In demand: Chedeville aiming to hit the ground running with Gatsby and Elvstroem

The Grey Gatsby has proved as popular at stud as he was on the track, with 110 mares covered during his first season at Haras du Petit Tellier in Normandy this year.

“He had a very good season, he has a great mind and is very handy,” said Petit Tellier owner Patrick Chedeville, who bought the Classic-winning son of Mastercraftsman and syndicated half of the horse.

“His libido is perfect and he could hardly have better fertility.”

A triple-figure book for The Grey Gatsby is even more impressive considering the huge number of new stallions who retired to stud in France for 2018, an intake that included fellow Classic scorers Almanzor, Brametot and Wings Of Eagles and commercially desirable names such as Al Wukair, Ultra and Zarak.

“We had lots of new stallions in France so he was facing strong competition, and I think it was his popularity on the track that made a difference,” said Chedeville.

“His victory over Australia in the Irish Champion Stakes was famous and of course he is well known in France, having been sold at Arqana twice and winning the Prix du Jockey Club. It took only a fortnight to syndicate him.

“Then when we held our open days, and on the Route des Etalons, he appeared to be very popular. People like him in the flesh; he is a very attractive, athletic horse.”

The Grey Gatsby defeats Australia in the Irish Champion StakesCredit: Alain Barr

Syndicate members hail from France, Germany, Britain and Ireland.

Chedeville sent many of his own best mares to The Grey Gatsby, including Ma Preference, a daughter of American Post who is the dam of Listed winner and Group 2-placed Onthemoonagain, and Kikinda, a daughter of Daliapour who has produced stakes performers High Alpha and Stillman.

The purchase of The Grey Gatsby has been gilded this year by an outstanding run of form for his sire Mastercraftsman, source of this year's standout three-year-old talent in Europe, Alpha Centauri, and Group 1-placed Neufbosc and Wind Chimes.

“Mastercraftsman has had a wonderful year and it has helped The Grey Gatsby I'm sure,” said Chedeville. “I've heard people say Mastercraftsman is not an especially commercial sire but if that's the case I think people should think again. He is surely a brilliant sire.”

Elvstroem's strutting their stuff

Chedeville is showing off the fruits of his last new sire at Arqana this week, as he sells yearlings from the first Haras du Petit Tellier-conceived crop of Australian star Elvstroem, winner of the Victoria Derby and Caulfield Cup and third to Azamour in the Prince of Wales's Stakes on his travels to Europe.

Elvstroem: closely related to Highland ReelCredit: Edward Whitaker

Petit Tellier consigns an Elvstroem colt out of a Platini half-sister to the dam of the last two German Derby winners, Windstoss and Weltstar (lot 244) in the last session of the Arqana August Sale on Monday, and a colt (365) and a filly (401) by the sire in Tuesday's V2 Sale at the Deauville venue.

Chedeville bought Elvstroem – a brother to Highland Reel's dam Hveger and half-brother to Queen Anne Stakes winner Haradasun – in 2015 after a spell at stud in his native Australia.

“He was on the market and we were looking for a good racehorse,” said Chedeville. “Also, he is by Danehill, and stallions from that line are overbooked in Australia but not so much in France.

“We're happy with the yearlings and he stamps his foals very well, so we're hoping for the best. If he can produce nice, early types we can't ask any more than that."

Elvstroem has a first French-conceived crop of around 40 to 50 to go to war with on the track in the coming seasons.