Badgers broker Champs Elysees Deal

Champs Elysees (Danehill) has been purchased from Juddmonte Farms in a deal brokered by Badgers Bloodstock and will stand at Castlehyde Stud under the Coolmore National Hunt banner along with the likes of Walk In The Park (Montjeu), Flemensfirth (Alleged), Yeats (Sadler’s Wells), Fame And Glory (Montjeu), Milan (Sadler’s Wells), Soldier of Fortune (Galileo) and Westerner (Danehill).

Out of Kahyasi’s daughter Hasili, Champs Elysees is an own-brother to Group 1 sires Dansili and Cacique as well as the brilliant racemares Banks Hill and Intercontinental. A triple Grade 1 winner in North America when trained by Bobby Frankel, Champs Elysees retired to Banstead Manor for 2010 and has enjoyed considerable success on the flat. His first two crops of only 84 and 68 foals include 12 Group or Listed winners headed by Ascot Gold Cup winner Trip To Paris, dual Group winner and Irish Oaks runner-up Jack Naylor along with Prix Imprudence winner and French 1,000 Guineas and French Oaks third Xcellence. At the recent Tattersalls Horses In Training Sale both sons and daughters of Champs Elysees were in big demand. Agent Tom Malone acting for an owner of Colin Tizzard’s went to 510,000gns for French Listed winner Harlem but was outbid by Sackville/Donald on behalf of a Hong Kong client to join Australian trainer David Hayes. Also bound for Australia is the former Charles Hills trained three-year-old Exoteric who was knocked down to Chris Waller Racing for 180,000gns. Several leading National Hunt interests also got in on the act with Harold Kirk/Willie Mullins signing for a pair of three-year-olds, David Bridgwater securing three-year-old Cohesion for 85,000gns and others purchased by Seamus Durack and Paul Webber.

“Champs Elysees is a great addition to the team here,” said Castlehyde manager Tom Gaffney. “He sires high class racehorses and gets very good looking stock; we’re delighted to have got him.”

“Champs Elysees has been a wonderful servant both on the racetrack and most recently during his seven seasons at Banstead Manor Stud” said Juddmonte Stud Director, Simon Mockridge. “He has 17 stakes performers this year including his daughter Suffused who was so narrowly defeated in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes. I am sure Coolmore will give him every opportunity of continuing this success.”