14 October 2023
Photo scoopdyga.com
Saturday, October 14, 2023, Auteuil Racecourse (Paris) - The odds-on favorite in the €135,000 Carmarthen Hurdle (Gr3) at Auteuil, Thélème (Sidestep), left nothing to chance. Neither the challenge posed by Ine Anjou (Balko) at the end of the back straight, even though he had taken the lead at the stands like rarely before, nor La Chenevière's (Montmartre) attempt between the final two hurdles could bring him to his knees. The representative of JDG Bloodstock once again asserted his dominance, securing his tenth victory after surpassing the million euro mark while clinching his fifth Group 1 win, the Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil (Gr1), back in May.
This time, he outpaced La Chenevière by 2.5 lengths and Ine Anjou by 8.5 lengths, despite carrying a hefty 8-kilogram penalty.
JDG Bloodstock Services, the owner of Thélème, represents the heirs of James Gordon. Thélème had been presented as a yearling at the Osarus sales in 2018, where he was repurchased for €3,000. He is the offspring of Utopia Jem (Okawango), a mare sold for €5,000 in December 2019 at Deauville. Her fifth progeny, a filly by Whipper born in 2021, was sold for €15,000 in December 2022 at Deauville to BLM Bloodstock, which is Bertrand Le Métayer, representing JDG Bloodstock.
Utopia Jem was privately sold to Cava Associates at the Arqana Autumn Sales on November 17, 2022, while in foal to Goliath du Berlais (a filly was born in Maine-et-Loire in April, registered by the Irish stud Grangeclare Stud). Her foal, a son by Doctor Dino, was also purchased then for €160,000 by Bridge Consignment Ltd.