By Tom Frary
Enjoying the stand-out profile ahead of Thursday's Arqana Series Des Poulains at Deauville, TBT Racing's €820,000 Arqana Breezer Northern Champion (Wootton Bassett) didn't disappoint en route to his big debut payday. Always comfortable tracking the leaders under Kieran Shoemark, the 17-5 favourite stayed on strongly to hit the front inside the final furlong and beat compatriot River Card (Hello Youmzain) by a length.
“He was very brave and has plenty of speed,” Shoemark said of the Ed Walker-trained son of the G3 Bow Mistress winner Zargos (Shamardal). “He knew his job and is a really likeable sort with talent.”
Northern Champion is a grandson of Serena's Sister (Rahy), the full-sibling of the champion Serena's Song who produced Rock Hard Ten's GII American Turf Stakes-winning sire Doubles Partner. Her daughter Princess Serena (Unbridled's Song) is responsible for the classy Puissance De Lune and Queen Power by Zargos's sire Shamardal and Zabeel Prince by Shamardal's son Lope De Vega and is the second dam of Rizeena (Iffraaj) and this year's miler sensation Field of Gold (Kingman). Zargos's yearling son of Night Of Thunder is in this month's Arqana Deauville Sale, while she also has a filly foal by Too Darn Hot.
ARQANA SERIES DES POULAINS, (Cond), €160,000, Deauville, 8-14, 2yo, c/g, 7fT, 1:24.57, sf.
1–NORTHERN CHAMPION (IRE), 129, c, 2, by Wootton Bassett (GB)
1st Dam: Zargos (Aus) (GSW-Aus), by Shamardal
2nd Dam: Sister Rocks, by Rock Hard Ten
3rd Dam: Serena's Sister, by Rahy
(€125,000 Ylg '24 ARQAUG; €820,000 2yo '25 ARQMAY).
O-TBT Racing; B-Ecurie des Monceaux & Limerick Lane Pty Ltd;
T-Ed Walker; J-Kieran Shoemark. €80,000. Lifetime Record: 1-
1-0-0, €80,000.
2–River Card (Ire), 129, g, 2, Hello Youmzain (Fr)–Enfin (Ire), by
Teofilo (Ire). (€60,000 Ylg '24 ARQAUG). O-Manton
Thoroughbreds X; B-Cotton House Bloodstock; T-Brian
Meehan. €32,000.
3–Lommi (Ire), 129, c, 2, Churchill (Ire)–La Sabara (GB), by
Sabiango (Ger). (€78,000 Ylg '24 ARQOCT). O-Eckhard Sauren;
B-R Peters; T-Henk Grewe. €24,000.
Margins: 1, 3/4, 1HF. Odds: 3.40, 5.30, 38.00.
Also Ran: Jabracadabra (Fr), Mijas (Fr), Eagles Attire (Ire), Gazi (Fr), Ehteraaz, Sagremor (Ire), Get Outta Here (Fr), Hello Jo (Fr), Thanos (Fr). Scratched: Afyon (Fr).
It's another successful French raid for the @edwalkerracing team! 🇫🇷
Wootton Bassett-colt Northern Champion follows in the footsteps of Maranoa Charlie in landing this valuable prize first time up in the hands of Kieran Shoemark! pic.twitter.com/it4DvaaQ01
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) August 14, 2025
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