Coeursamba, the Norman star of the Prix Rothschild

The filly Coeursamba is one of the most leading contenders in the Prix Rothschild (Group 1), which kicks-starts the Deauville Barrière Meeting on Tuesday 3 August.

She will effectively be racing on home turf as she is trained locally at Deauville racecourse by Jean-Claude Rouget. She also has local roots, having been born at the Haras de l’Aumônerie at Saint-Hymer (in the Calvados region) which is managed by Julie Mestrallet. Coeursamba is very much a story of the fairer sex, as three women are listed as the filly’s breeders: Julie Mestrallet, her mother Francine Mestrallet, plus her daughter, Agathe Cousin-Mestrallet, who is just four years old!

The stud was founded by Francine Mestrallet and it enjoyed great success with ponies and sporting horses under the « St Hymer ». affix Although faced by the demands of a changing marketplace, it was eventually wound down its activities. Julie Mestrallet did not immediately want to take over her mother's stud. As she had embarked on another professional career, working firstly for a major veterinary clinic, then for a trainer, before joining the ranks of a horse insurance brokerage: a position she continues to hold and which she juggles with her commitments as a breeder. Julie Mestrallet is therefore living her dream in a big way and, with success to boot, having bred a filly capable of mixing it with the charges from the big international stables.

A filly that has changed hands several times

A daughter of the French stallion (The Wow Signal), Cœursamba has gone through the ring three times at the sales organised by the Deauville agency Arqana. Consigned by the Haras de l'Aumônerie as a foal, she was sold for €24,000. Her then owner, José Delmotte, parted company with her the following year as the filly was auctioned at the August yearling sale. Spotted by her future trainer Jean-Claude Rouget, she was acquired for €40,000 by one of her subsequent owners, Jean-Louis Tepper. Cœursamba began her juvenile career relatively early, having first seen the racecourse at Lyon-Parilly on June 2 in 2020.

In common with many of Jean-Claude Rouget's horses, she improved with her racing. The winner of her second start at /Saint-Cloud, she then headed for Deauville. She subsequently ran third in the Prix Six Perfections Sky Sports Racing (Group 3). She also filled a similar position in the Prix d'Aumale (Group 3), before returning to the Arqana ring for the prestigious Arc sale. The Qatari national Abdullah Fahad Al Attiyah had the final say at €400,000, which was the prelude to the filly’s fifth in the Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac - Critérium des Pouliches (Group 1).

Racing in Japanese colours

After several below-par efforts, Cœursamba captured the most prestigious French race for 3-year-old fillies over 1,600m (one mile): the Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (Group 1). The consecration of her efforts can be measured in the fact that she was facing quality fillies from both sides of the Channel, in addition to recording a very fast time!

Subsequently upped in trip to 2,100 metres (10 1/2f), the race wasn’t run to suit her in Prix de Diane Longines (Group 1) and she wasn’t concerned at the finish. The 1,600m trip of the Prix Rothschild (Group 1) should therefore be right up her alley.

On the strength of her prestigious win in the Group 1 Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, the renowned owner-breeder Katsumi Yoshida stumped up the cash to buy the filly. Although the filly has not changed trainers, she currently carries the colours of a prestigious Japanese stable that has enjoyed immense success on the world stage. Katsumi Yoshida also has an eye to the future – given that French mares have gone on to produce champions in the land of the rising sun. The filly is therefore a long-term investment and it’s indicative of confidence in the quality of the French breeding process.

The ground will suit.

Cœursamba is a versatile filly ground wise. In the Group 1 Prix Rothschild on August 3, she will probably be racing over forecast "good" ground. On Friday morning (July 29), Matthieu Vincent, France Galop's director of racecourses and training centres, explained: "The forecasts are unclear but we should get the meeting underway with a penetrometer reading in the region of either 3,1 or 3,2. On Thursday, the ground was 3.5, (soft) but no rain is expected between now and then."