By Emma Berry
There was a certain poignancy to the debut victory of Islandsinthestream (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) at the Curragh on Wednesday in the absence of the man responsible for developing the colt's family, Peter Katelanis. The Australian owner-breeder died last August and is remembered fondly by Nicolas de Chambure of Haras d'Etreham, who co-bred the Joseph O'Brien-trained juvenile.
“I got to meet Peter when I first went to Australia maybe 10 years ago,” he said. “We got on really well and then sadly he was diagnosed with cancer last year and died within three months. He was only young, in his 50s and in great form, but it took him away. That's why it was so special last night.”
Katelanis was involved in racing Islandsinthestream's grand-dam, the G2 VRC Sires' Produce S. winner De Lago Mist (Aus) (Encosta De Lago {Aus}), and from her bred A Mist Opportunity (Aus) (Foxwedge {Aus}), who won three races in Australia for a partnership including de Chambure.
He continued, “It's a good family that Peter had for many years, and he was trying hard to give it every chance as it was a special pedigree for him. When I bought half of the dam as a yearling we decided we were going to race her together in partnership. Because Peter had so many daughters and fillies from the family in Australia, we thought it was worth bringing [A Mist Opportunity] north to give a bit more international exposure to the family. So for the second foal to win like that, it would have been special for him.”
Islandsinthestream sails away in the seven-furlong maiden @curraghrace 👀@JosephOBrien2's newcomer (Wootton Bassett) comes from last to first within a matter of strides under @declanmcdonogh
Point Lonsdale won this in 2021, with Crypto Force on the scoresheet last season… pic.twitter.com/85Ni3d6ZDa
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) June 7, 2023
Haras d'Etreham has long had good relationships with fellow studs and breeders in the southern hemisphere, and this international aspect to his business is one that de Chambure is keen to extend.
“It's such a small world now,” he said. “To have shares in mares in partnerships in Australia or in the States is a good opportunity for us to get different blood, different families, different sire-lines from other parts of the world to avoid too much inbreeding, and try to breed something a bit different. With Peter, with that mare, it was a good opportunity. It was not surprising last year that someone like Joseph, who has been many times to Australia, a young trainer who knows those pedigrees a bit more, would buy the colt.”
A Mist Opportunity is a half-sister to Into The Mist (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) and Shrouded In Mist (Aus) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), both prolific winners who each won the G2 Queen of the South S. Now nine, she remains at Etreham, where she has a Mehmas (Ire) yearling who will soon start his sales prep for Arqana's August Sale. Islandsinthestream was himself bought at Arqana's October Sale for €135,000.
“He's a sharp colt and he won't mind an early sale like that,” said de Chambure of the Mehmas yearling, and added that the mare has a colt foal by Etreham resident Persian King (Ire). “She is now in foal to Almanzor (Fr). I liked the colt so much last year that I wanted to return to the same blood.”
It may have been three years since Wootton Bassett left Haras d'Etreham, where his stallion career was established, but de Chambure still roots for his offspring and had extra cause to roar at the television when his son King Of Steel made such a bold bid for the Derby on Saturday. The eventual runner-up was bred by Alberto Figueiredo of Kentucky's Bonne Chance Farm and his dam Eldacar (GB) (Verglas {Ire}) had previously boarded in France.
“We had the mare at Etreham for her owner. When he had a few mares in Europe they were based with us,” he said. “We bred the sister [Macadamia {Fr}] for them and it's because of that that they bought into Wootton Bassett fairly early on. They then sent the mare to Kentucky in foal to Wootton Bassett.”
That resultant foal was the giant grey King Of Steel, whose jaw-dropping performance in the Derby on just the third start of his life was one of the talking points of a busy Classic weekend in Europe.
“When he quickened out of the pack I really thought he was going to win,” said de Chambure. “I will always be cheering for him and for his breeder.”
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