McDonnell relaxed about prospects of another Group 1 winner through bargain offering Shes Perfect

Sunday's Prix de Diane is set to be another nerve-jangler for Basher Watts and trainer Charlie Fellowes as Shes Perfect gets her second chance to become a Classic winner.

Watts, an enthusiastic and now omnipresent figure on social media, reported this week that his syndicate turned down a $2.5 million offer for the filly who, in a long and drawn-out conclusion, was demoted to second by the stewards from first place for causing interference in last month's Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, with Zarigana awarded the race. 

Denis McDonnell, who bred the daughter of Sioux Nation from his Parkway Farm near Fermoy in County Cork, appears a little more relaxed about the situation.

When it comes to big races in France, he's a man who has been and done it already as his best-known graduate is Haras de Bouquetot stallion Olympic Glory, whose four Group 1s included the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and Prix de la Foret, as well as a QEII and a Lockinge.

"I've observed from the outside," he said. "I sold the filly as a yearling and was then finished with her. I was disappointed she lost the Guineas in France but sure, that's the way it goes."

Shes Perfect was a sensational purchase, found privately by agent Will Douglass for €50,000 after being led out unsold from last year's Arqana Breeze-Up Sale. She had been produced by Ryan Conran's Lacka House Stables.

McDonnell, who has always taken a commercial view, cannot resist reflecting on how he would feel were a seven-figure valuation sent his way about a filly who was also locked together with Zarigana in the Prix de la Grotte the start before the Classic.

"I don't know if they should have taken that offer they had on her, I couldn't say as it's not my business. If I was them I would have, but anyway," he said.

"I've never spoken to any of them, including the trainer, all I do is sell yearlings every year. Lacka House bought her from me in Book 2 of the Orby at Goffs. They didn't get rich out of her to be honest. They gave me €35,000, which was okay."

Shes Perfect is out of Galeaza, a Galileo mare registered with Peter Chapple-Hyam in the Oaks-winning colours of Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez, who never ran due to injury and was sold for 31,000gns at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale in 2011.

Out of a Danehill sister to the Irish Guineas and Derby winner Desert King, she produced 12 foals for McDonnell, of which Shes Perfect was the tenth.

"It was [the purchase of Galeaza] when she was out of training and she was in foal to Royal Applause," he said. "I'm just a small breeder, I keep about six or eight mares and she was up and down; some did well, some did not so well.

Denis McDonnell (right) pictured at the Future Focus South-West Racecourse Roadshow with Michael O'Neill, Mary Kelly, Cork County Mayor John Paul O'Shea and Tom Gaffney, has already bred two Group 1 winnersCredit: ©INPHO/Cathal Noonan

"Funnily enough a Camacho [three-time winner Macho Time, £80,000] was the one who paid me the most and he was one of the cheaper sires I used. In fairness, at the time Sioux Nation wasn't that much either."

Beyond Shes Perfect and her Chantilly challenge, there are just a couple more opportunities for the pedigree to be given a further leap forwards.

Her two-year-old half-sister by Profitable, Lucia Molly, has been given an entry at Leopardstown next week by Ado McGuinness and owner Declan Sheridan.

"The mare got laminitis, sadly, pretty bad last summer," McDonnell said.

"She just about reared about a foal, a Calyx filly who is now a yearling. She's in Book 2 at Newmarket and she'll probably go. I won't give her away, so if I can't get reasonable money for her I'll keep her and race her. We'll see."

McDonnell's reason for selling is because he's seen plenty of the sport's ups and downs and isn't planning desperately far ahead.

Olympic Glory is among the Parkway Farm graduatesCredit: Edward Whitaker

Along with his sibling John, he established McDonnell Bros in 1977 and has seen it develop into a major animal feed manufacturer supplying much of the south of Ireland.

"Breeding is a personal interest. I started in National Hunt 50 or 60 years ago, and didn't see a lot of future in it about 40-odd years ago," he said.

"I thought there was a better future in the Flat, which definitely there is, and they've been good to me over the years. I've a man on the farm who does most of the labour and I'm cutting it back a bit, but I still like it."

Next week McDonnell will have a hopeful eye on whether last year's Queen Mary fourth Miss Lamai has another entry at Royal Ascot. It's a meeting in which his name has appeared on the board in the past.

"I bred Art Connoisseur,  a horse that won the Coventry and then the Golden Jubilee Stakes," he said. "I've bred some good horses, including a German Guineas winner some years ago.

"Olympic Glory would be up there and so would Art Connoisseur. They were both Group 1 winners and you don't get much better than that."

Perhaps only a Classic might top it, but everyone who has been involved with Shes Perfect has been there before.

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