'Pretty special' Quisisana flying the flag for a French stud punching above its weight - and she might not be done on the track

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Quisisana's swansong could still be ahead of her after her commendable third in last weekend's Longines Hong Kong Cup.

It was expected that the outing in Sha Tin would be the 11th and final calling point of the five-year-old mare's career before she returned home to become the pride of Haras de la Perelle, her owner and breeder.

Quisisana's trainer, Francis Graffard, and Perelle owner Jurgen Winter will now be taking their time digesting a result which left the promise of more to come.

Although never likely to have prevented Hong Kong's outstanding Romantic Warrior from claiming the race for the fourth time in a row, Quisisana and Christophe Soumillon had their route through from the rear blocked by Rousham Park and Bellagio Opera at a critical time turning into the home straight before they picked off rivals late on in the home straight.

"We knew that winning was going to be a tough gig with Romantic Warrior in the race and we were thinking of a place, so the result was very good," says Perelle's farm manager, William Rimaud.

"She was a bit unfortunate on the last turn. She was in a bit of a sandwich with the two Japanese horses and we thought she would lose her action, but Christophe managed to get her balance back and she finished really well.

"She came back from the race pretty good. She arrived at Francis's on Thursday morning, she's been eating well and seems very happy."

The daughter of the late Le Havre did not appear until the June of her three-year-old career and returned to land a minor event at Compiegne this summer after an entire year off the track. Steadily stepped up in class, she landed the Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet, was ninth in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and then third to Kalpana at Ascot on British Champions Day.

"The plan at the moment is to come back to the farm for the next breeding season. Whether we try to have another race at the beginning of the year somewhere, or something like that, that's not decided yet," says Rimaud.

"The mare will tell us but Francis is very happy with her. She hasn't run a lot, so depending on what Francis wants to do and especially what Mr Winter wants to, then we'll see if we chance a last race or not. But it's pretty unlikely that she'll do a whole year racing next year. We'll see how she comes back. She'll spend Christmas at Francis's and then we'll decide from there."

Quisisana is a granddaughter of one of Winter's foundation mares, the Gestut Park Wiedingen-bred Quezon Sun. The Listed-placed daughter of Monsun produced the Prix du Cadran winner Mille Et Mille while Quisisana's mother, Quamoclit, is unraced and by Sea The Stars. The international lineage makes her a potential outcross for almost all of Europe's major stallions.

"Being from that family makes her pretty special," Rimaud continues.

"Also she's the first Group 1 winner in France bred and owned by Mr Winter. All the other Group 1 winners were abroad – Giofra [Falmouth Stakes] won in Newmarket, Simca Mille won in Berlin and Reggane won in Canada.

William Rimaud, Haras de la Perelle farm manager, picking Quisisana's stall at the Hong Kong Cup barrier drawCredit: THE HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB

"She's a beautiful mare and very courageous after everything she's gone through. She's had a few injuries, so being able to continue to compete at that level is pretty good. It shows she's got a great mind. She'll have a very nice future on the farm, that's for sure."

That Quisisana was a bit of a slow burner is no surprise to Rimaud. It is a facet of the family that Perelle has been quietly attempting to alter. 

"It's an old German bloodline; they're known to take a bit of time to get there but once they're there, they're here," he says. "Quamoclit has a No Nay Never filly, a yearling who has just arrived with Francis, and a Ten Sovereigns filly foal, and they're both looking very nice. We've tried to bring in a bit more speed and precocity to help the family, so we'll see.

"Their half-brother, Quiet King, is with Stephane Wattel and seems also to be getting there. He's a Persian King – he finished the year pretty well and I'm sure he'll do a lot more for his owners. Then we also have another sister of Quamoclit, Quanzhou, who is the mother of [multiple Listed winner] Hooking, so there's a few of them here.

"Unfortunately the granddam died not that long ago but we've got plenty to continue this bloodline."

Perelle has been flying high for other reasons, too. Simca Mille, who was sold to Wathnan Racing, has continued to pay his way while First Look was one of many which the stud sold as a yearling and won this year's Group 2 Prix Dollar. Another graduate, Presage Nocturne, was among France's best stayers last season and was fourth in the Caulfield Cup.

Simca Mille has been another fine ambassador for the studCredit: Racing Post / Scott Burton

The draft at Arqana this summer included a Camelot colt bought by MV Magnier and White Birch Farm for €1,200,000.

"We're ending the season in very good shape," says Rimaud. "We're seventh breeder in France and in the top ten for the fifth consecutive year, with only 30 mares on the farm. 

"It shows that they run, first of all, and they can continue for a long time, so that helps. It's always very nice when you manage to breed a Group 1 winner, especially when it's owned and stays on the farm."

Rimaud explains there is another reason that Quisisana has given their Normandy base cause to celebrate this year.

"It's the 30th anniversary as the stud began in 1995," he says. "We had great sales as well. It's never always like that so you just have to enjoy it while it lasts. It's very rewarding for the boss, who has invested a lot. He has a lot of patience and he has a lot of passion. It's nice to see when it works."

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