The hopes of the classic Wertheimer & Frère jacket at the start of the 103e edition of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr. I), Sunday at Longchamp, are based on Sauce. This magnificent 3-year-old colt, bred by his owners, earned his favorite status in one of the most prestigious thoroughbred races in the world, after winning the Prix Niel (Gr. II), beating Vega’s lookthe winner of the last Prix du Jockey-Club. Last July, the son of Sea The Stars had offered his first Grand Prix de Paris (Gr. I) to the famous blue tunic, white seams, sleeves and hat, with a record of 178 group victories, including 51 at the highest level, out of the 1,685 successes obtained since their first starter in March 1996, at Seiches-sur-le-Loir (Northern Bride). Pierre-Yves Bureau, manager of the Wertheimer & Frère stable, comments: “We are very happy to have a starter with a real chance at the start of the Arc, especially since he is a 3 year old male. The goal of breeding is to get to these big races. Sauce ranks among the best of his generation over the classic distance, after winning the Paris Grand Prix and placing in the Jockey-Club. It’s a real satisfaction. Our last starter in the Arc (2013) with a 3 year old male was Nerd (3e of Truce et Orfèvre), author of a very good performance behind champions, and over a distance probably a little long for him. So having a competitive foal in this group again is a very good thing”.
Sauce is trained at Chantilly by André Fabre, who is none other than the record holder for the number of victories in the Arc, with eight achievements since the first won by Trempolino in 1987. Subotica (92), Carnegie (94), Painter Famous (97), Sagamix (98), Hurricane Run (2005), Rail Link (06) and finally Waldgeist in 2019 complete the list. However, among the aforementioned champions, none belonged to the Wertheimer brothers and a possible triumph on the first weekend of October would be a first for an association that began in 2005. The tandem has a total of 240 victories (France and abroad) and 576 places (more than 13,261,000 euros in winnings), including 31 groups. Junko (2), Nerd, Plumania et Sauce are group I winners. Twelve group II and fourteen group III winners are added to the list.
Three successes in the Arc
The Wertheimer family has won the Arc de Triomphe three times, always with females: Midsummer (ridden by Freddy Head) in 1976 and Gold River (Gary W. Moore) in 1981, both trained by Alec Head, under the leadership of Jacques Wertheimer. Thirty-one years later, his children, Alain and Gérard Wertheimer, as well as Charles Heilbronn, all associated under the entity Wertheimer & Frère, added a third prestigious trophy to the list of achievements of the family stable with the success of Solemia in 2012. Olivier Peslier was associated with the daughter of Polyglotcoached by Carlos Laffon-Parias.
A fantastic track record
With more than 10,154 starters, the Wertheimer & Frère team has won 1,685 races, the first in March 1996 at the Saint-Cloud racecourse, in the Prix ParisTurf (Quinté+), with Bazajetridden by Olivier Doleuze and trained by Christiane Head. The one who succeeded her father, Alec, did not hesitate to cross the Channel with No Response to offer a first Group I victory to the blue and white coat in the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket in England. “No Response won at Newmarket at the time when there was the transfer of the stud located in Orne to the Saint-Léonard stud, between Pont-L’Evêque and Deauville. She was therefore part of the first generation to arrive in our new infrastructure and winning a first group I was important,” continues the director of the Wertheimer brothers’ stud farm.
A few days later, October 6, 1996, the day Helix triumphed in the Arc, The coffins was essential in the Abbey of Longchamp. 51 groups I adorn the Wertheimer brothers’ prize list, out of a total of 178 groups (45 Gr. II, and 82 Gr. III). Like the biggest breeder-owners in the racing world, success has been cyclical. However, over the last twenty years, two horses, trained by Freddy Head, have made history. First there was the epic Goldikovawho brought no fewer than 14 Group Is to the Wertheimer stable, between 2008 and 2011, then that of the gelding Solowauthor of a remarkable 2015 season during which he won 5 races at the highest level, in France and abroad. “Goldikovarecently named to the British Racing Hall of Fame, after the one in America, brought us a lot of joy. This will remain an exceptional mare due to its quality and longevity. Solowhe is a horse who was full of quality but with whom we took a little time before knowing his real abilities. We thought it would perform well over medium or holding distances. In fact, he turned out to be a super miler. The year 2015 was a magnificent moment for the team with five Group I victories in a row. recalls Pierre-Yves Bureau.
The passion for breeding
Over the years, the Wertheimer brothers have built a powerful breeding operation, allowing them to obtain sporting results that match their ambitions and the investment made. Every year, around 65 births take place in Europe. The horses are raised in France at the stud farm of Saint-Léonard, a town located next to Deauville, in Normandy and are distributed for training, still in France.
The broodmares number 90.95 with the purchase last year of the Wildenstein stable. This is regularly renewed and the policy put in place does not exclude the purchase of broodmares internationally. Moreover, the mother of Sauce, Sahelwas acquired amicably at the end of the Arqana yearling sales in 2003 for the sum of 400,000 euros. This one is a full sister to three group I winners, Samus, Hello Regina et Schiaparelli.
Recently, the owners of Chanel amicably purchased the Wildenstein family, including renowned broodmares, such as the mother of Persian King, Pretty Pleasebut also horses like Thought of the Daywinner this year of the Prix Corrida (Gr. II). “We try to buy one or two mares per year, out of training and having performed in races in order to renew the pedigrees and try new associations. Obviously, we rely on our main families, but we have to know how to diversify,” concludes Pierre-Yves Bureau.
