The 2021 G1 Champion S. winner Sealiway (Fr) will retire to his owner's Haras de Beaumont near Deauville for the 2023 covering season.
The 4-year-old son of Galiway (GB) will be the first stallion to stand under the Beaumont banner, the new base for Kamel and Pauline Chehboub's breeding enterprise on land purchased from the Head family at the famed Haras du Quesnay. Haras de Beaumont will be managed by Mathieu Alex.
“I think we have the place for this champion in France. He deserves his place at stud,” Pauline Chehboub told TDN. “He was the best 2-year-old in France, one of the best 2-year-olds in Europe, and he was the best horse in France last year.
“To be able to stand him at such a magical place as Quesnay and to have as our first stallion a champion such as Sealiway makes us very proud and excited. It is a new turn in our career as owners and breeders. Our goal is to breed at the top level and to race the next champion.”
The Chehboubs, who race under the name Haras de la Gousserie, campaigned Sealiway in partnership with his breeder Guy Pariente. Among his five victories at two, he won the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, the race also won by France's current champion sire Siyouni (Fr). The following season Sealiway was runner-up to St Mark's Basilica (Fr) in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club and also ran fifth in the Arc before winning the Champion S., in which he beat Classic winners Adayar (Ire), Mac Swiney (Ire), and Mishriff (Ire).
The Chehboub family previously stood their homebred Arlington Million winner Spirit One (Fr) at stud in France but are now in the midst of a significant expansion of both their racing and breeding operations. Kamel Chehboub's daughter Pauline is managing the racing stable recently purchased in Chantilly which is now the base of Ludovic Rovisse, who is training 35 horses for the family.
Commenting on the significant purchase of part of Quesnay, Chehboub said, “I think it's very important to us to perpetuate what has happened on this land. The Head family was an example for everyone in this industry and for us too.
“Beaumont is a major project, a story of people and encounters. We have called on Mathieu and Emilie Alex who, thanks to their expertise, will support us in doing everything possible to try to achieve our objectives.”
“It will be exciting in December to be able to show breeders the stud and Sealiway when they are in Deauville for the sales. We will be supporting the horse and we would love to add some new mares to the stud because he deserves to be covering mares at the top level. Unfortunately we sold Rougir last year, as he deserves this type of filly.”
In a banner year for Haras de la Gousserie in 2021, Rougir (Fr) (Territories {Ire}) won the G1 Prix de l'Opera on Arc weekend a fortnight before Sealiway's triumph on British Champions Day at Ascot. The filly was sold later that year by Alex under the Sumbe banner for €3 million to Michel Zerolo on behalf of Peter Brant and Michael Tabor. In Tabor's colours she won last weekend's GI EP Taylor S. for the Chad Brown stable.
“We are proud to have raced such a filly,” said Chehboub. “She showed on Saturday that she was still the mare we had in France. I think she just needed some time to acclimatise to a new country, and one that's very different in France.”
For Chehboub and her father, the search is now on for the next stars to race under their new title of Ecurie de la Gousserie from their Chantilly yard alongside Les Aigles.
“I think my father is proud of what we have achieved so far, and the continuity of that is our project now. We have our eyes on the future. I would say the best is in front of us and that's very exciting.”
At Haras de Beaumont, Mathieu Alex has been appointed to run the stud and launch the career of Sealiway, a role for which he is well qualified, having previously worked with leading French sire Le Havre (Ire), among others, during his days at Haras de Montfort et Préaux, later known as Sumbe.
“It is exciting to start our activity with a horse with the class of Sealiway,” he said. “His performances at the highest level, his warrior attitude and his longevity make him a true champion.
“The Chehboub family and Guy Pariente are determined to do everything they can to give Sealiway the best possible start at stud. This is very positive for the French breeding industry. We will do our utmost to involve breeders in this exciting project and thus share the success of such an adventure.”
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