Blue in the sky and on the track

Under radiant sunshine, ParisLongchamp racecourse hosted on Sunday the first major race of the flat season, the Prix Ganay, a Group 1 (the highest international level) event. And both on the track and in the sky, it was all blue: the colors of Wertheimer & Frère! Sosie (Sea The Stars) produced a brilliant performance to win the Prix Ganay, ahead of another highly regarded French runner, Map of Stars (Sea The Stars), who finished strongly on the outside. The main target for Sosie this year will be the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Group 1), the world championship for thoroughbreds, which will take place at ParisLongchamp on October 5th.

Pierre-Yves Bureau, manager of the Wertheimer & Frère stable, made sure to congratulate the whole team around the horse: "He makes us very happy. He hadn't raced since the Arc and spent the winter at stud. I want to congratulate my team, who have done an amazing job with both Sosie and Aventure (read more below). It's always a bit trickier to send a colt to the stud for a break, but he's an easy-going horse, and after his 3-year-old season, he really deserved a proper break, with no riding for a few months, grazing in the fields, relaxing. Changing their daily routine really does them good! We didn’t know if he would be ready, but I think he’s just genuinely very good! He hadn't had a public workout and still has room for improvement. He’s confirming everything he showed as a 3-year-old, with his wins in the Grand Prix de Paris, the Prix Niel, and his strong performance in the Arc... He also ran very well in the Prix du Jockey Club. Today he proved that he can also win a Group 1 over 2,100 meters. It’s important for him not to be seen only as a 2,400-meter horse. As for what’s next, there’s the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, the King George… I need to discuss with his trainer whether we could also consider a race like the Eclipse Stakes. In the second half of the season, we will prepare him for the Arc."

Allez Aventure!

In the Prix Allez France, another key race on Sunday that could serve as preparation for the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Aventure (Sea The Stars) also scored impressively for the same colors. The Wertheimer & Frère filly, a real little champion, can now look forward calmly to a spring target either in England (Coronation Cup) or Ireland (Pretty Polly Stakes), before aiming once again at the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in the autumn — a race in which she finished second last year.

Her trainer, Christophe Ferland, was overjoyed after her victory: "To be honest, there was a fair amount of pressure, but I was excited to see Aventure back on the track. We were confident after the workout she produced at Saint-Cloud a few weeks ago. This victory is even more encouraging because Aventure showed she is effective over 2,000 meters, although I remain convinced that 2,400 meters is her best distance. Her program remains open for now: she could run in the Coronation Cup (Group 1, 2,400 meters) at Epsom (England), or maybe in the Pretty Polly Stakes (Group 1, 2,000 meters) at the Curragh (Ireland). With horses, plans can change very quickly. I genuinely believe she will continue to improve. She had come on a lot from her workout at Saint-Cloud and today, Maxime Guyon didn’t have to be too hard on her. Over the winter, Aventure has strengthened and matured, although she still retains a somewhat light frame."