Atlantic crossing

Five exciting yearlings catalogued at Arqana August Sale kick off the new US-European partnership between Haras des Gouffern and Taylor Made Sales

Melissa Bauer-Herzog and Aisling Crowe chat with Jean-Pierre de Gaste in the first of a two-part series from both sides of the Atlantic

LAST YEAR US consignor Taylor Made Sales Agency and French stud Haras de Gouffern announced that it was to offer a joint-consignment at the 2019 Arqana yearling sales.

Taylor Made sold its first European draft at this year’s Tattersalls December Mare Sale and the yearling consignment is a continuation of a push into European markets.

This is the first time a major US-based consignor has sold at the Arqana August Sale.

As explained here by Jean Pierre de Gaste of Gouffern, who also runs its commercial arm International Thoroughbred Consultants (ITC), a bloodstock and consultancy agency, the links between the two businesses are a development of the international work the pair have already collaberated on in the Middle East, particularly in Saudi Arabia. In reverse, Taylor Made is ITC’s point of contact in the US.

The yearlings offer buyers an exciting mix of European and American bloodlines and de Gaste explains how the parntership came about, the ongoing plans for the joint-venture and gives details of the five yearling catalogued at Arqana.

How did the Gouffern-Taylor Made association begin?

“I have known the Taylor family for a long time, I knew Joe Taylor [father of the present Taylor Made chairman Duncan] from 1973 when I spent a year in Kentucky.

“Joe was manager of Gainesway Farm – Taylor Made’s stallion barn was then in what became the Keeneland library.

“I always maintained a strong relationship with Duncan afterwards; we have the same view and approach to the business and people, we share the same ethic.

“We have already worked quite a lot together in the Middle East. I bought a lot of stallions, broodmares and horses-in-training for Saudi Arabia and the UAE and Taylor Made were very much involved in that.

“In 2001 we bought Attractive Crown, the dam of last year’s Group 1 Prix Vermeille winner Bateel from Taylor Made, for Al Asayl, which I was managing at the time, so we have worked a lot together over the years.

“A few years’ ago ITC and Taylor Made came to an agreement – we would represent Taylor Made in France and the Middle East, and Taylor Made would represent us in America.

“Alexandra Saint Martin joined us from Arqana in 2015 where she worked in communication and marketing, and she has built this consignment project with Taylor Made.”

What are the future plans for the partnership?

“We are taking it step by step to a higher level, but we are starting in a modest way as we want to consolidate.

“Our goal is also to sell French-bred yearlings in Kentucky with Taylor Made. We are presenting five yearlings together in Deauville this August and we will gradually increase our consignments.”

“You see it at the breeze-up sales with American-breds selling to European buyers and European breeders running their horses in the US so what we are doing here at Haras de Gouffern with Taylor Made is not something unique.

“It is a small move, nothing exceptional, but we are trying to develop and improve relationships.”

We are initiating something in the yearling market that is already happening with breeze-up horses and breeding stock.

What is the philosophy?

“One thing I believe is very important in Europe, especially France, Ireland and Britain, is that there is too much attached to tradition and people are afraid to change.

“The establishment is opposed to change and new ideas because it is afraid of losing its status and exclusivity so it prevents progress.

“I was involved in arranging the sponsorship of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe by Qatar back in 2007 and at the time it was considered scandalous to have an Arabian race before the thoroughbred races on Arc day, which was a condition of the sponsorship.

“French trainers were disgusted by the idea of having thoroughbreds racing on the same track, and after the Arabian horses, but look at what that sponsorship has done!

“It brought the Emir and his family into thoroughbred racing as they were immensely impressed by the Arc and thoroughbred racing.

Haras de Gouffern

“Sheikh Joaan went on to found Al Shaqab and it also brough Sheikh Fahad into the sport and his Qatar Racing.

“The family increased their involvement in racing and this sponsorship brought a lot more investors and sponsors into the thoroughbred business and QIPCO is now a major racing sponsor.

“By going off the beaten track and against the wishes of the establishment, we can find new solutions and new ideas to move our industry forward.

“That is what we are trying to do with the Gouffern-Taylor Made consignment, but I believe that any innovation should proceed in small, logical steps, which is how we are working on this project. It is not a revolution but a form of evolution.”

The Gouffern-Taylor Made Sales Arqana August yearlings

Lot 92: colt by Giant’s Causeway ex Grey Lina (Empire Maker) He is a handsome colt, very like his damsire Empire Maker. He is very typical of him, but he has the French touch as well as he is grey and gets that from Linamix, sire of his second dam.

He has a lot of class about him and his Myboycharlie half-sister Royal By Nature is a nice horse in the US. It is a European family, however – his second dam was a Listed winner and Group 3-placed in France and it is very much a French family.

The family is doing well in Europe and should appeal to European buyers.

Lot 159: colt by Gutaifan ex Sakarya (Duke Of Marmalade) He has a fantastic pedigree and is from a very active family – highlighted by the Grand Prix de Paris victory by the exciting Aidan O’Brien-trained Galileo colt Japan. His dam Shayste is a close-relation to Sakarya (Duke Of Marmalade)

It is going to be a very interesting time for this colt. He comes from a typical French family, but it is such a top Classic family that it is successful worldwide. Gutaifan has made a fantastic start to his stallion career and is the leading first-crop sire with 13 winners already. If he is anything like his father Dark Angel then he is going to be very successful.

Lot 184: colt by The Gurkha ex Skimmia (Mark Of Esteem) He is a lovely-looking horse and is built as a speed horse with a lot of muscle; he looks a typical speed horse or miler. He, too, has a very strong pedigree as a half-brother to Julie’s Love, who was a Listed winner in Europe and America.

Their dam is a half-sister to Melbourne Cup (G1) winner Rekindling and she is a half-sister to Puce so it is the family of Magic Wand, who was recently second in the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes, Happen who won the Group Three Athasi Stakes this year and champions Chiquita, Alexandrova and Magical Romance.

It is a marvellous family.

Lot 281: colt by Iffraaj ex Imperialistic Diva (Haafhd) We have been quite lucky with our yearlings as their pedigrees are receiving updates and this colt has a pedigree that is very much up to date.

His half-sister Mia Diva was bought by Phoenix Thoroughbreds for 230,000gns at the Craven Breeze-Up and won her maiden at Catterick on July 1. I believe the Phoenix Thoroughbreds team thinks quite highly of her and is expecting quite a lot of her.

His three-year-old half-sister is Queen Of Bermuda, who did very well last year winning the Group 3 Firth of Clyde Stakes and was transferred to the US. She is in training there and has finished third in a stakes race this year already, but is expected to do very well once she has fully adapted to training there.

We are very lucky to have yearlings from families that are alive and should keep improving.

Lot 315: colt by Union Rags ex Palazzo Babe (Rahy) The Union Rags colt has a much more American pedigree although his dam is by Rahy, who, as a son of Blushing Groom is very well-known and successful in Europe.

Despite his US pedigree, he has a more European conformation and looks as though he would suit the style of racing in Europe much better. He has taken a lot from Rahy.