Prix de Diane: Where did they come from?

Andre Fabre has four chances to win this French Classic for a fifth time and, as one would expect in a race of this quality, the line-up includes some pretty fancy homebreds for top breeders. But those who have been through a sale ring include a €1,500 yearling, with prices working up to a €450,000 half-sister to Breeders' Cup heroine Aunt Pearl (Ire).

AGAVE (GB), Dubawi (Ire)-Contribution (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB})
Owner/breeder: Juddmonte Farms
Trainer: Andre Fabre
Pedigree notes: The second foal of a winning half-sister to Enable (GB), as well as the black-type earners Derab (GB) and Entitle (GB). Grand-dam Apogee (GB) (Shirley Heights {GB}) won the G3 Prix de Royaumont.

BABALA (Ire), Sea The Stars (Ire)-Viva Rafaela (Brz) (Know Heights {Ire})
Owner/breeder: Wertheimer et Frere
Trainer: Andre Fabre
Pedigree notes: A half-sister to three multiple winners and out of a GI Brazilian Oaks winner who ran third in the G1 Flower Bowl S. at Belmont Park and was bought by the Wertheimers for $500,000 as a 6-year-old.

BEAUTE CACHEE (FR), Literato (Fr)-Sign And Seal (Ire) (Hurricane Run {Ire})
Owners: Valerie Lucas, Gael Barbedette, Regis Barbedette, Jordan Georges
Breeder: Gregor Vischer
Trainer: Gael Barbedette
Sales history: Bought for €1,500 at Arqana's Autumn Yearling Sale.
Pedigree notes: Out of a once-raced mare from the family of G1 Coronation S winner Indian Ink (Ire). 

DAISY MAISY (GB), Wootton Bassett (GB)-Shasta Daisy (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB})
Owner: Mme Gitte Poulsen-Allaire and Philippe Allaire
Breeder: Gestut Zur Kuste
Trainer: Yann Barberot
Sales history: Bought for €240,000 at the Arqana Select Yearling Sale at Deauville (Yann Barberot).
Pedigree notes: Her dam Shasta Daisy (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) is out of a winning stakes-placed sister to Juddmonte-bred sires Showcasing (GB) and Camacho (GB).

FALL IN LOVE (Ire), Sea The Stars (Ire)-Matauri Pearl (Ire) (Hurricane Run {Ire})
Owner: 3S Race Horse Management
Breeder: Ecurie des Charmes and Ballylinch Stud
Trainer: Hiroo Shimizu
Sales history: A €450,000 Arqana October yearling.
Pedigree notes: A half-sister to Grade I winner Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) out of a winning full-sister to dual Group/Grade 2 winner Wekeela (Fr).

GALLA (Fr), Frankel (GB)-Gracefully (Ire) (Orpen)
Owner/breeder: Haras de la Perelle
Trainer: Stephane Wattel
Pedigree notes: A half-sister to five stakes horses led by G1 Falmouth S. winner Giofra (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and out of a G3 Prestige S. winner.

LA PARISIENNE (Fr), Zarak (Fr)-Skysweeper (Ire) (Hurricane Run {Ire})
Owner: Peter R Bradley III, Ecurie JML Racing, Marc Leonetti, Meridian International, Remy Dupuy-Naulot
Breeder: Haras du Cadran, Ecurie Patrick Klein, Haras du Ma
Trainers: Carlos and Yann Lerner
Sales history: A €65,000 Arqana Deauville Select Sale yearling, bought by her father-and-son training team.
Pedigree notes: A half-sister to the stakes-placed Scripturale (Fr) (Makfi {GB}), her dam is in turn a half-sister to dual Group 3 winner GM Hopkins (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).

NADETTE (Fr), Outstrip (GB)-Ciboulette (Ire) (Pivotal {GB})
Owner: Team Valor International and Marco Saviozzi
Breeder: Herve Dardenne
Trainer: Romain Le Dren Doleuze
Sales history: Sold as a yearling at Arqana October for €50,000 and then the following June in the Arqana Summer Sale for €17,000.
Pedigree notes: Out of a dual-winning half-sister to Listed victrix Kencumin (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}); fourth dam is the five-time Group 1 winner and double Classic heroine User Friendly (GB).

NASHWA (GB), Frankel (GB)-Princess Lulu (Ire) (Pivotal {GB})
Owner/breeder: Imad Al Sagar
Trainer: John and Thady Gosden
Pedigree Notes: The Oaks third is a half-sister to three-time winner Louganini (GB) (Zoffany {Ire}), Nashwa is followed by a Decorated Knight (GB) yearling half-sister and a colt foal by Dubawi (Ire). Her dam won three times, including at listed level over 10 furlongs, and was runner-up in the G1 Prix Jean Romanet.

OTTILIEN (Fr), Holy Roman Emperor (Ire)-Vezina (Fr) (Bering)
Owner: Quantum Leap Racing XVI
Breeder: Seven Hills Bloodstock
Trainer: David Menuisier
Sales history: Unsold at €120,000 at the Arqana Deauville Select Yearling Sale.
Pedigree notes: A full-sister to Criterium de Saint-Cloud winner and sire Morandi (Fr) out of a half-sister to Group 3 winner Marie De Ken (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) from the further family of the popular globe-trotter Lord Glitters (Fr) (Whipper).

PLACE DU CARROUSEL (Ire), Lope De Vega (Ire)-Traffic Jam (Ire) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire})
Owner: Al Shaqab Racing and Ballylinch Stud
Breeder: Ballylinch Stud and Alexis and Fan Adamian
Trainer: Andre Fabre
Sales history: A €260,000 Arqana Deauville Select Sale yearling.
Pedigree notes: The first foal of G2 Prix du Conseil de Paris winner Traffic Jam who is out of a half-sister to G1 Racing Post Trophy runner-up Winged Cupid (Ire) (In The Wings {GB}).

QUEEN TREZY (Fr), Almanzor (Fr)-Elodie (GB) (Dansili {GB})
Owner: Eric Feurtet
Breeder: E de Chambure and Riviera Equine
Trainers: Carlos and Yann Lerner
Sales history: A €125,000 Arqana Deauville Select Sale yearling.
Pedigree notes: A half-sister to Listed winner Eliade (Fr) (Teofilo {Ire}); grand-dam In Clover (GB) (Inchinor {GB}) has produced the Group 1 winners With You (GB), Call The Wind (GB) and We Are (GB) among her six black-type performers. 

ROSACEA (IRE), Soldier Hollow (GB)-Relizane (GB) (Zamindar)
Owner/Breeder: Haras de la Perelle
Trainer: Stephane Wattel
Pedigree notes: Fourth in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, she is the third foal out of Relizane (GB) (Zamindar), a winner in France and half-sister to the Canadian Grade I winner Reggane (Red Ransom).

TARIYANA (Fr), Sea The Stars (Ire)-Taniya (Fr) (High Chaparral {Ire})
Owner/breeder: HH Aga Khan
Trainer: Francis Graffard
Pedigree notes: Out of a G3 Prix Fille de l'Air winner; great grand-dam Takarouna won the G2 Pretty Polly S.

TIMES SQUARE (FR), Zarak (Fr)-See You Always (GB) (Siyouni {Fr})
Owner: Allan Belshaw
Breeder: Times Of Wigan Ltd
Pedigree insight: The dam is an unraced half-sister to the useful sprinter Direct Times (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), who is out of a winning half-sister, Elegant Times (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), to Group 2 scorer Welsh Emperor (Ire) (Emperor Jones) and listed-winning sprinter Majestic Times (Ire) (Bluebird).

TOY (IRE), Galileo (Ire)-You'resothrilling (Ire) (Storm Cat)
Owner: D Smith, Mrs J Magnier, M Tabor, Westerberg
Breeder: Coolmore
Trainer: Aidan O'Brien
Pedigree insight: From an outstanding family, she is a sister to seven black-type performers, including dual Guineas and St James's Palace S. winner Gleneagles (Ire), and Irish 1000 Guineas winner Marvellous (Ire). You'resothrilling was also a classy race mare and won the G2 Cherry Hinton S.

YUKATA (Ire), Galileo (Ire)-Blue Kimono (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire})
Owner: White Birch Farm, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor
Breeder: White Birch Farm
Trainer: Jean-Claude Rouget
Pedigree notes: Out of a half-sister to G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches winner Beauty Parlour (GB) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and from the further family of Melbourne Cup winner Might And Power (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).

ZELLIE (Fr), Wootton Bassett (GB)-Sarai (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire})
Owner: Al Wasmiyah Racing
Breeder: Charles Barel
Trainer: Andre Fabre
Sales history: Sold as a foal for €140,000 at Arqana December and not sold at the same amount the following year at the Select Yearling Sale.
Pedigree notes: Her dam is a half-sister to 1,000 Guineas winner Speciosa (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and champion racemare Pride (GB) (Peintre Celebre) is a half-sister to her grand-dam.

The post Prix de Diane: Where did they come from? appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Seven Days: On The Classic Trail

It wouldn't be Craven week without a brisk wind blasting across Newmarket Heath, but for those of you considering spending afternoons paddock-side perusing the physical merits of some of this year's Classic contenders, the encouraging news is that the temperature is rising in East Anglia this week, along with the quality of action on the turf.

France and Ireland are ahead of Britain on the Classic trials front, and there is plenty to reflect upon in that regard, but a brief look ahead to the Newmarket and Newbury trials this week is enough to quicken the pulse that has only just come back to a steady tempo following the Corinthian exploits of the marvellous Sam Waley-Cohen in Saturday's Grand National. The name Mullins is never far from the winner's enclosure, in National Hunt circles especially, but Willie's thunder is increasingly being stolen by his nephew Emmet, 32, for whom Noble Yeats (Ire) was a first National winner with his first runner, the season after the young trainer saddled his first Cheltenham Festival winner. The winning 7-year-old also ensured that his sire, the four-time Ascot Gold Cup winner Yeats (Ire), surged to the head of the National Hunt sires' table for the first time. 

But enough of the hedge-hoppers, it's Craven week after all, and we are about to witness the unveiling of Europe's champion 2-year-old of 2021 in Wednesday's Craven S. Godolphin's Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), the pride of Jose Delamotte's Haras d'Haspel, sailed through his juvenile exams without turning a hair, culminating in victory on the Rowley Mile in the G1 Dewhurst S. That experience of Newmarket's famous dip will doubtless be of value as his trainer Charlie Appleby sends him out on his first serious test a year to the day after he was sold by Norman Williamson's Oak Tree Farm for 210,000gns at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-up Sale, which begins on Tuesday. 

Appleby has won two of the last three runnings of the Craven, bearing in mind that the race didn't take place at all in 2020. His first winner, Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), famously went on to win the Derby, while last year's winner Master Of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) was beaten only a short-head by Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) when second in the 2000 Guineas. 

Appleby's embarrassment of 3-year-old riches includes the exciting Coroebus (Ire), who looks set to head to Saturday's Greenham S. at Newbury, while New Science (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) heads a disappointingly small field for Tuesday's European Free Handicap.

Those on 'young stallion watch' will have spotted two entries for the National Stud resident Time Test (GB) in the Nell Gwyn S. The duo consists of William Stone's Salisbury Group 3 winner Romantic Time (GB) and Ribbon Rose (GB), who is unbeaten in two starts for the in-form stable of Marco Botti, who has formed an interesting partnership with Neil Callan since the jockey's return from Hong Kong.

These days, the Nell Gwyn is sponsored by Lanwades Stud, an arrangement that came about after the race was run for some years in the name of the former Plantation Stud manager Leslie Harrison. It was a fitting memorial to a man who devoted so much of his life to the breeding operation of Lord Howard de Walden, and who loved nothing more than the prospect of a Classic filly. 

In retirement, Harrison, whose caustic wit was every bit as sharp as his pedigree recall, chose to share his great knowledge with a group of young(ish) enthusiasts who would gather in his study once a week, large glasses of wine in hand, sharing the space with his many lurchers. I was lucky enough to be among the group, and they were days I cherish. I miss them as much as I miss Leslie himself, whose extraordinary kindness is remembered especially in this week, 15 years after his passing.

The Z Factor

Zarkava (Fr) (Zamindar) was described at the end of her racing career by her breeder HH The Aga Khan as “the greatest reward a breeder could have”.

With brilliance in abundance, plus a liberal dash of spirit, there was little she had left to prove on her retirement from the track. All bar one of her Zarkava's seven victories came at French racing's Parisian focal point of Longchamp where she annexed the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac, G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, G1 Prix Vermeille and G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. At Chantilly, she also claimed the G1 Prix de Diane. She was simply wonderful, and as a fifth-generation descendant of Petite Etoile, who was such an important foundation of the Aga Khan Studs and a hugely influential mare worldwide, Zarkava represented the pinnacle of the breeding operation which celebrates its centenary this year.

While superior performance on the racecourse is the ultimate aim for any breeder, studs are built on the ability of those champions to impart their superior genes. For myriad reasons that doesn't always happen. In the case of Zarkava, though she cannot yet be considered a blue hen, she has already produced three black-type winners, led by her Group 1-winning son Zarak (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}), who has made strong indications in his fledgling stud career that he will further cement his mother's reputation by becoming a stallion of note. 

The champion first-season sire in France last year, Zarak's name has continued to feature among the winners in this early stage of the Flat season. Last week alone, he was represented by a quartet of 3-year-old winners in Sabio Cen (Fr), La Parisienne ((Fr), Caramelito (Fr) and Zagrey (Fr). The first two named hold Classic entries in the Prix du Jockey Club and Prix de Diane respectively. Sabio Cen, trained in Chantilly by Christopher Head, was impressive in his second victory in the Prix Tourbillon at Saint-Cloud last week, racing in the colours of his Spanish breeder Leopoldo Fernández Pujals of Yeguada Centurion.

It was also confirmed this week by William Haggas that Zarak's daughter Purplepay (Fr), who was last seen on the track running third in the G1 Criterium International before selling at Arqana for €2 million to Roy and Gretchen Jackson, has joined his stable and has been given an entry for the Irish 1000 Guineas on May 22.

Zarak is not the only son of Zarkava at stud. His unraced half-brother Zaskar (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) has recently embarked on his stallion career at Haras de Cercy. Still to come from the family is a 3-year-old full-sister to Zarak named Zarka (Fr) and a Frankel (GB) 2-year-old filly, Zarkala (Fr), both of whom are in training with Francis Graffard.

An Abundance Of French Classic Hopes

Zarak wasn't the only Aga Khan Studs stallion in the news last week as Dariyan (Fr) was represented by a decent Classic prospect and his first group winner in the G3 Prix La Force with Mister Saint Paul (Fr), whose co-trainers Gregoire and Etienne Leenders are as readily associated with jump racing as with the Flat. Bred by Annie and Philippe Delarue, Mister Saint Paul was a €10,000 buy-back at the yearling sales but was later syndicated by his trainers for €25,000 via the recently established Iwantthewinner sales platform.

Not to be outdone, Siyouni (Fr), France's reigning champion sire and stud-mate of Zarak and Dariyan, was also in the limelight with the exciting filly Mqse De Sevigne (Fr), who won Sunday's G3 Prix Vanteaux. The half-sister to Group 1 winner Meandre (Fr) (Slickly {Fr}) races for her breeder Edouard De Rothschild, whose family's Haras de Meautry bred both her dam Penne (Fr) and the mare's unraced sire Sevres Rose (Fr), who stood for a time at Haras du Quesnay.

Thursday's G3 Prix Imprudence saw the return of two exciting juveniles from 2021 in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Zellie (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and Malavath (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), who took the G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte before running second to Pizza Bianca in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Running for the partnership of Everest Racing, David Redvers and Barbara Keller, Malavath, representing the Francis Graffard stable, confirmed that she has wintered well after her exciting 2-year-old campaign when holding off Zellie by a length and a half over Deauville's heavy turf. The winner and runner-up are both close up in the betting for the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches behind Juddmonte's Raclette (GB), who is entered for Sunday's G3 Prix de la Grotte.

The Eagle Flies On

The aforementioned Francis Graffard has a big year ahead at the helm of his own stable and that of the Aga Khan at Aiglemont. The trainer has started the season in fine form and another owner-breeder with whom he has enjoyed notable success of late is Baron Georg von Ullmann of Germany's historic Gestut Schlenderhan. 

As ParisLongchamp's season got underway on Sunday, Graffard unleashed two unraced 3-year-olds to score on debut, both by the late Schlenderhan-bred stallion Adlerflug (Ger) who died last year in the season after he was crowned champion in Germany for the first time. 

Alerio (Ger) got the ball rolling in the Prix Juigne, while the filly Swoosh (Ger) took the Prix de Chaillot. The latter, who has Classic entries in France and Germany, is a full-sister to the G2 Prix de Deauville winner and German Derby runner-up Savoir Vivre (Ire), who is now at stud in France at Haras du Taillis. Their dam is the Listed-winning Monsun (Ger) mare Soudaine (Ger), and this cross of two Schlenderhan stallions was seen again in Germany's first group race of the year, the G3 Walkman Frujahrs-Meile, won by Adlerflug's 4-year-old son Mythico (Fr), winner of last season's G2 Mehl-Mulhens-Rennen (German 2000 Guineas).

Alerio is also bred along similar lines, with his dam Amazona (Ger), by Dubawi (Ire), being a daughter of Monsun's Preis der Diana winner Amarette (Ger), who is a half-sister to the dam of Melbourne Cup winner Almandin (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}).

Adlerflug, a son of In The Wings (GB) and closely related to Galileo (Ire), did not leave many sons at stud. In addition to Savoir Vivre, Iquitos and Ito remain in Germany, and the full-brother of the latter, another Graffard/Schlenderhan star In Swoop (Ire), has recently joined Coolmore's National Hunt division at Beeches Stud, where, unsurprisingly, he has been very busy.

Think Again – And Again

A decade ago, So You Think (NZ), the mighty wild-maned son of High Chaparral (Ire), completed the rare feat of winning five Group 1 races in Europe to complement his five Group 1 successes in Australia. 

Now ensconced at Coolmore Stud in Australia, he pulled off the equally rare–perhaps unique–feat of siring three consecutive Group 1 winners on Saturday during Sydney's Championships at Randwick. 

Two of those–the Queen Elizabeth S winner Think It Over (Aus) and Sydney's Queen of the Turf S winner Nimalee (Aus)–are out of daughters of Zabeel (NZ), while the Sydney Cup winner Knights Order (Ire) started his career in Ireland, where he was bred by the Rogers family at Airlie Stud. The 7-year-old's dam Lamanka Lass (Woodman) was 20 when she foaled him and was also responsible for producing the GII Oak Tree Derby winner Dark Islander (Ire) (Singspiel {Ire}), who was trained by the late John Hills.

Brits Abroad

The early 2-year-old skirmishes at Keeneland over the weekend saw a gratifying debut win for Baytown Lovely, by Fast Anna out of the Bernardini mare Meu Amor. As overlooked in the betting as she was at last year's Keeneland September Sale, the filly provided a great start to the Spring Meet for a pair of British expats in trainer Paul McEntee and jockey Jack Gilligan. McEntee plucked Baytown Lovely from the final day of the September Sale for $3,000. She rewarded him with a return of $48,360 from her first racecourse outing. 

It is the kind of result also associated with the trainer's both Phil, who is based in Newmarket and is a dab hand at turning sales bargains into multiple winners. There are plenty of members of the McEntee clan spread around the racing world, including another brother, Carl, who runs Ballysax Bloodstock in Kentucky. Phil's son Jake is also currently in America assisting Kenny McPeek, while daughter Grace is a successful young jockey in Britain.

Lucrative BEBF Target For Juveniles

There was welcome news from the British wing of the European Breeders' Fund on Monday with the launch of a £200,000 series aimed at the offspring of middle-market stallions. 

Juveniles can qualify for two £100,000 finals for colts and fillies respectively by finishing in the first six from a total of 110 restricted novice or maiden races throughout the turf season in Britain. The aim of the series is “to identify ways to encourage a new avenue for progeny of commercially priced stallions to compete without an expensive series of early closing deadlines”.

The finals take place over seven furlongs, with the fillies' final being staged at Goodwood on Sept. 7, and the race for colts and geldings on Oct. 7 at York.

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