Treve Well As Dubawi Date Beckons

Excitement and promise for the future was in the air in Deauville Thursday as the mares and foals slated for Arqana's December Sale began parading for prospective buyers. Down the road about a half-hour outside the seaside town at Sheikh Joaan's Haras de Bouquetot, a similar anticipation hangs in the air as dual G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}) prepares to embark on her next career as a broodmare.

A six-time Group 1 winner, including the 2013 and 2014 renewals of the Arc, Treve would be a standout in any broodmare band, but the praise is considerably high considering the stars dotting Bouquetot's 350 acres. Treve arrived at Bouquetot shortly after wrapping up her career with a fourth-place finish in this year's Arc, and as she prepares for a date with Darley's leading sire Dubawi (Ire) early next year, she remains in the company of Shahah (GB) (Motivator {GB}), her Criquette Head-Maarek stablemate who also served as her pacemaker in this year's Arc.

“Treve's routine is very simple at the minute,” said Bouquetot's Benoit Jeffroy. “Since she's arrived she's been being turned out with her friend Shahah, who she knows. They were turned out in a very small paddock for the first three weeks and now they're going out to a bigger paddock. They go out at 8 a.m. and come in at 4 p.m.”

Indeed, Treve and Shahah–both rugged and growing long coats in preparation for winter–appeared quite content in their new routine, taking a break from grazing to move to the fenceline in tandem to accept rubs from their visitors. Jeffroy explained the pair won't be separated any time soon; Shahah will travel to England with Treve in the New Year and will also stay at Darley for a date with Treve's Arc conqueror Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}).

“Treve will travel to England by the end of January,” Jeffroy said. “So she's just getting ready for the season. She's relaxing and she's been under lights and has a rug on now, so we're just waiting.”

Treve will likely spend much of the early part of 2016 abroad, waiting until she is safely in foal to travel back to Bouquetot.

“We keep our mares where the stallion is until 60 days' pregnancy and then they come back, so hopefully she gets in foal quickly and she'll be back here in the late spring,” Jeffroy added.

The arrival of the dual Arc winner at the stud was no doubt a high point in the young life of Bouquetot, which was bought by Sheikh Joaan in late 2012 and has since undergone significant development. One of the first projects was the building of the stallion barn–now the home to the likes of Style Vendome (Fr), Planteur (Ire), Olympic Glory (Ire) and The Wow Signal (Ire)–and a foaling unit was also added in addition to all the property's fencing.

Bouquetot's horse numbers have also swelled with each passing year; Jeffroy noted Bouquetot's initial foal crop of five–which are 2-year-olds of 2015–was followed by a crop of 15, then 35. The Bouquetot team has 60 mares to foal next year and 80 to breed.

“Hopefully we can now get more land and grow,” Jeffroy said. “Our first foals are 2-year-olds and we have five of them. One is already a winner and one seems exciting for next year.”

Jeffroy also offered updates on a few of the mares Al Shaqab has purchased from America in recent years. The 2012 GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Zagora (Fr) (Green Tune {Ire}), a $2.5 million Fasig-Tipton November purchase just days after that win, has a 2-year-old colt by Frankel (GB) who is in training with Andre Fabre, a Galileo (Ire) yearling filly, is in foal to Toronado (Ire) and will visit Dubawi next year.

“She's a sweet mare, she's very easy–one of the nicest mares we have on the farm,” Jeffroy said.

Another Breeders' Cup victress–the dual GI Turf Sprint winner Mizdirection (Mizzen Mast), a $2.7 million Fasig-Tipton November purchase in 2013–was also quick to accept pats from her admirers Thursday. Her first foal, born this year, is by New Approach (Ire). She is currently in foal to Olympic Glory and is likely to visit Galileo next year.

Triple Grade I winner Harmonious (Dynaformer), a $2.8 million Keeneland November buy in 2012, drew high praise from Jeffroy.

“She has a cracking yearling by Dubawi that's going into training with Jean-Claude Rouget,” he noted. “She has a cracking foal by Frankel and she's in foal to Galileo, and she's going to Olympic Glory. She's a nice mare; every year she gives us nice foals.”

Jeffroy noted the operation has a strong policy to support its stallions.

“We're very keen to support our own horses,” he said. “Our policy is pretty much to breed a third of our mares to outside stallions and two-thirds to our stallions. We give them a big chance with good mares.”

Other American transplants of the Bouquetot broodmare band include Scarlet Strike (Smart Strike) and Eden's Moon (Malibu Moon). Another new addition this year will be the French-trained Al Naamah (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a dual Group 3-placed winner who had her finest moment when setting a world-record yearling price of 5 million guineas at Tattersalls October in 2013. Jeffroy noted the team would like to send Al Naamah to leading young French sire Siyouni (Fr).

Bouquetot has grown in leaps in bounds in its first three years of existence, and Jeffroy noted that growth is not yet finished, with Al Shaqab's high volume of well-bred race fillies set to join the breeding ranks in the coming years.

“For the last three years it's been all about building–the place, the team, the broodmare band, the stallion station and the stallions–and now we'll start to have the results in the next two or three years,” Jeffroy said. “It'll be exciting in the next few years, with all the mares we bought in America to breed to European stallions. It'll be very interesting to see what happens the next two years.”