Sistercharlie

Starlet's Sister (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the dam of Sottsass (Fr) and Sistercharlie (Ire), has died at Ecurie des Monceaux after an attack of colic at the age of 14. Bred by Prestonwood Farm from the Green Tune mare Premiere Creation (Fr), Starlet's Sister was winless in four starts when trained by Alain de Royer Dupre but has nevertheless left her mark on racing in Europe and America, as well as in the Arqana sale ring in Deauville.  Her first mating with Myboycharlie (Ire) resulted in Sistercharlie (Ire), whose Group 3...

Shin Emperor (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), the full-brother to G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Sottsass (Fr) and €2.1-million topper at the 2022 Arqana August Sale, will make his much-anticipated career debut in an 1800-metre newcomers' event Saturday afternoon at Tokyo Racecourse. Bred by Ecurie des Monceaux, the chestnut carries the colours of prominent and big-spending owner Susumu Fujita and is under the care of trainer Yoshito Yahagi. Takeshi Yokoyama will be in the saddle. An Apr. 30 foal, Shin Emperor is related to six winners from as many to...

In the summer of 2017, Peter Brant was just at the beginning of his remarkable run with Sistercharlie (Ire) (My Boy Charlie {Ire}), who would go on to win seven Group 1 races for him, but he already knew how special she was. "We were campaigning Sistercharlie at the time, and we knew how good she was because she had run second in the Prix Diane after getting into a lot of trouble. She almost got knocked down, and then looked like she would be absolutely nowhere. And then she...

It has become a familiar occasion to open the Arqana August catalogue and find an offering from the remarkably consistent broodmare Starlet's Sister (Ire), whose progeny have shone for years here for the perennial leading consignor, Ecurie des Monceaux. Most recently, the Dubawi (Ire) filly Pure Dignity (GB) brought €2,500,000 from Oliver St. Lawrence in 2020, and Parliament (GB), a colt by Fastnet Rock (Aus), sold for €700,000 in 2019. Pure Dignity just won her first start for Roger Varian. But the 2022 offering might be the most exciting yet:...

   One of racing's biggest supporters, Peter Brant's colours can be spotted not only in his home country of America, but in Britain, Ireland and France.     The renowned owner-breeder, who spent over 20 years away from racing before returning with a bang in 2016, has quickly re-established his operation and in 2020 he reached the pinnacle when Sottsass carried his familiar double green silks to victory in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.    With a full-brother to Sottsass catalogued for the August Yearling Sale at Arqana, Brant makes...

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. Friday's Insights features half-sister to top-shelf performers Sottsass (Fr) and Sistercharlie (Ire) at Newmarket Friday. 3.20 Doncaster, Novice, £7,300, 3yo/up, f/m, 10f 43yT ROYAL SCANDAL (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) looks to underline the striking impression she made on debut at Newcastle last month under a seven-pound penalty facing a trio...

Peter Brant owns some of the best mares in the world, some of which he keeps in Europe--at Coolmore in Ireland and Haras des Capucines in France--and some in America, at Claiborne Farm. We spent a fascinating half-hour on the phone with Brant going through his 2022 matings for some of his best mares. "I spend a lot of time doing this," he said. It shows. UNI (GB) (m, 8, More Than Ready--Unaided {GB}), by Dansili {GB}), to be bred to Frankel (GB) Uni is in foal to Kingman (GB),...

Nearly 200 Thoroughbreds competed in The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.) Championships held earlier this month in Aiken, South Carolina. There were classes covering seven disciplines and there were 26 divisions spanning hunters, jumpers, dressage, combined tests, Western dressage, English pleasure and Western pleasure. That meant a lot of variety among the competitors, all of them with a unique story. There was a 27-year-old horse and a 2-year-old horse. There were horses that didn't accomplish much of anything during their racing careers and then there was one, Two Notch...

The trade winds, in the clipper age, blew west to east. But horsepower has reversed the flow; and for many years one of the most skilled navigators, for European horses to America, has been the debonair Michel Zerolo of Oceanic Bloodstock. The cargos are more contested nowadays, he says, with a lot of sharp traders driving up prices. But the fact is that Zerolo recently scaled a new pinnacle, with the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe success of a Deauville yearling bought for an American patron. Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni...

By Emma Berry and Kelsey Riley DEAUVILLE, France—More diva than starlet, the Dubawi (Ire) filly put in a few feisty bucks in the Arqana sales ring, but when one is in as much demand as she was, a touch of high jinks can be forgiven. If Wednesday's trade spluttered into action, Thursday's was pretty explosive from the start, but it was the appearance of two blue-blooded yearlings from the sale's perennial leading consignor Ecurie des Monceaux who really brought the ring to life. It was a toss-up as to whether...

The list of horses that have won the GI Diana S. on multiple occasions reads like a veritable horse racing Hall of Fame: Miss Grillo, Tempted, Shuvee, Glowing Honor and Forever Together have all accomplished the feat. Peter Brant's Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) can ascend to the top of that classy heap as she goes for the three-peat Sunday afternoon at Saratoga, but a fait accompli is most certainly is not. The 2018 champion turf female made best use of her superior turn of foot to easily defeat her stablemate...

Let's not forget, however great the lure of the sales ring or a wafting cheque book may be, thoroughbreds are bred to race. In the case of Prince Khalid Abdullah, Coolmore and Peter Brant, it could be said that we have three owner-breeders who are somewhat immune to commercially-based decisions when it comes to keeping a horse in training. Nevertheless, they are to be commended for racing on mares of the calibre of Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}). At 'only' five, Magical...