Dream And Do success keeps budget breeders dreaming of Classic success

Dream And Do's success in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches was the stuff of fairytales for her dam Venetias Dream, who sold for just 1,000gns after her racing career and has now become a Classic-winning producer with her first runner.

Dream And Do also provided France's leading sire Siyouni with his second winner of the race by the narrowest of margins, while the race was also another feather in the cap for up-and-coming young sire Wootton Bassett, who sired the second and third home in the race.

The Haras d'Etreham resident nearly sired a second Classic winner with Speak Of The Devil a gallant runner-up on just her third career start, with outsider Mageva staying on for third.

Each of Siyouni's four Group 1 winners to date have won French Classics through his other winner of the Pouliches, Ervedya (from his first crop), and Laurens in the Prix de Diane. Sottsass also landed last year’s Prix du Jockey Club.

Siyouni's current crop of three-year-olds were bred off a €30,000 fee, which was just his second year at a five-figure price. Given all his success in the intervening time it is no surprise that the Aga Khan’s Haras de Bonneval resident is now standing his second consecutive year at €100,000.

Siyouni's influence alone has vindicated the Aga Khan's decision to purchase the Jean-Luc Lagardere operation in its entirety. Siyouni's dam Sichilla formed part of the 222-horse purchase in 2005 and won two races in three starts for the Aga Khan in 2005 prior to producing Siyouni as her first foal.

The son of Pivotal has already produced 11 stakes horses from his 2017 crop, a number which could still rise with racing’s resumption. Siyouni is currently on an exceptional lifetime 14 per cent stakes horses to runners, with 21 Group winners among them.

Owned and bred by Haras du Logis Saint Germain, Dream And Do was passed in for €80,000 at the 2018 Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale.

Her dam showed little on the racecourse for Stuart Williams, placing once in nine starts and earning a peak official rating of 51. Sold at the 2013 Tattersalls February Sale just over a week after her final start, she was knocked down to Libyan Reda Tuhami for 1,000gns.

Later that October, Venetias Dream received a timely black type boost through her Montjeu half-sister L’Enjoleuse, whose son Charm Spirit was a juvenile at the time. After placing in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at two, Charm Spirit progressed to become one of the top milers of his generation, winning the Prix Jean Prat, Prix du Moulin and signing off his career by beating Night Of Thunder in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

Venetias Dream was reoffered at the end of 2016 by Barton Stud, and off the back of such a pedigree update she achieved 80,000gns to MAB Agency at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale carrying the Pouliches winner in utero.

Dream And Do is the second Group 1 winner for Librettist as a damsire, after his 60-rated daughter Little Book produced last year’s Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) winner Roger Barows, by Deep Impact.

Little Book cost as little as 7,000gns before receiving a pedigree boost through her half-sister Donna Blini, dam of Japanese Horse of the Year Gentildonna, also sired by Deep Impact.

The Pouliches win of Dream And Do not only marks the continued ascent of Siyouni but keeps the dream of breeding a Classic winner alive for those who might not have fortunes to spend.

The Racing Post newspaper is back in shops! With extensive coverage of all the racing, interviews with the biggest names, tipping from our renowned experts and all the cards and form, it's your unmissable guide to all the action. Don't forget to pick up your copy today