Christophe Ferland

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...

Christophe Ferland's stable had not been firing on all cylinders during the summer months, but gave notice of a return to form with Shalromy's Listed Prix Matchem victory at Saint-Cloud on Friday, and the trainer's upturn in fortunes continued after Double Major (Ire) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}--Dancequest {Ire}, by Dansili {GB}) annexed Saturday's G2 Qatar Prix Chaudenay at ParisLongchamp. Alain and Gerard Wertheimer's homebred 3-year-old went untested as a juvenile and had run second in all three prior black-type starts, including a second to the reopposing Gallerist (Fr) (Zoffany {Ire}) in...

Chantilly's Prix de Toutevoie for unraced 2-year-old fillies on Wednesday had an intriguing look to it beforehand and it did not disappoint as the Wertheimers' Aventure (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}--Balladeuse {Fr}, by Singspiel {Ire}) won impressively to earn TDN Rising Star status. Placed handy behind the early leaders by Stephane Pasquier, the Christophe Ferland-trained half-sister to the G1 Prix Vermeille winner Left Hand (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) was committed passing the 300-metre marker and responded generously to put the contest to bed. Strong to the line, the 41-5 shot had...

Three wildcards and 10 supplements have been added to the Arqana February Mixed Sale, which already includes 356 lots. Leading the wild cards will be Leibovitz (Ire) (lot 50) offered by Christophe Ferland. A winner over 1200 metrers at Chantilly on debut, the 3-year-old daughter of Starspangledbanner (Aus) hails from the family of Group 1 winners Park Appeal (Ire) (Ahonoora {GB}), Cape Cross (GB), and Diktat (GB), etc. A pair of broodmares are also wildcards with Rouen Cathedral (GB) (lot 140), who is a daughter of Le Havre (Ire) out...

Arqana Online will hold its final sale of the year Thursday, Dec. 15 from 3 to 5pm. The nine-strong catalogue is now available at www.arqanaonline.com. The 3-year-old colt Mathletic (Fr) (Kingman {GB}) will be offered as lot 1. Trained by Andre Fabre, the gray colt was perfect in a pair of starts last term and has finished runner-up in his last three outings, the first of which came when going down by a neck in the G3 Prix de Fountainebleau at ParisLongchamp this past April and the latest a narrow...

Officials at Arqana have announced the addition of two wild-card entries to the first part of the auction house's Vente d'Elevage Saturday, Dec. 3. The two-year-old filly Next Episode (GB) (Kingman {GB}) will be offered by Ecurie des Monceaux as lot 200. Trained by Christophe Ferland, the bay filly was a debut winner in a six-furlong test on turf at Marseille-Borely Oct. 9 and followed up with a conditions score over the Deauville all-weather track Nov. 6. A daughter of the stakes-placed Nyarhini (GB) (Fantastic Light), Next Episode is a...

"Come to Vichy," they said. "We'll stop in Deauville on the way, it'll be fun." So began a 60-hour pilgrimage to one of the five days of racing that comprise the biggest week of the year at the Hippodrome Vichy Bellerive, a charming course with delicate touches of Art Nouveau glamour set on the banks of the Allier river.  TDN readers of a National Hunt persuasion (there may be some!) might have felt their interest piqued at the mention of the Allier region, deep in central France and famed for...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Today's Observations features a Wertheimer blueblood. 12.50 Bordeaux-le-Bouscat, Debutantes, €18,000, 2yo, c/g, 9 1/2fT PROMENEUR (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is the latest progeny out of the Wertheimers' G2 Prix de Royallieu winner Balladeuse (Fr) (Singspiel {Ire}) to race for the operation, with the Christophe Ferland-trained chestnut being a full-brother to...

Three-for-three at La Teste de Buch culminating in the six-furlong Listed Criterium du Bequet July 25, the Wertheimers' Accakaba (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) rose to the occasion once again on Saturday to emerge best in Deauville's G2 Prix du Calvados. Left adrift initially on this first start over seven, the Christophe Ferland-trained bay followed her compatriot Fleur d'Iris (GB) (Shamardal) up the middle of the track away from the other trio led by the British raiders Oscula (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}) and Fast Attack (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}). Cajoled into contention by...

3rd-Deauville, €27,000, Mdn, 7-13, 2yo, f, 7 1/2fT, 1:39.06, hy. TIMES SQUARE (FR) (f, 2, Zarak {Fr}--See You Always {GB}, by Siyouni {Fr}) was steadied to settled off the pace in fifth after the initial strides of this debut. Making headway in the straight, the 5-1 chance was shaken up to go second approaching the final furlong and kept on well once hitting the front with 150 metres remaining to deny the pacesetting Lacuna (GB) (Shalaa {Ire}) by an ultimately comfortable 1 1/4 lengths, becoming the first winner for her...

Entering Sunday's G3 Prix la Grotte at ParisLongchamp a live outsider, Ecurie Waldeck's Cirona (GB) (Maxios {GB}) proved more than just that when edging a five-way thriller. Runner-up in the G3 Prix des Reservoirs at Deauville in October and in the Listed Criterium du Languedoc at Toulouse the following month, the wide-drawn 18-1 shot was soon in front under Maxime Guyon and looked set to be swamped in the final furlong as a flurry of attacks were launched to her left. Digging in when headed, she was game against the...

During the nine-year stretch from 2006-2014, no fewer than five European-bred and -raced gallopers were successful in the BMW Hong Kong Derby: Viva Pataca (GB) (Marju {Ire}, 2006); Helene Mascot (Ire) (Peintre Celebre, 2008); Collection (Ire) (Peintre Celebre, 2009); Akeed Mofeed (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}, 2013); and Designs On Rome (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), 2014). Sunday's 2000-metre feature at Sha Tin includes five horses--four European-bred, one US-bred--that were imported with this very race in mind. Here is a brief recap of how they have gotten to this point. For handicapping...