TDN Weekend December 2016 Issue 9
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/779493
aware of the sire," de Chambure shrugs. "I really like Caro in a pedigree, and she brought a different line of blood to cross with. Sometimes I don't mind if things look a little light on top, so long as there is a proven family. And she looked a per- fect type for Wootton Bassett: not over- big, but well made, well balanced, with good bone and quality. She ticked every box and really it was a very easy buy." Darkova was mated with Wootton Bas- sett a few weeks later and delivered a bay colt on March 11th 2013. He, too, would be bought by Rouget – for €100,000 at Arqana's August Yearling Sale of 2014, relative to the covering fee an impressive testimony to the youngster's physique. The very next day, Rouget crossed the street to the racecourse to saddle Avenir Certain for her sixth success in six career starts. The previous two had been in Clas- sics: the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and the Prix de Diane. Little wonder if Rouget was able to add his new acquisition, the Wootton Bassett colt, to the account of Messieurs Augustin-Normand and Caro. They named him Almanzor. Among their home-bred yearlings in the same crop, meanwhile, was a filly born to yet another mare they had bought for the private harem of Le Havre. Though by Galileo, Absolute Lady had been acquired as an unraced 4-year-old for just €40,000 by Sylvain Vidal. Twenty-five days after Almanzor entered the world at Etreham, Absolute Lady had delivered a filly who would be named for a village near the stud, La Cressonnière. Following the giddy rise of Avenir Cer- tain, the Cauvinière team were able to syndicate Le Havre – securing him the patronage of some of the leading breed- ers in Europe. His fee for 2015 soared to €20,000, but that did not discourage a stampede of mares: 199 in all. And he had barely started. Last season, at three, La Cressonnière emulated Avenir Cer- tain's two Classic wins and was unbeaten through eight starts in all when sidelined by injury in September. Her corroboration of the impression made by Avenir Certain was not lost on the yearling market at Deauville in August. "Le Havre had 11 go through Arqana and they sold at an aver- age of €140,000 – from a five-grand cov- er!" Alex says, shaking his head. "And with the pedigrees you would expect for that fee. It's scary. He has to be an upgrading stallion. Has to be." 31