By Tom Frary
Chantilly's Prix de Toutevoie for unraced 2-year-old fillies on Wednesday had an intriguing look to it beforehand and it did not disappoint as the Wertheimers' Aventure (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}–Balladeuse {Fr}, by Singspiel {Ire}) won impressively to earn TDN Rising Star status. Placed handy behind the early leaders by Stephane Pasquier, the Christophe Ferland-trained half-sister to the G1 Prix Vermeille winner Left Hand (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) was committed passing the 300-metre marker and responded generously to put the contest to bed.
Strong to the line, the 41-5 shot had 3 1/2 lengths to spare over The Aga Khan's Siyandra (Ire) (Medaglia D'Oro), the daughter of the G1 Prix Saint Alary winner Siyarafina (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}) from the family of Siyouni (Fr). There was another neck back to the Andre Fabre-trained 6-4 favourite Solite (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), the other Wertheimer representative who is out of the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud scorer Plumania (GB) (Anabaa) and therefore a relative of the winner. Aventure is the 18th TDN Rising Star for Sea The Stars, whose tally includes the luminaries Sea The Moon (Ger), Crystal Ocean (GB), Star Catcher (GB) and Emily Upjohn (GB).
“She is a nice filly who was working well for this debut,” Ferland. “I said to Stephane to have her in the clear for the finish and to show her that he is the boss, because she can show some temperament in the mornings. She didn't this afternoon, so that is certainly a good sign, and we will see in time what we do with her this year.”
Aventure is the 10th foal out of the G2 Prix de Royallieu winner Balladeuse, whose aforementioned daughter Left Hand also took the G3 Prix de Psyche and was runner-up in the G1 Prix de Diane before producing the Listed Prix Melisande-winning fellow TDN Rising Star Left Sea (GB) (Frankel {GB}) who was also runner-up in the most recent edition of the Psyche. A winner on debut herself, Balladeuse's second-best progeny at present is Romanciere (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) who was placed in eight black-type contests including the G1 Prix Jean Romanet and her Listed Prix Charles Laffitte-winning full-sister Bilissie (GB).
Balladeuse is kin to the aforementioned G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud heroine and G1 Prix de Diane-placed Plumania (GB) (Anabaa), dam of the G2 Prix du Muguet scorer Plumatic (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), the G2 Prix d'Harcourt-placed Maniaco (GB) by Sea The Stars' half-brother Galileo (Ire) and G2 Prix Greffulhe-placed Starmaniac (GB) by Sea The Stars himself. She is also the second dam of the Listed Prix Zarkava winner and G1 Prix Saint-Alary-placed Solsticia (Ire) (Le Havre {Ire}) and the G3 Prix Belle de Nuit-placed Solania (GB) (Zoffany {Ire}).
Other half-siblings of Balladeuse are the listed-placed Dancequest (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), dam of the G3 Prix de Guiche winner Flop Shot (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) and the group-placed Double Major (Ire) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}); and Secrete (Fr) by Sea The Stars' sire Cape Cross (Ire) who is responsible for the G2 Prix de la Nonette and G3 Prix Vanteaux scorer Rumi (Fr) (Frankel {GB}), Galileo's listed-winning Solage (GB) and the G3 Prix Noailles-placed Normandy Eagle (Ire) by Flop Shot's sire New Approach (Ire).
The third dam in this illustrious dynasty is Featherhill (Fr) (Lyphard), a half to the champion filly Indian Rose (Fr) (General Holme) and sires Vert Amande (Fr) and Le Nain Jaune (Fr) who produced the operation's G1 Prix Lupin hero and leading sire Groom Dancer and fellow sires Tagel and Slew The Slewor. She is also the ancestress of the top-level winners Falco (Pivotal {GB}), Kinshasa No Kiseki (Aus) (Fuji Kiseki {Jpn}), Nettoyer (Aus) (Sebring {Aus}) and Absolutely (Aus) and Abbey Marie (Aus) by Redoute's Choice (Aus). Next up from this astoundingly successful family is Balladeuse's yearling Astropark (Ire) who is a full-brother to the winner.
3rd-Chantilly, €50,000, Debutantes, 9-20, 2yo, f, 8fT, 1:40.66, g/s.
AVENTURE (IRE), f, 2, by Sea The Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Balladeuse (Fr) (GSW-Fr, $168,432}, by Singspiel (Ire)
2nd Dam: Featherquest (GB), by Rainbow Quest
3rd Dam: Featherhill (Fr), by Lyphard
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, €25,000. O/B-Wertheimer et Frere (IRE); T-Christophe Ferland. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
Lovely debut, this! Sea The Stars filly Aventure is a half-sister to the smart Left Hand, and wins impressively first time out at @fgchantilly… pic.twitter.com/NMRZxxYkec
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) September 20, 2023
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