What day at Chantilly!

Ted Voute, racing manager for Imad Al Sagar, enjoyed a day of days with Nashwa’s brilliant Prix de Diane victory

THERE IS no “I in team” should be the motto for Imad Al Sagar who’s filly Nashwa courageously won the Group 1 Prix de Diane the Sunday after Royal Ascot.

Over the past months, Imad has assembled a “stellar” or, dare I say it, “dream team” of experienced people.

First out of the stalls to join the long-time stud manger Andrew Rawlin and stud secretary Nicki Rutter was the appointment of Gerry Meehan, whose preparation of youngstock for the sales is second to none and has been evered in Tattersalls October Book 1 circles for years.

Early in the New Year the appointment of myself and Lord Teddy Grimthorpe as CEO and racing manager respectively and Nancy Sexton as bloodstock consultant rounded out the already inspired appointment of Hollie Doyle as retained jockey.

I am sure each appointment met with raised eyebrows or even a little green eye in places and many wondered what this assembled team meant for Blue Diamond Stud, which had seen changes over the past couple of years.

What it meant has been revealed in two Classics this year in France.

Imad had bravely bought a few mares in the past few years under the Blue Diamond Stud banner and one of these purchases turned out to be Zotilla, the dam of Mangoustine, winner of the Poule d’Essai de Pouliches (G1).

In the space of just two months this Classic win was doubled up with the homebred Nashwa, winning the Prix de Diane under Hollie Doyle, with his assembled team all in attendance.

Imad had a vision, and to bring that to fruition he wanted to leave no stone unturned to realise that dream.

For Imad, it meant assembling a hand-picked team who could work harmoniously to breed and raise the best horses he could, using some of the best advice he could find.

At Chantilly on the Sunday after Royal Ascot the bar has been set for the future.

Imad’s broodmare band now includes the dams of two Classic winners, as well as the mighty Pearling, who, when mated to Gallileo, produced Decorated Knight. When Nashwa eventually goes to stud, his broodmare band will include four Group 1 winners or dams of Group 1 winners.

I met Imad in 2004. He sent what turned out to be Authorized to me to raise for him on my farm. In fact, he was the first boarder on my newly purchased farm near to Stratford-upon-Avon.

Although I was always convinced Imad had a special horse on his hands, who could have predicted that colt by Montjeu would become a Classic winner?

A consummate gentleman, Imad then bought a farm a few years later and moved his mares to Newmarket. He kindly left the yearlings with us until they were broken-in later that year to aid in the transition and, I suspect, ultimately, my cash flow.

Roll on 18 years, with occasional contact by phone along the way, I found myself boarding a delayed Air France plane with Lord and Lady Grimthorpe heading to Charles de Gaulle airport.

IF YOU WANT THE TRUTH, usually the Sunday after Royal Ascot is set aside for rest and recuperation, and an alarm at 5.30am to catch a 9.00am flight was not the sound I wanted to hear.

But I was inspired when remembering Nashwa’s impressive Haydock win in April when I had accompanied Imad, Nancy and Samir Masari; Teddy at a family wedding in Amsterdam.

I missed her second start this year as I was in Morocco for my birthday, and Teddy resumed his role of racing manager extraordinaire.

The filly’s last start in the Epsom Oaks just two weeks ago saw the whole team in attendance, invited by Imad and his family.

Arriving at London Heathrow at Terminal 3 with one and a half hours spare I was horrified when I found that I was the last to check in!

Had I not jumped in the line with Teddy I surely would have missed the flight.

We were scooped up by Kamal in France and driven to the racecours, we arrived at 1pm in the panoramic restaurant.

Lord Grimthorpe, our dignitary for the day, helped persuade the French authorities to issue paddock passes and badges so that we could access all areas.

The Prix de Diane is the ultimate racing day for pomp and pomposity, style and class.

The star of the show had flown over the afternoon before and overnighted where Enable had stayed before.

The Gosdens left no stone unturned to ensure Nashwa’s journey was as smooth as possible and she appeared in the stables at Chantilly as cool as a cucumber and game ready. Not a hair out of place. It was then a little like getting married – the next 20 minutes sped by, it is possible to remember everything but it is in fast forward!

The additional pressure of the becoming the first female jockey to win a European Group 1 Classic was shrugged off by Hollie, and provoked Johnny G’s comparison to Julie Krone, who won the Belomont. Hollie has a similar build to Krone.

Unphased by the momentous occasion, Hollie told us all step by step in meticulous detail how she was going to ride.

The team all watched from their own place in the stand – I ended up standing next to André Fabre, who had two runners in the field.

Nashwa broke well and was soon in front, but Hollie kept her line and evened the tempo. She rode an amazing race. The line couldn’t come soon enough but Nashwa did it for Hollie, Imad and for the stud.

It is a day we will all remember for a long time and aspire to repeat for Imad, who was so proud of his filly.