Monceaux Aiming For Pole Position

Last year, Ecurie des Monceaux sold 27 yearlings at Arqana’s August Sale for a princely €8,727,000, putting the Normandy-based farm on the top spot for the third year running, just six years after making a consigning debut at France’s premier sale.

It would be folly to bet against Monceaux retaining that title this week in Deauville, with its blue-blooded draft of 29 containing, as ever, an array of precious gems.

There will be plenty of fuss about the Frankel (GB) sextet selling at Arqana–and Monceaux offers four of them–but of arguably greater significance is the fact that its draft contains the only two yearlings in the catalogue by Dubawi (Ire), who looks a major threat to Galileo (Ire) for European champion sire honors this term.

“I’m very fortunate that we have the four Frankel yearlings and two colts by Dubawi, which is rare at the August Sale. It’s getting tough to find horses by him,” said Henri Bozo, who manages the farm just an hour from Deauville for owner Lucien Urano.

Dubawi fans will have to wait until Sunday evening to see the pair go through the ring, with the first, lot 119, hailing from a family that has kept the stud in the headlines in recent years. The March-born colt is the first foal of Pacifique (Fr) (Montjeu {Ire}), a Group 3-winning half-sister to Prudenzia (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), the dam of G1 Irish Oaks winner Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}). Prudenzia’s stock has risen since Monceaux gained €600,000 for Chicquita as a yearling, with her three subsequent offspring–Sinnamary (Ire) (Gaileo {Ire}), Truth (Ire) (Gaileo {Ire}) and Craven’s Legend (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire})–each selling for seven-figure sums.

Prudenzia has no yearling catalogued this year but her dam Platonic (GB) (Zafonic)–a granddaughter of the Fittocks Stud matriarch Souk (GB)–is responsible for one of the Frankel yearlings on offer, a filly slated as lot 127 on Sunday.

“The Frankel filly out of Platonic has a lot of strength and she looks quite precocious compared to what the mare usually produces,” said Bozo. “Frankel has given her a lot of strength in her hindquarters and, like her sire, she’s a very good mover.”

Monceaux sells solely in France and only consigns stock bred and raised on the farm for either Urano and his associates, or regular clients.

“I think it helps us that we have known the horses throughout their lives,” explains the 42-year-old manager who has helped the Italian-born Urano develop Monceaux from a former trotting farm into a world-class Thoroughbred breeding operation since its purchase in 2003. “We do all the sales prep ourselves and as we always have the same number of horses on the farm, and not just extras arriving for the sales, we are able to keep the staff levels consistent, which means the people working for us all know the horses well too. I’m very lucky to have such a dedicated group of people to work with.”

The sole Galileo yearling in the Monceaux draft (lot 142) is not only regally-bred but also of great emotional significance to the team, being a filly out of Royal Highness (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}). The GI Beverly D S. winner was among the first batch of yearlings purchased by the farm in 2003 when selected at Baden-Baden for €130,000, and at stud she has already produced the G2 Prix Hocquart winner Free Port Lux (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}).

Chicquita and Free Port Lux are not the only group winners to have kept the Monceaux name in lights as leading breeders in recent years. Last season, Charm Spirit (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) won three consecutive Group 1 races over a mile in France and England to earn a place at Tweenhills Farm & Stud as one of this year’s most sought-after freshman sires. Towards the end of the session on Saturday night, Monceaux offers his Myboycharlie (Ire) half-brother as lot 85.

With Charm Spirit as a flag-bearer, it’s no surprise that Monceaux has been keen to continue to patronize his sire, Invincible Spirit, and this year’s draft contains six by the Irish National Stud stalwart, including lot 175, a half-brother to Group 1 winners Ectot (Ire) (Hurricane Run {Ire}) and Most Improved (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}), whose sister fetched €850,000 when sold to MV Magnier last August.

Saturday’s offerings feature an Invincible Spirit filly and first foal out of Demurely (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) (lot 44), whose half-sisters are the Group 1 winners Moonstone (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) and Cerulean Sky (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}).

“Even with the great team around me it’s hard not to start to feel nervous as the sale draws closer,” admitted Bozo. “So much attention to detail has gone into getting these horses here, but it’s good to feel pressure because it means we are trying to get everything right.”

Dark Angel (Ire) is a stallion whose stock remains at the forefront of popularity in Britain and Ireland. Eleven of his yearlings are catalogued for the August Sale including Monceaux’s filly (lot 308) who has benefitted from a major update since the catalogue was printed. The January-born grey is out of Nepali Princess (Ire), a Mr. Greeley half-sister to Europe’s leading juvenile and now dual Group 2 winner Shalaa (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).

Bozo said, “She’s a close relation to Shalaa and I think it’s good for the sale to be offering stock by more precocious stallions like Dark Angel. We don’t have so many of them in France.”

While being a successful consignor is of utmost importance at this time of year, of far greater significance to Bozo is seeing the horses he and his team have reared go on to fulfil the potential of their bloodlines on the racecourse. He added, “Of course it’s great to make money for the farm at the sales so we can reinvest in good mares, expensive nominations and improvements to the property, but, like all breeders, we put great effort into planning our matings and producing our horses day-by-day to give them the best chance of being successful on the track.”