ENGLISH TEXTS
the Jockey Club, and Queen Camilla is patron of the National Stud. The visit began at the stud, where they were introduced to stallions Lope Y Fernandez, Bradsell, Rajasinghe, and Stradivarius. The latter’ s owner, Bjorn Nielsen, told the Racing Post:“ As an owner, we were introduced to the King and Queen, who were both very warm and approachable. They showed a genuine interest in the horses and the people, and the late Queen Elizabeth II would have been so pleased by that. It’ s wonderful for racing.” He added,“ After the parade, the King went over to give‘ Strad’ some sweets. I was just hoping he wouldn’ t bite his fingers off, as Stradivarius can be a bit aggressive— but all went well.” More seriously, the royal couple had the opportunity to engage with a wide range of figures in the racing world. The Jockey Club used the occasion to announce the launch of a new scholarship aimed at improving access to racing careers for individuals from ethnically diverse backgrounds. This initiative will be developed by the British Racing School and the National Stud, in collaboration with organisations such as The Ebony Horse Club— an equestrian centre in the underprivileged neighbourhood of Brixton, London, whose patron is none other than Queen Camilla. Four days later, it was Queen Camilla who presented the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes trophy to Francis-Henri Graffard and
the team behind Calandagan. King Charles III was not present at Ascot, but it’ s likely that the French triumph was a topic of conversation when the couple reunited later that evening! The King is clearly developing a growing passion for the sport of racing and its wider industry.
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By Loïc Stecher Chocron
WOODSHAUNA: DAVID VERSUS GOLIATH
Winning a Group 1 flat race as a breeder is already a feat in itself. Doing so with a broodmare band of just about fifteen mares is even more remarkable, especially when beating the world’ s most prestigious stables. Interview with Patrick Lemarié of French-based Haras de Magouet, breeder of Gr. 1 Prix Jean Prat winner Woodshauna.
Could he ever have imagined beating Wertheimer, Juddmonte, or even Godolphin in a Group 1 at Deauville? The answer is no. Not even in his wildest dreams. Patrick Lemarié is humble and downto-earth. He keeps his feet firmly planted, even after reaching the top. We catch up with him one evening in his pastures in Campbon, Loire-Atlantique. Patrick Lemarié has been breeding there for 47 years.“ The day after Woodshauna’ s victory, I woke up the same way. I literally put on my boots to go feed my horses. I don’ t think the Abdullah or Maktoum families do the same,” he explains.“ Then my vet came by. It was just the start of another ordinary day. What changed, though, was the value of Woodshauna’ s dam. Suddenly, insurers and buyers were interested. Honestly, I’ m going to take my time. Should I sell her or not? I’ ll make that decision with a clear head.” For Patrick Lemarié, the story of Woodshauna began with the purchase of her dam, Tosen Shauna, for € 51,000- a daughter of Alhebayeb, himself by Dark Angel.“ I really liked her pedigree, but what truly made the difference was her conformation. She was a beautiful mover, isn’ t very big, and has a lovely hindquarter. Plus, she was black type. Her yearling by The Grey Gatsby will go to sale in October. She currently has a foal by Galiway and is in foal to Big Rock,” he notes.“ I chose to breed her to Wooded for several reasons. First, Wooded is a son of Wootton Bassett with exceptional talent. Second, he was a brilliant racehorse. With Tosen Shauna, I was either going for a first-season sire or an established one. And he’ s also now the sire of his first Group 1 winner.” Loyalty and integrity, those are two more traits that de-
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