Sottsass

The calendar has turned at last, with likely many more than usual looking for a fresh start in a new year. Even outside the midst of a global pandemic, the excitement of a new sire crop typically provides plenty of reason for excitement and optimism, despite the fact the very few of the 30-something young pretenders preparing to stand their first seasons in the UK, Ireland and France will truly 'make it.' But isn't that the point? Those made of thick enough stuff to be involved in the breeding and...

The Classic Generation At the start of June, with France and Germany having already crept cautiously back into play after the COVID full-stop, Britain joined in with the beginning of a flourish of catch-up fare. In under a week of racing, we had a new star to gaze at, and time experts were in awe of Bjorn Nielsen's English King (Fr) (Camelot {GB}). While he looked super-slick in the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial, he was to be given the justifiably dreaded number one draw at Epsom and gave up any...

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...

Wootton Bassett (GB), one of four new sires on the Coolmore roster for 2021, will stand for €100,000 off a glittering season on the track that saw him sire two new Group 1 winners and 10 stakes winners. Coolmore announced its purchase of Wootton Bassett in June from Haras d'Etreham, where the son of Iffraaj had stood since retiring to stud in 2012. After standing for as low as €4,000 in his third season, Wootton Bassett had been priced at €40,000 the past two seasons. Just a week after the...

When Ettore Sottsass was asked which of his many diverse achievements had given him most satisfaction, he gave a shrug. "I don't know," he said. "Life is a permanent project. It's a passage from one thing to another." The Italian designer and architect transcended disciplines in a fashion not dissimilar to his compatriot Federico Tesio, whose singular genius was as stimulated by his furniture workshop as by his breed-shaping stud farm. And there's a corresponding breadth of engagement to the man who wrote to the widow of Sottsass, asking permission...

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...

Saturday's Group 1 action gets underway early in the afternoon, with Cologne's 12-furlong Preis von Europa scheduled for 1 p.m. German time. Hollie Doyle has a gilt-edged opportunity to record a first win at the highest level for the soon-to-be-retired Ed Vaughan as they combine with Anthony Oppenheimer's Dame Malliot (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}). Impressive on her seasonal bow when capturing Newmarket's G2 Princess of Wales's Tattersalls S. over this trip on July 9, the homebred 4-year-old was in turn justifying the decision to come back again in 2020 even...

Last-out G1 Prix Ganay winner Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) is on course for the G3 Prix Gontaut-Biron at Deauville on Aug. 15 after pleasing connections in a route piece of work on Thursday. "He did a simple work, as we are accustomed to do," said trainer Jean-Claude Rouget of Peter Brant's 4-year-old. "The goal is not to have a hard work; once they have made their seasonal bow, we do maintenance work. They worked over 1,800 metres-all went well. The horse has a good action and he behaves as he...

French racing will return behind closed doors on Monday after being off since Mar. 16 due to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, and the initial three cards at ParisLongchamp, Toulouse and Compiegne have drawn a whopping 1,069 entries. ParisLongchamp, which received clearance on Monday to stage its meeting in the nation's capital, has drawn a total of 257 entries across 10 races. The card's feature races are the G2 Prix d'Harcourt and Group 3 Prix la Grotte, Prix de Fontainebleau and G3 Prix de Saint-Georges. Last year's G1 Prix du Jockey Club...

Coolmore has agreed to purchase a 50% interest in last year's G1 Prix du Jockey Club winner Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), who stays in training this year with trainer Jean-Claude Rouget. The news was first reported by Paris-Turf. Bred by Ecurie des Monceaux out of Starlet's Sister (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Sottsass was a €340,000 purchase at the 2017 Arqana August Yearling Sale by Peter Brant through Michel Zerolo's Oceanic Bloodstock. Racing in the green silks of Brant's White Birch Farm, Sottsass won at second asking at two. He took the...