Group 1 mare Watch Me covered by Siyouni as breeding career begins

Dual Group 1 winner Watch Me has received an early cover by Siyouni as the next stage of her career begins.

Successful in a Listed race at Toulouse as a two-year-old, the daughter of Olympic Glory provided a huge thrill for trainer Francis Graffard and her joint owner-breeder Antoinette Tamagni-Bodmer when coming up trumps in the 2019 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Watch Me was later third in the Prix de l'Opera and returned to the track last July, taking another Deauville Listed event before doubling her Group 1 tally on what was to prove her valedictory appearance in the Prix Rothshild.

After racing in the ownership of Tamagni-Bodmer's son Alexander along with Regula Vannod, she was retired to the breeder's Haras de Saint Julien, a boutique Normandy stud which is overseen by her partner Patrick Chedeville, the supremo of Haras du Petit Tellier.

"It's never an easy decision, we were talking about Dubawi, Le Havre, maybe a couple of others, but the two partners in the mare decided to go to Siyouni," Chedeville said.

"She has already met Siyouni on February 18, hopefully we should get something next year if everything goes right. She looks quite happy as far as I can observe, she's not complaining! The protocol for covering purposes is that you stay in the van, you can't watch the operation, so let's just hope something happens."

Watch Me, who was actually led away unsold for €30,000 at the Arqana August Yearling Sale, was bred out of the Galileo mare Watchful, a winner for Luca Cumani.

"She's supposed to meet Le Havre, we're waiting for a foal by Almanzor," Chedeville said of Watchful.

With the covering season just beginning this is a busy time for Chedeville, whose three-strong roster is headed by Prix du Jockey Club and Irish Champion Stakes winner The Grey Gatsby, who has his first crop of runners this year.

"He's doing fine, he's going to have something similar to last year, he should reach about 90 mares so he's still quite popular," he said.

"The yearlings were well received by the buyers and as far as I can tell a few trainers that I know are rather satisfied with them, even if it's too early to say."

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