Prix De l’Arc De Triomphe winner officially retired from racing.
Sunday's brilliant Prix De l'Arc De Triomphe (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Sottsass (Siyouni) will not be seen on a racetrack again and will now take up stud duties at Coolmore Stud in Ireland.
The Jean-Claude Rouget-trained son of Siyouni (Pivotal) added a third Group 1 to his CV when beating In Swoop (Alderflug) in the Longchamp showpiece, with the colt having already been successful in last year's Prix du Jockey Club (Gr 1, 2100m), while he also took out the Prix Ganay (Gr 1, 2100m) earlier in the year. Raced by White Birch Farm, he retires from racing having won six of his 12 career starts and placing twice with his earnings totalling almost €4 million.
"A World Champion at three and now an Arc winner at four, I have decided to retire Sottsass after what he has achieved," said Brant. "He has retired sound and right at the top of his game - this is important to me. I am looking forward to breeding some of my best mares to him. Coolmore purchased 50 per cent of him earlier in the year and he will stand there for 2021.
"Back in 1971 I was working on a film in Paris and was lucky enough to witness Mill Reef win his Arc. I think it is the ultimate race to win and I couldn't be more thrilled to have fulfilled a lifelong dream. Sottsass has an incredible turn of foot as he showed when readily disposing of Persian King in the Prix du Jockey Club.
"He smashed the race record time and knocked nearly a second off the 2100 metre track record at Chantilly previously held by dual Arc winner Treve. We were concerned that the testing conditions on Sunday might blunt his speed but he overcame them and showed his true greatness."
Purchased by Oceanic Bloodstock for €340,000 at the 2017 Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale, the four-year-old is out of placed Galileo (Sadler's Wells) mare Starlet's Sister, making him a half-brother to multiple Grade 1-winning champion Sistercharlie (Myboycharlie) and dual Group 3 scorer My Sister Nat (Acclamation).
Starlet's Sister herself is a sister to Group 3 winner Leo's Starlet, while she is a half-sister to Listed scorer Anabaa's Creation (Anabaa) - the dam of Listed winner Create A Dream (Oasis Dream).
Further back this is the same family as Group 3 winner Sandy's Charm (Footstepsinthesand) and Listed scorer Mary's Precedent (Storming Home).
"Being a half-brother to Sistercharlie who had run second for us in the Prix de Diane, Sottsass was always going to be of interest to us as a yearling and we were delighted when the individual matched up to his pedigree," continued Brant.
"Being by France's leading sire Siyouni and out of a daughter of Galileo only added to his appeal. The rest as they say is history as Sistercharlie has gone on to win seven Grade 1 races in the USA for Chad Brown and Sottsass has proved himself the ultimate champion."
