‘Before the sale I was broke and I could be broke after this’ - risk and reward for Breeders’ Cup-winning small breeder as Unquestionable's dam sells for €900,000

Guillaume and Camille Vitse finished a remarkable journey with their broodmare Strawberry Lace at Arqana on Saturday, when the dam of Breeders’ Cup hero Unquestionable was sold to a buyer signing as Willingham at €900,000. 

Willingham’s representative declined to comment on plans for the nine-year-old daughter of Sea The Stars, who was offered carrying a full-sibling to Unquestionable, but Guillaume Vitse explained the transaction was a source of mixed emotions for the Normandie Breeding team. 

“It’s an amazing day,” he said. “We knew that she was going to make some money and we had a big reserve on her because we’re not just here to sell at any price. My wife and I, we’re very into our horses and we try to do things in a decent, smart and clever way. She deserves that because she’s a very nice mare.” 

He continued: “Emotionally, it was very difficult. We had a chat with Arqana TV and we started talking about our daughters [Valentine and Axelle, who co-bred Unquestionable], and that’s a bit too much. I had to think about something else when I was speaking because I know that I’m heartbroken right now. We love our mares, especially this one because she’s such a nice mare. It’s hard to see them go.” 

Vitse also gave a candid insight into the risk and resource involved in getting a commercial breeding operation up and running with purchases like Strawberry Lace, who was picked up for 52,000gns at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale in 2019, when she was in foal to Night Of Thunder. 

“It might not sound like a lot of money but for us 52,000gns was a lot,” he said. “We were broke guys at the beginning so we had to call the bank when we wanted to buy a mare. Then we were originally refused the foal share [to Wootton Bassett] the next year. I said, ‘Okay, we don’t have the money but we’ll go anyway and find solutions along the way.’ 

“It was in the Covid year, so that was difficult as well. But when she foaled the Night Of Thunder filly, Nicolas [de Chambure, Haras d’Etreham] came to the farm during the autumn, saw the filly and said, ‘Okay, let’s go for the foal share.’ I was very happy and less stressed after that.” 

The journey is far from over though as the Vitse family have retained that daughter of Night Of Thunder. Named Enjoy The Show, the placed four-year-old is in foal to Mehmas. That mating is not the only thing the Vitse family have to look forward to, as they are among the group of breeders who have joined forces to stand the Group 1-placed Coventry Stakes winner River Tiber, who shares his sire with Unquestionable, at Haras de la Huderie. 

“We have projects around stallions, we have to make it work, but we have plenty of ideas,” Vitse said when asked what he would do with Saturday’s windfall. “We’ve got plenty of ideas, so hopefully the future is bright. Before the sale I was broke and I could be broke after this, no problem. We’ve been living like this for the last eight years so we’re used to it.” 

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Unquestionable was bred at a fee of €40,000 in Wootton Bassett’s final French season before he transferred to Coolmore. 

Asked why he felt Strawberry Lace had clicked so well with Wootton Bassett, Vitse, who was decked out in River Tiber merchandise, said: “I think any kind of mare can work with Wootton Bassett, that’s why you should invest in River Tiber!”

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