Goldikova set for Dubawi as other top Wertheimer mares visit home sires

Turf queen Goldikova is set to visit Dubawi this season, while her Group 1-winning half-sister Galikova will travel to Kentucky for a date with War Front.

Pierre-Yves Bureau, racing manager for the mares' owner-breeders the Wertheimer brothers, confirmed the matings to the Racing Post while viewing their brother Anodin, who has made a big splash with his debut runners, at Haras du Quesnay during the Route des Etalons on Sunday.

Goldikova, a 14-year-old daughter of Anabaa, was trained by Freddy Head to win a European record 14 Group/Grade 1s and to become the first horse to claim three editions of the same Breeders' Cup race, taking the Mile in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

She has produced five foals to date, and her two runners include the Prix Cleopatre winner and Prix de Diane third Terrakova, a daughter of Galileo.

“Goldikova is doing very well,” reported Bureau. “She's in foal to Galileo and due in a few weeks. She will visit Dubawi – she has a yearling filly by him [already named Goldistyle] who we think is very nice.”

Goldikova also has an as-yet unraced three-year-old filly by Intello, named Goldika, in training with Head, who also has the mare's two-year-old filly by Galileo, named Alikova, in his care.

The 11-year-old Galileo mare Galikova, meanwhile, was sent out by Head to win the Prix Vermeille and finish second in the Prix de Diane and Prix Jean Romanet.

She has also produced five foals and among her three runners to date is the dual winner and Listed-placed Galikeo, a son of Dansili.

“She has a very nice two-year-old colt by Dubawi [named Galawi and with Carlos Laffon-Parias] and a Fastnet Rock yearling colt [named Born Clown] but is not in foal this year," said Bureau.

“We are sending her to America to visit War Front, for obvious pedigree reasons but also because I think physically it will work very well.”

The cross of War Front over Galileo mares has produced top-level winners Fog Of War, Roly Poly and US Navy Flag, as well as Group 1-placed Fleet Review and Listed scorer Naval Intelligence.

The Wertheimers are also standing foursquare behind Anodin and another of their talented homebreds, Attendu, in their stallion careers at Quesnay.

Anodin justified the support as he was the leading first-season sire in France last year, with his progeny including the highly regarded Prix des Chenes winner Anodor and the Wertheimers' own unbeaten Listed scorer Harmless.

“We support our stallions every year and have a lot of faith in Anodin,” said Bureau. “We are sending eight mares to him this season, including the young Group winners Soustraction and Sasparella.

“We always thought he was going to make a nice stallion, but we weren't expecting him to pass on so much precocity. It's convenient to have a stallion like that available to us, to start off our young mares.

“We also expect Anodin's runners to turn into nice three-year-olds.”

Regarding Attendu, a multiple Group 3 winner by Acclamation who retired to stud last year, Bureau said: “I love his family, we bought the mother [Gwenseb] to support our stallion at that time, Green Tune, and have been very well rewarded for doing so. She was a Group winner herself at two, and she has given us the Group winners Impassable and Attendu and the Listed winners Foreign Tune and Spotify.

“Being by Acclamation also makes it very easy for us to use Attendu. We sent him five mares last year, including stakes winners, and will send three this year including Sonjeu, who became the first stakes winner for Intello when she won at two.”

Attendu ticks the box of conformation as well as pedigree for Bureau.

“I like his physique – very strong but very well balanced,” he added. “I think we can expect some nice horses by him.”

If you enjoyed reading this, you might also like...

Justify high on the list as Don Alberto finalises 2019 breeding schedule

Hope springs eternal as Newsells Park breeds the best to the best

Champion Alpha Centauri set to visit Galileo for her first mating