Arc dreams alive for Sea The Stars as Aventure makes Group 1 breakthrough at Longchamp
Aventure made amends for her second-placed finish in last year's Prix Vermeille when she easily landed the Longchamp Group 1 on Sunday and in the process became the 23rd individual Group 1 winner by the outstanding champion Sea The Stars.
Trained by Christophe Ferland, the filly will now head back to the Paris venue on October 5 and attempt to emulate her sire's 2009 victory in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
It has been an excellent few days around Europe for the 19-year-old who stood this year for a career–high fee of €250,000 at the Aga Khan Studs' Irish headquarters of Gilltown Stud outside Kilcullen, County Kildare.
At Ascot on Friday, Raheeb, who is the two-year-old full-brother to champion Baaeed and his Group 1-winning older brother Hukum, made a winning debut, while Sea The Stars was also the sire of the €750,000 sale-topping filly at the BBAG Yearling Sale.
The stallion's success didn't stop there. On Saturday afternoon, two-year-old Sea The Stars colt Command The Stars won the Listed Criterium de l'Ouest – Prix du Haras de Boquetot at Craon for George Scott and James Paul Services To Industry.
Three times placed at the highest level, four-year-old Aventure is a homebred from the Wertheimer operation and is the second winner of the race foaled by the now 20-year-old Singspiel mare Balladeuse after Left Hand who triumphed in the contest for her owner-breeders nine years' ago.
Left Hand is the dam of Grade 3 Kingsfurze Novice Hurdle winner Gaucher and the Listed Prix Melisande and Prix du Pays d'Auge scorer Left Sea, who are both by Frankel. Balladeuse has also foaled the Listed winner Bilissie, dam of last year's Prix du Jockey Club second First Look, and the Group 1-placed Romanciere, both of whom are by Dansili.
Balladeuse won the Prix de Royallieu when it was a Group 2 and is a half-sister to Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud heroine Plumania, who was twice runner-up in the Prix Vermeille as well as being third in the Prix de Diane.
Another of her half-sisters is Listed Prix de Liancourt third Dancequest who is the dam of the Wertheimers' dual Prix Royal-Oak victor Double Major by Daiwa Major.
Aventure has an unraced, gelded three-year-old full-brother named Astropark and a two-year-old Night Of Thunder half-sister named Maine.
More stallion news
Swettenham’s Toronado to miss Australian breeding season
Night Of Thunder continues his hot-run of form with fine stakes double
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