Carlos Laffon-Parias

Chantilly's G1 Prix de Diane programme opened with a bang when Alain and Gerard Wertheimer's homebred 2-year-old filly Polyvega (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}--Polydream {Ire}, by Oasis Dream {GB}) unleashed a debut performance of note to attain 'TDN Rising Star' status in Sunday's Prix de la Reine Blanche Longines Polyvega was a shade slow from the stands' side stall and raced in fourth after the initial strides of this debutantes' heat. Cruising forward on the bridle once past halfway, the 3-1 second choice was shaken up to seize control approaching...

Alain and Gerard Wertheimer's twice-raced Halfday (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}--Daytime {GB}, by Frankel {GB}), who followed up a debut second at Deauville with a breakthrough score at Chantilly in December, continued on the upgrade with a dominant display in Friday's G3 Prix Cleopatre at Saint-Cloud. The 27-5 chance broke in fourth, but was relegated to last of the six contenders after extended opening exchanges. Bustled along off the home turn, she made relentless headway in the straight to launch her challenge entering the final furlong and was ridden clear...

Carlos Laffon-Parias, the first Spanish trainer to win the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, announced on Wednesday that he will retire from training at the end of the year. Based in Chantilly, Laffon-Parias is best known as the trainer of Solemia (Ire) (Poliglote {GB}), who caused an upset when beating leading Japanese hope Orfevre (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) in the 2012 running of Europe's premier middle-distance race. He also won the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac on the same card with Silasol (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}), while the likes of Laverock...

Wertheimer and Frere will add two new trainers to its team this year in the form of Yann Barberot in Deauville and Christopher Head in Chantilly, their manager Pierre-Yves Bureau told the Jour de Galop on Thursday. The two have enjoyed success on French and European racecourses this past season. Their addition to the training ranks comes after the brothers' addition of the Wildenstein Family's Dayton Investments bloodstock portfolio this past August. Bureau also told the JDG that they would be retaining their existing trainers; Andre Fabre, who currently has...

A successful ParisLongchamp au revoir for Frankie was denied in Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix de la Foret, with his beloved Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}) losing out by half a length to the Wertheimers' fellow TDN Rising Star Kelina (Ire) (Frankel {GB}--Incahoots {GB}, by Oasis Dream {GB}) who put the cherry on the cake for her sire who both directly and indirectly dominated the Arc. Unplaced twice since beating the G1 Prix du Moulin heroine Sauterne (Fr) (Kingman {GB}) decisively in the G2 Prix de Sandringham at Chantilly in June, the...

Al Shira'aa Farms' bonanza weekend continued apace at Deauville on Sunday, with their star filly Jannah Rose (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) coming back from her midsummer break to win the 10-furlong G2 Sumbe Prix Alec Head which is the re-named Prix de la Nonette. Off since her anti-climactic sixth in the G1 Prix de Diane, the G1 Prix Saint-Alary heroine was restrained to race in third by Christophe Soumillon off the moderate pace set by the G2 Ribblesdale S. runner-up and G1 Irish Oaks fourth Lumiere Rock (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn})....

Providing a boost to the form of the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches in which she was fourth last month, the Wertheimers' TDN Rising Star Kelina (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) was in command in Sunday's G2 Prix de Sandringham at Chantilly. Tracking Zarinsk (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) in second throughout the early stages, the Carlos Laffon-Parias-trained 10-3 shot overwhelmed that rival 1 1/2 furlongs out before surging to an impressive two-length success from the Pouliches third Sauterne (Fr) (Kingman {GB}).

Sent off the 8-5 favourite for a competitive renewal of ParisLongchamp's G1 St Mark's Basilica Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary, Al Shira'aa Farms' Carlos Laffon-Parias-trained Jannah Rose (Ire) (Frankel {GB}--Sophie Germain {Ire}, by Indian Ridge {Ire}) duly affirmed her abundant quality with a success that was as smooth as it gets in these demanding conditions. Switched off early by Christophe Soumillon, the unbeaten G3 Prix Vanteaux winner was coaxed to the front 300 metres from the line and asserted for a 3/4-of-a-length verdict over Elusive Princess (Fr) (Martinborough {Jpn}), who in turn...

As the only inexperienced member of the line-up for Sunday's G3 Prix Vanteaux, Al Shira'aa Farms' Jannah Rose (Ire) (Frankel {GB}--Sophie Germain {Ire}, by Indian Ridge {Ire}) had her work cut out but after her command performance in ParisLongchamp's Classic pointer all were left pondering where her considerable talent will take her. Off the mark in professional if not flashy fashion over a mile at Chantilly in September, the Carlos Laffon-Parias-trained half-sister to the G2 Lanwades Stud S. winner Creggs Pipes (Ire) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) was nevertheless not missed...

It has been a poignant year for his mother's family, who last summer grieved not only their own venerable patriarch but the founder of many parallel equine dynasties. Within months of Alec Head's death, their Haras du Quesnay was being dismantled and, as a reflective young man, Fernando Laffon could not fail to sense the end of a cycle as his grandmother Criquette Head-Maarek was joined in retirement by her brother Freddy. But just as Freddy's children Christopher and Victoria meanwhile continue in training careers of their own, so Laffon...

Leaving a deep impression on debut at Deauville on Thursday, the Wertheimers' Left Sea (GB) (Frankel {GB}--Left Hand {GB}, by Dubawi {Ire}) earned TDN Rising Star status with a five-length success in the Prix de la Reboursiere over a mile. A daughter of their G1 Prix Vermeille heroine from the family of Plumania (GB) (Anabaa), the Carlos Laffon-Parias trained bay was nobody's secret as the 8-5 favourite and was allowed to establish an instant lead by Maxime Guyon. Kicking in early straight, the homebred registered a penultimate sectional of 11.19...

Alain and Gerard Wertheimer's hitherto unraced 2-year-old filly Kelina (Ire) (Frankel {GB}--Incahoots {GB}, by Oasis Dream {GB}) was let go at odds of 29-5 for Saturday's Prix des Marettes at Deauville and returned home with a 'TDN Rising Star' tag after posting a taking pillar-to-post performance in the 7 1/2-furlong debutantes' heat. The eventual winner was the sharpest of one dozen into stride and seized an immediate lead. Holding sway throughout, she was shaken up when threatened passing the quarter-mile marker and ran on strongly once quickening clear approaching the...