Half To Sottsass Starts At Deauville

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday's Observations features a Dubawi (Ire) half-brother to Sottsass (Fr).

11.55 Deauville, Debutantes, €27,000, 2yo, c/g, 8fT
SARDEM (FR) (Siyouni {Fr}) debuts in the same debutantes' contest in which the same connections' Erevann (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) gained TDN Rising Star status 12 months ago and, as trainers are creatures of habit, is probably a significant runner to start the card for Jean-Claude Rouget. The Aga Khan's February-foaled bay is a son of the G3 Prix de Lieurey winner and G1 Prix Jean Romanet and G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp-placed Sarkiyla (Fr) (Oasis Dream {GB}), making him a half-brother to the fellow Rouget-trained G3 Prix du Prince d'Orange scorer Saiydabad (Blame) who was fourth in last year's G1 Prix du Jockey Club. It could be that the stable's Valimi (Fr) (Teofilo {Ire}) is here as a pacemaker and if that is the case then it is clear that his entourage see him as above-average.

12.31 Deauville, Debutantes, €27,000, 2yo, f, 8fT
SNOWPARK (FR) (Dubawi {Ire}) is the main draw in a fascinating contest, being another potential star from the Rouget yard as a half-sister to the Arc and Prix du Jockey Club hero Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and outstanding Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}). Kept by her breeders at Monceaux, the April-foaled bay debuts two months after the dam registered another landmark as her son of Siyouni (Fr) topped this town's Arqana August Yearling Sale at €2.1 million. Among the crew assembled for this are the Andre Fabre-trained Kamiyah (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), a half-sister to the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois-winning sire Al Wukair (Ire) (Dream Ahead) who bids to extend the purple patch of Ballylinch Stud; and the Monceaux-bred Faial (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), Ecurie Didier Tabary's €260,000 Deauville August graduate and half-sister to the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere-winning sire National Defense (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) representing the Christophe Ferland stable.