bright sparks “I wasn’t able to get credit at the sales when I started out as no one knew me at all, and so I started the syndicate with five friends all chipping into the pot, and we got lucky as Azaelia was our first horse,” he says. “I’ve been very fortunate to have friends who were prepared to gamble by re-investing everything we made year after year, and they’re still in the game, with legs in around 30 horses in training and at stud.” Desmontils also landed himself and his partners a huge payday when Coolmore pounced to buy Wootton Bassett out of Haras d’Etreham last year, as he had bought “quite a few” shares in the son of Iffraaj. “Everyone was fairly happy when the big deal got done,” he says with some understatement. He also has a big Japanese client in Hisaaki Saito, for whom he has bought the promising Frankel three-year-old colt Integrant, and has done the legwork in France to help British agent Alex Elliott complete the private purchases of a number of smart jumpers, including the dual Grade 1-winning chaser and Cheltenham
I think working in nominations helps a lot in giving you a good overview of what’s happening in all areas of the breeding business
Desmontils: has enjoyed success in a short space of time but is keeping his feet on the ground Photo courtesy of Arqana and by Suzanna Lupa
Gold Cup runner-up A Plus Tard, the Grade 3-winning hurdler Mitchouka and the useful handicapper Tiger Voice. And there’s more! He was the intermediary in the deal to sell the Spanishtrained colt Sir Andrew to Hong Kong, where he went on to win two Grade 1s and more than £2.5 million in prize-money under the name Helene Paragon, and he has bought a number of stallions to stand in France, including Manatee, a dual Group 2-winning son of Monsun, and Bande, an Authorized half-brother to Doctor Dino, who covered 150 mares this year. Not forgetting the innovative online syndication platform that he launched in January. Equibiz (equi-biz.com) is only a few months old, but its listings have already given visitors the chance to buy into Nationalista – no less than a Nathaniel half-sister to star sprinter Soffia – who went on to win the Listed Prix Urban Sea at Le Lion d’Angers in May. “Equibiz was launched mainly to help young trainers such as Mathieu Brasmes, Gabriel Leenders and Edouard Montfort syndicate their horses, although we also offer shares in broodmares and stallions,” says Desmontils. “We’re getting good feedback from clients, who are mostly newcomers into the business buying shares of ten, 20 or 30 per cent. “It’s helping everyone as it allows people an inexpensive way to buy equity in horses, and for those young trainers who buy on spec and want 50 per cent of the horse – they can easily sell the other 50 per cent now. “The site is more tailored to the French market at the moment, although I believe an English owner has bought one of the mares having had the horse put up to her by a French user. “We haven’t done much work in Britain or Ireland so far, but the website is in English and we aim to make it more international in time.” Desmontils has many achievements to pick from, then, when asked what the highlight of his young career has been. However, his answer reveals that he is keeping his feet firmly on the ground. “I feel lucky just to still be in the game after playing at so many tables,” he says. “As
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