By Tom Frary
Marseille-Borely was the venue for the first European winner in 2026 by a first-crop sire on Wednesday as Sealiway's Witchway struck in the Jean-Pierre-Joseph Dubois colours.
Happy to follow the strong pace under Hugo Besnier in the five-furlong maiden, the 8-5 favourite took control 300 metres from the finish and drew away in style to record a 2 1/2-length verdict over Dicanto,a colt from the first crop of Haras du Taillis's resident Dicaprio. There was another short-neck margin back to the third Body Physical, the first runner for Haras des Faunes's freshman Marianafoot.
Trained by Patrice Cottier, the winner is a homebred colt out of the Nathaniel mare Were, a granddaughter of the Argentinian champion Ishitaki (Interprete). Galiway's son Sealiway, whose finest hour came in the Champion Stakes and who also took the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, stands for €10,000.
Sealiway (Fr)@HarasBeaumont 1er Partants -1er Gagnant 👏
🇫🇷 Prix De Carqueiranne
Marseille Borely – Inédits – 2 ans – 1000m – 6 Pts – 21 000 €🏆Witchway (m2) (Fr) 🏇Hugo Besnier @hugobess53
📖(Sealiway (Fr) @HarasBeaumont – Were (Fr) par Nathaniel (Ire))… pic.twitter.com/jFXuC1hAY5— French and International Horse Racing (@Vincenzo0612) March 18, 2026
1st-Marseille-Borely, €21,000, Debutantes, 3-18, 2yo, 5fT, 59.13, vs.
WITCHWAY (FR) (c, 2, Sealiway {Fr}–Were {Fr}, by Nathaniel {Ire}) Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, €10,500. O/B-Jean-Pierre-Joseph Dubois; T-Patrice Cottier.
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