Rose Family In Bloom For Heald

During a long, hot summer, one family which has been blooming rather than wilting is that of Soho Rose (Ire), a daughter of Hernando (Fr) who has been represented by two Group 2-winning offspring in the last three weeks.

The mare's 4-year-old daughter Sea La Rosa (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) struck first in the G2 Lillie Langtry S. at Glorious Goodwood having already landed the G3 Pinnacle S. in May, and she was followed by her full-brother Deauville Legend (Ire) in Wednesday's G2 Voltigeur S. He too was backing up a Group 3 win earlier in the season in the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket, and the consistent colt has also twice been runner-up this season, at Royal Ascot and Goodwood. His performance at York saw Deauville Legend, owned by Bon Ho, shoot to the head of the betting for the G1 Melbourne Cup in November.

The man responsible for breeding these two rising stars is Guy Heald, whose immense modesty prevents him from taking any credit for a burgeoning family which stems from the first horse he ever had in training back in the 1990s. Soho Rose's dam Russian Rose (Ire) (Soviet Lad) was picked up at Tattersalls in 1994 by former trainer Tony Hide for 5,200gns, and in the ensuing years she has established a pretty impressive dynasty.

“We were lucky enough to buy Russian Rose as a yearling,” Heald recalls. “She was a late developer but distance was never an issue with her. She would run over any distance she was asked to and I suppose she just put plenty of stamina into her offspring.”

A winner over 10 furlongs for Hide, and later showing her staying credentials when landing a 2m1f handicap at Bath for James Toller, Russian Rose retired after 11 starts with a mark of 78 and was an instant hit at stud. Her first foal, Hanami (GB), who like Soho Rose is a daughter of Hernando, followed her mother to Toller's stable and won the Listed Montrose Fillies' Stakes at two before running fifth and sixth in the 1000 Guineas and the Oaks respectively, then winning the G2 Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh. She is now the dam of three black-type performers.

Born six years later, Russian Rose's daughter by Dubai Destination, Dubai Rose (GB), was sent into training with Henri-Alex Pantall in France, and won listed races in Switzerland and Germany in Heald's colours before going on to produce The Juliet Rose (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}), whose four stakes wins included two runnings of the G2 Prix de Royallieu, which has subsequently been elevated to Group 1 status.

While those two have established their own branches of the dynasty, it is arguably their sister Soho Rose, also the winner of a German listed contest while under the tutelage of Pantall, who is currently doing the most to keep the family in the spotlight. As well as Deauville Legend and Sea La Rosa, Soho Rose is the dam of dual winner and Group 3 runner-up Dean Street Doll (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}). Heald splits his broodmare band between his own Egerton Stud on the outskirts of Newmarket and La Motteraye in Normandy, where Soho Rose resides. Now 13, the mare has a yearling filly by Golden Horn (GB), who will be retained to race, most likely in France, and a foal by Sea The Moon (Ger), to whom she is now back in foal.

Reflecting on his own introduction to racing, the breeder, whose background is in international banking and property, says, “I suppose it all started when I went racing to Yarmouth with my father aged about seven. Then I hibernated until I bought Russian Rose and she was the first horse I had in training. Tony Hide bought her on spec without an order and then sold her to us.”

Other members of the family remaining within the Heald fold include Hanami's daughters Harbour Of Hope (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) and Evania (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}). The latter, bred along similar lines to Sea La Rosa and Deauville Legend, has had “some hiccups” since winning her sole start on debut at two but remains in training with John and Thady Gosden.

Heald is clearly a breeder who takes the patient approach, with a focus on middle-distance stock. Indeed, some years ago he was part of the Ptarmigan Bloodstock partnership which bred, with Kirsten Rausing, the brilliant five-time Group 1 winner Fame And Glory (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}).

He says of the two most recent high-profile graduates of his breeding operation, “It was lovely to see Sea La Rosa stay in training as a 4-year-old. Her owners were very wise to do so as she is still improving.

“And it has been wonderful to see the progression of Deauville Legend because James Ferguson has had a clear plan of what to do all along.”

The siblings are currently close neighbours in Newmarket, trained respectively by Ferguson and William Haggas, but they spent their formative years in Normandy. Sea La Rosa was sold at Arqana's August Sale by Ecurie des Monceaux for €200,000, the same amount paid by Mark McStay on behalf of Bon Ho a year later for Deauville Legend, who was consigned by Gwen Monneraye and Lucie Lamotte of La Motteraye Consignment, who board “six or seven mares” for Heald.

In Newmarket, Heald owns Egerton Stud and its neighbouring training yard, which has recently seen a change of trainer from the now-retired David Elsworth to Kevin Philippart de Foy. Bordering Newmarket's two racecourses and the National Stud, Egerton is an estate steeped in history, whose regal former equine residents include the the Prince of Wales's Derby and St Leger hero of 1896, Persimmon (GB).

Heald, who was himself on the return journey from France and the Arqana sale as the well-named Deauville Legend struck at York, is quick to deflect the praise for this success to others.

“I do very little apart from expend the nervous energy,” he says. “The horses are very well cared for by Gwenael and Lucie. They also prepared The Juliet Rose for sale for me. We're advised on breeding by Ecurie des Monceaux and I rely very much on the expertise of Henri Bozo. I think it's important to be involved in racing on both sides of the Channel.”

From one modest purchase of a filly almost three decades ago, Heald has now become a significant, if understated, owner and breeder in various European countries, and that influence could yet extend to Australia by the end of the year.