€130,000 Sumbe Kergorlay (Gr2): Double Major, way better

Deauville, Sunday, August 18th, 2024 – The odds-on favourite, Double Major (Daiwa Major), secured a commanding victory in the €130,000 Sumbe Prix Kergorlay (Gr2), an intergenerational contest over 15.5 furlongs. The Wertheimer & Frère homebred effortlessly assumed the lead at the top of the straight, leaving his four rivals trailing in his wake. He crossed the finish line an impressive seven lengths clear of the 2022 winner, Goya Senora (Anodin), who led the chasing pack ahead of Alessio (Teofilo) and Waldadler (Adlerflug).

Double Major commenced his French 2024 campaign with a third-place finish in the Prix de Barbeville (Gr3) and then filled the same position in the Vicomtesse Vigier (Gr2). He also showcased his prowess over a mile and three-quarters, clinching the Prix Maurice de Nieuil (Gr2) a month earlier.

Bred by Wertheimer & Frère, Double Major's racing career began in March with a second-place finish at Deauville, followed by his maiden victory at Toulouse over 1 mile 2 1/2 furlongs. After securing three consecutive second-place finishes at Listed level, including one in the Prix Frédéric de Lagrange (L) at Vichy, he discovered his forte over extended distances, culminating in a triumph in the 2023 Prix Royal-Oak (Gr1).

He is the fourth foal out of Dancequest (Dansili), a winner at Deauville and Listed-placed, and the dam of the talented Flop Shot (New Approach). Notably, Dancequest is out of Featherquest (Rainbow Quest), the dam of successful racemares and broodmares Plumania and Balladeuse.

Double Major was entered in the 2023 Arqana Arc Sale but was ultimately withdrawn.

His sire, Daiwa Major, a champion sprinter/miler in his native Japan, is a son of the influential American stallion Sunday Silence and a daughter of Northern Taste, a stallion imported from France, where he enjoyed considerable success for the Yoshida family. This chestnut with extensive white markings, reminiscent of Sunday Silence, also played a pivotal role in the development of Shadai Farm's breeding program, where both stallions were based and are now laid to rest.