This year's Prix du Jockey Club winner Look de Vega (Fr) will join his sire Lope de Vega (Ire) on the stallion roster at Ballylinch Stud next season, the operation announced on Monday. He has been introduced at a fee of €20,000.
Look de Vega was bred by Joelle Mestrallet of Haras De La Morsangliere and Lucien Urano of Ecurie des Charmes, who raced him in partnership with his trainers Carlos and Yann Lerner, as well as Patrick Madar, before it was announced in July that Ballylinch–in association with Al Shaqab Racing–had bought a majority share in the colt and that he would retire to County Kilkenny at the end of his racing career.
Unbeaten in three starts at the time of the sale, culminating with his impressive Classic success at Chantilly, Look De Vega went on to finish third in the G2 Prix Niel at Longchamp, before signing off with a below-par effort in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Look De Vega takes the G1 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby)!
— IFHA's Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings (@worldsbesthorse) June 2, 2024
“It is with great pleasure that we welcome Lope de Vega's Classic-winning son, Look de Vega, to the Ballylinch roster for 2025,” said Ballylinch's John O'Connor.
“We have been tracking Look de Vega since his hugely impressive seven-length debut win on his only start as a two-year-old. A truly impressive victor of the Prix du Jockey Club, Look de Vega continues the legacy of his sire and grandsire, both of whom won the same race before going on to Champion First Season Sire honours.
“He is owned by a very strong partnership, including successful breeders Al Shaqab, Ecurie des Charmes, and ourselves, who are all committed to supporting him with a top-quality book of mares, ensuring he has every opportunity to succeed. Anyone who sees his walk will immediately recognise him as his father's son.
“Breeders will be struck by his athleticism, temperament, and overall physique, all qualities that set him on the path to becoming an outstanding sire in his own right.”
From the further family of the 2007 winner of the Prix du Jockey Club, Lawman (Fr), Look de Vega is out of the treble winner Lucelle (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}), a half-sister to the G2 Lancashire Oaks winner The Black Princess (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}).
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