ENGLISH TEXTS
Alain and Gérard Wertheimer created the Wertheimer & Frère stable in 1996 , and this unique two-headed organisation impresses with its structure and the consistency of its results in its two activities , both of which are well known to be particularly unpredictable . In the summer of 2023 , Wertheimer & Frère struck a major blow - which is not the style of the house - by acquiring the entire Dayton breeding operation , the legacy of Daniel Wildenstein . The blue team remains in blue , in short . This type of operation was commonplace in the first part of the 20 th century . It was through the acquisition of a stud farm that Marcel Boussac established his own at Fresnay-le-Buffard . The Aga Khan acquired those of François Dupré , then Jean-Luc Lagardère . However , in the Wertheimer organisation , this is a new phenomenon . Pierre-Yves Bureau , the stable ’ s manager , explains : “ Integrating the Dayton horses will take several years to digest . However , we have always chosen to keep the same number of horses . This means that if we buy mares or if we bring in so many maiden fillies because we want to keep them , either because they have been good or for their genetic potential , that ’ s the same number of mares that have to go out . At the moment , for example , we have a lot of horses in training , more than usual , because of this bulk acquisition which , from a purely practical point of view , is unusual and a bit disruptive to our organisation . We don ’ t want to be overwhelmed by numbers .“ From 1994 to 2024 , the number of Wertheimer graduates racing in France each year rose from 88 to 121 . If we take each decade into account , the average ranking achieved by the stud farm rose from 3.1 st to 2.1 st and then 1.5 th over the last ten years .
At the same time , the number of runners rose from an average of 95.6 to 112.5 and most recently 121.9 . The correlation is striking . However , if we look at the stable ’ s results simply as an owner , the year-end ranking over the last thirty seasons has remained stable at around 3.4 th , with three series of two consecutive first places in 1999-2000 , 2012-2013 and 2023-2024 . There were no more horses or even a record number of wins in those years , but winners of big races : Egyptband in the Prix de Diane in 2000 , Solemia in the Arc in 2012 , Sosie and Aventure in 2024 , an exceptional year with 86 wins in France , a new record for the silks . So there is indeed an element of chance in sporting results , but also a set of adjustments that allow the whole to hold its own . We can see that the percentage of horses bred by the stable that have left but are still active in France varies over the years : 19.8 % in 2024 , the first year of the “ full “ integration of Dayton , but only 11.6 % the previous season . The proportion has varied considerably , from 41 % in 2009 to 11 % in 1996 , when the stable was created in its current form , but this percentage has remained below 20 % since 2018 . Pierre-Yves Bureau explains this variable : “ Breeding has developed a lot since the 2000s . We have taken on a volume that the stable didn ’ t have before . That ’ s undeniable . The number effect is important and it ’ s necessary to reach and maintain a critical level , but it has to be controlled . And as we breed to race at a certain level , there is also a fairly rapid release onto the market of horses that we don ’ t want to keep . Mares , because we have to renew our stock without exceeding our numbers , and then 3-year-olds that we sell early in the season , sometimes , when we are lucky enough to have a few colts that reach the highest level , like last season , and we can be more selective . This method also allows other owners to give them a good second career .“ As in the days of Epinard , the stable also has an eye on the USA , the scene of some of the stable ’ s greatest exploits in the Breeders ’ Cup , with Goldikova , a triple winner of the Mile , but also Halfbridled and Kotashaan , both trained in California by Richard Mandella . We also remember the sensational victory of Dare and Go , who defeated the invincible Cigar in the Pacific Classic in 1996 ... “ The advantage of American racing is the quantity ,“ summarises Pierre-Yves Bureau . “ If your horse is blocked here , you find yourself with several options almost every weekend over there . Contrary to some misconceptions , the horses we send must be in good health because the checks are now stricter and , even if there is less publicity about it , many horses are scratched before big races on veterinary examination . Things are moving in the right direction , and we have to go over there with horses that are ready . For example , we sent Maniatic , a son of Intello who was Group-placed in France , because we noticed that Intello ’ s progeny were doing well in the United States . Adhamo and Kertez have won at Group level over there . The stable has about forty horses in training in the United States .“ It is also in the USA that the breeding stock is renewed , but not only with American bloodlines . Over the years , Wertheimer & Frère has distinguished itself at American sales by buying purely US mares ( such as the second dam of Junko , for example ), but also South American recruits . Similarly , mares are sent to Japan to be covered , such as the dam of the champion
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