Van Beethoven composes an uplifting tune with early winner at La Teste

Karwin Stud's Van Beethoven was narrowly denied a debut winner when Vivre Libre was second in the opening juvenile race of the French flat season last Sunday but the Group 2 Railway Stakes winner didn't have long to wait to record his first winner.

Sweet Chop was just the second runner for the son of Scat Daddy when taking to the track at La Teste but he belied inexperience and a slow start to win the 1,000m Prix de la Sorec by two lengths.

Trained locally in the south-west of France by Gael Lemer, Sweet Chop was bred by Rayan Khaddam and Alain Chopard and the second and third in the race, La Kichta and Pasillo, were from the first crop sired by Gutaifan at Chopard's Haras des Faunes.

The winner races in the colours of Herve Devillairs and was purchased by his trainer for €15,000 last September at the Osarus Yearling Sale from Haras des Faunes. 

He is the first foal out of Sweet To Remember, a daughter of Siyouni whose only start came as a three-year-old at Deauville. Sweet To Remember was bred by Al Shaqab Racing and was purchased for €10,000 by Haras des Faunes from an Auctav online sale in April 2021.

She is a daughter of Nuit D'Amour who was second in the Listed Prix Charles Lafitte and the Listed Prix Bagatelle. Nuit D'Amour is an Azamour half-sister to Brigantine who defeated Dunaden when winning the Group 2 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier and was third to Fame And Glory in the Gold Cup. Trained in France by Andre Fabre, the son of Cozzene was also third in the Group 1 Prix du Cadran. 

Third dam Banyu Dewi by Poliglote won the Listed Kronimus Rennen and was second in the Group 3 Preis der Winterfavoriten. It is also the family of another Prix Vicomtesse Vigier winner, Bathyrhon, a Grade 1 National Hunt sire who stands at Haras de la Hetraie.

Van Beethoven is from the final crop of Scat Daddy and was bred in Canada by Ballycroy Training Centre. The second foal out of My Sister Sandy, he was trained in Ballydoyle and in addition to his juvenile Group 2 success, he was also second in the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes at three.

He is one of two winners out of My Sister Sandy, a winning Montbrook full-sister to the stakes winner Exotic Bloom who is better known as the dam of triple Grade 1 winner Stopchargingmaria. The American Oaks winner is by another Storm Cat line sire in Tale Of The Cat.

Initially retired to Haras de Grandcamp at a fee of €6,000, Van Beethoven moved to Karwin Stud last year where he was advertised at €4,000. He earned a slight fee increase for this season, and he now stands at €4,500. 

He has 41 reported two-year-olds from his first crop.

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