream Ahead) (lot 8).

The entire catalogue can be found on the Arqana Online website.

The post Arqana Adds Second January Online Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Arqana Yearlings: Select By Name And Nature

DEAUVILLE, France—Another tranche of prospective buyers appeared on the sales grounds at Arqana on Tuesday. As second looks, third looks and vettings are being completed, there is now just the nervous wait for vendors until 2pm local time on Wednesday when the Arqana Select Sale finally gets underway and they begin the learn their fate.

There is not one member of the bloodstock fraternity who believes that this sales season will be in any way easy. As one major breeder observed on Tuesday morning, “If we get through this year and find that the market has dropped by a third then that would actually be a relief.” 

Set against world events, just to be healthy in 2020 is a win, and there will be some breeders and pinhookers who fare well in the next six weeks and those who will not. Most people with a horse to sell are accepting of that situation, and all that remains to be seen now is which of the major buyers decide to participate in Deauville, or perhaps keep their money in pockets for later sales.

There should be plenty here in Normandy to tempt them, however. No shortage of well-related individuals can be found in what is usually known as the August Sale. One standout simply has to be the Galileo (Ire) half-brother to last year’s €1.625 million sale-topper, whose other siblings include his full-sister Magic Wand (Ire) and her fellow Group 1 winners, Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}). This is Ecurie des Monceaux’s signature family, stemming from the purchase 16 years ago of the colt’s grandam Platonic (GB) (Zafonic) from Fittocks Stud for 100,000gns. As such, he needs little introduction, though there will be plenty of fanfare when the colt enters the ring on Thursday as lot 199 and, just to gild the lily, last year’s leading lady, now known as Philomene (Ire), won on debut for Andre Fabre last Thursday.

The siblings and half-siblings to Group 1 winners are plentiful in the pages of the Arqana catalogue. Lot 27 from Fairway Consignment is the Dariyan (Fr) half-sister to Danceteria (Fr) (Redoute’s Choice {Aus}), from a family which Dariyan’s sire Shamardal has worked so well with, namely as the father of Lope De Vega (Ire), who is a half-brother to this filly’s dam Bal De La Rose (Ire) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}).

Another filly with enhanced claims this season is lot 39, Haras de Montaigu’s Dream Ahead half-sister to dual Australian Group 1 winner Addeybb (GB) (Pivotal {GB}). Then there’s the jewel that is the full-sister to dual Arc winner Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}), who right from her first show on Sunday had all the composure of a horse who will be ready to face far busier environments than a sales ground. As lot 269, she follows 18 lots behind the Dubawi (Ire) (251) filly out of Starlet’s Sister (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), and of course the starlet in question as the half-sibling of this filly is Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}), but then she has a pretty famous brother, too, in last season’s G1 Prix du Jockey Club winner Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}).

The catalogue for the three-day sale also features the offspring of no fewer than 23 first-season sires, with the biggest representation among the pack coming from the former champion 3-year-old Almanzor (Fr). Bred by Haras d’Etreham where he now stands, and whence his sire Wootton Bassett (GB) recently departed for Coolmore, he naturally features strongly among his home farm’s draft, which has eight catalogued, including a half-brother to GI Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Uni (GB) (More Than Ready) (lot 274).

Watch This Family
The draft of Haras du Petit Tellier, the Normandy farm which has belonged to Patrick Chedeville’s family for five generations, boasts not just a half-sibling to a Group 1 winner but also a number of offspring from the stud’s own freshman sire, the G1 Prix du Jockey Club and G1 Irish Champion S. winner The Grey Gatsby (Ire).

Lot 286 from the Petit Tellier consignment is a half-brother to the dual Group 1 winner Watch Me (Fr) (Olympic Glory {Ire}), who was bred and raced by Chedeville’s partner Antoinette Tamagni-Bodmer, who now offers the colt by another of the stud’s residents, Elvstroem (Aus). 

“In many ways it has been a wonderful year,” reflected Tamagni-Bodmer, who in 2017 welcomed the first crop of foals at her own private farm, Haras de Saint Julien, where Watch Me, the recent winner of the G1 Prix Rothschild, now resides. 

“She had a little problem in February in her fetlock, so then COVID for her was not a problem as I knew she would not be running before July. In the Rothschild the track was really fast and she likes it a bit softer, but she’s such a fighter and she won. She wasn’t lame coming straight out of the race but afterwards when we realised there was a problem with the fetlock again we said ‘stop’ straight away. By the Friday she was back home in the paddock.”

It is Tamagni-Bodmer’s intention to keep a select clutch of well-bred black-type mares at Saint Julien, and her operation could hardly have welcomed a better newcomer than the filly who also won last year’s G1 Coronation S., giving her trainer Francis Graffard, as well as her owner-breeder, a first Royal Ascot success.

Tamagni continued, “To me she is really a champion. To have bred a filly like this and then to have her back not long after I have created a completely new stud from scratch is a dream. If you want to make a proper breeding operation you need to have black-type fillies at the stud. My plan is mainly to sell the colts and to race the filies.”

One filly who will certainly be a keeper is the current foal of Watch Me’s dam Watchful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who is by Golden Horn (GB). The mare is now in foal to Almanzor. For her newly-retired daughter, Tamagni still has her thinking cap on regarding her first mate next season.

She said, “I have some ideas for Watch Me and, with all the concerns about Brexit, I will send her to a stallion in France rather than go to Britain or Ireland. We have good stallions in France and it is important to support them with good mares.”

She added, “In this business, which I would call a passion, you always have to go forward and always ask questions about what you could do better. Every day you have to learn and you have to ask what you can learn from someone else.”

It is clear that Tamagni-Bodmer has learned plenty from Chedeville, whom she describes as a “traditional breeder”.

She says, “He doesn’t like to see the yearlings in their boxes. We prepare the yearlings from Petit Tellier and from my stud in exactly the same way. We don’t put them on a walker, they are only walked in hand and they go out in the paddocks, which is a risk, but I think it is very good for them mentally to do this.”

It’s not only Watch Me who has provided an update for the draft since the catalogue was printed but also Sunday’s winner of the British EBF Future Stayers Novice S. At York, Lenny’s Spirit (Fr) (Intello {Ger}), who is a half-brother to another Haras de Saint Julie-bred, lot 419. The chestnut colt by The Grey Gatsby is out of the G3 Prix des Reservoirs winner Moon Valley (Fr) (Aqlaam {GB}).

“The Grey Gatsby has such a good temperament and he is really stamping his yearlings with that same mentality and plenty of bone,” Tamagni-Bodmer said. 

“He was syndicated in five days when Patrick first bought him and had around 100 mares in his first crop. He had 99 mares again this year. We have supported him with our good mares and we are looking forward to seeing how the market accepts his yearlings.”

In an uncertain year, the same can be said for all yearlings, but the breeder and consignor was quick to praise Arqana in its rescheduling of the sale not once, but twice.

She said, “I don’t think Arqana could have done more than they have. It’s very hard to say what will happen but I’m sure with fewer trainers able to travel then fewer yearlings will be sold, even though the agents are all here. The quarantine in England is not helping as a lot of trainers aren’t here, but when I look around I see beautiful yearlings and I see clients, so we just have to be hopeful.”

The post Arqana Yearlings: Select By Name And Nature appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights