ENGLISH TEXTS
However , even if Chamisène managed to produce a foal , there was no guarantee that the gamble would pay off . “ The foal was born puny , and his dam wasn ’ t giving good milk ,“ recalls Nicolas de Lageneste . “ We had to give him a lot of supplements . He didn ’ t have very good hocks , but that was a common trait of many Cadoudal offspring . So much so that Robert Fougedoire , who had come to see him , didn ’ t want to take him . A year later , Jacques Détré saw him in much better condition and bought him . The rest , as they say , is history ...“
Entrusted to Guillaume Macaire , who had already trained Saint Preuil , Saint des Saints would become one of the very best horses of his generation , but without being able to win a Gr1 . A winner over steeplechase at the end of his 3-year-old season , then over hurdles , he dominated the following first half of the year over hurdles . He won all the trials for the Prix Alain du Breil but was beaten by Great Love on the day . In the autumn , the window of opportunity had closed because a certain Karly Flight , one of the greatest hurdling mares of our time , had arrived .
It was time to face his destiny at stud . The managers were not exactly queuing up to take him , though , due to a lack of top-level performance . “ His owner , Jacques Détré , convinced Haras d ’ Étreham to take him , and we had to negotiate well , recalls Lageneste . I must say that they did a fantastic job because the horse didn ’ t readily cover mares and it took a lot of patience .“
Now , Saint des Saints can rest in the blessed pastures of Bessin , nearby Etreham , with a sense of accomplishment . He can contemplate a destiny that , had he been born a man , would be the stuff of novels .
VIDEO / ITW
A few weeks ago , we announced the retirement of Saint des Saints from his stallion career after 22 seasons of covering . He is a horse that , beyond his exceptional career as a stallion , has been a true catalyst for us in the discipline of National-Hunt . He was the first stallion we acquired to diversify and launch our NH project . He started his career as a sire at Etreham before standing a few years at La Tuilerie . Over 22 seasons , he met different people , stallion managers and teams , and established himself over time as a leading sire , with around twenty Gr . 1 winners to his name . He is truly shaping his lineage as an excellent broodmare sire , with nearly 10 Gr . 1 performers . We are now seeing his first sons at stud starting to produce well , led by Goliath du Berlais , whom we acquired during his racing career in hopes of one day replacing his father . It has truly been a wonderful adventure . The fact that he continues to leave a positive mark both in the minds of people and in pedigrees means that he is a horse we will follow for many years to come . Just 15 days ago , he was the sire of two Gr . 3 winners at Auteuil , the Prix Magne and the Talhouët-Roy - we ’ re not about to forget him ! He is an extraordinary horse , with a true personality . He enjoys living his life without too much fuss from us , and sometimes we could call him a bit “ grumpy ” due to his attitude . However , his way of managing himself on a daily basis — almost his nonchalance — has allowed him to endure and remain in very good health today to enjoy a well-deserved retirement . So , about a month ago , we made the decision , along with Ludivine Marchand , Franck Champion , and our entire team , to end his stallion career and put him into retirement . This decision was made simply because the horse physically showed us that it was time to stop after 22 seasons ; we preferred to fully respect him and retire him a bit earlier rather than too late . At 27 years old next year , it seemed to us that it was time . He had another great season this year , and it was time to turn the page .
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WOOTTON BASSETT VS . SIYOUNI
These two stallions entered stud a year apart . The stud careers of Wootton Bassett , which is reaching extraordinary heights this season , and Siyouni have some interesting parallels .
The average price of Wootton Bassett yearlings in Europe has multiplied by 4.3 between 2020 and this year , from € 125,000 to € 540,000 . Guess how much his stud fee has increased during this time ?
The same : from € 40,000 for his last year at Étreham , which launched him in style , to € 150,000 when this year ’ s yearlings were conceived , and € 200,000 this year at Coolmore , a multiplier of 3.75 and then 5 .
What will happen in the 2025 season ? Who knows ! But with the recent dominance of Wootton Bassett ’ s progeny at the Tattersalls sales , coupled with the impressive success of his 2-year-olds on the track , who have won ten Group races this season , we can expect another adjustment , especially since in Australia , his first
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