Ectot

IN A BUSY YEAR for Al Shaqab and Haras de Bouquetot, the first crop of intercontinental Group 1 winner Ectot, the final champion trained by legendary Elie Lellouche, will be eagerly anticipated in the sale ring.

On the track Ectot proved himself a top-class competitor and a sound, tough racehorse who won his first Group 1 at the age of two and his last in his fourth season competing.

In five runs at two, he was only once beaten and that was into second place on his debut over 7f. He won the Group 3 Prix des Chenes and the Group 1 Criterium International, both races over mile.

In three starts at three he was successful twice, winning the Group 2 Prix Niel and the Group 3 Prix de Fontainebleu.

Transferred to the barn of Todd Pletcher for his five-year-old season, Ectot mixed it with the best on Turf and beat champion Flintshire to win the Group 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes at Belmont.

Ectot is a representative of the Montjeu sire line that has provided Group 1 Derby winners Motivator, Authorized, Camelot, Pour Moi and Wings Of Eagles, as well as the Breeders’ Cup Turf winner St Nicholas Abbey and Ectot’s own sire the Irish Derby, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Arc (G1) winner Hurricane Run.

At stud Montjeu’s sons had been better known in Ireland as NH sires, but on the Flat Camelot is beginning to carve his own legacy as the standard bearer for his sire with five individual Group/Grade 1 winners already including the history-maker Russian Camelot, who became the first northern-hemisphere-born colt to win a Classic in Australia with his victory in the Australian Derby.

Camelot then stepped up to a higher level this summer siring his first-ever Irish Oaks winner with the victory of Ever So.

Camelot’s second dam Tarfah is a daughter of Danehill, as is Mahalia, the second dam of Ectot.

Mahalia is the dam of the Haras des Granges-based sire Johnny Barnes, winner of the Group 3 Prix Quincey and runner-up in the Group 1 Criterium International, as well as the Group 3 Prix de Flore winner Albisola, a daughter of Montjeu.

Ectot’s dam is by Linamix, an influential sire and broodmare sire whose daughters have also produced the likes of Group 1 winner and young sire Muhaarar, as well as top level winners Blue Bunting, Librisa Breeze, Natagora, Valyra, Vazirabad and Ectot’s half-brother, the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes winner Most Improved (Lawman).

Returning to his native France to begin his stud career in 2017, Ectot was popular with breeders and covered 60 mares in his first season with the likes of Sylvain Vidal, who bought Ectot as a yearling for just €75,000, Haras de Mandore, Paul Nataf and Franklin Finance all sending mares to him that year.

Amongst the mares covered by Ectot in 2018 were Keira, the dam of Listed Prix Pelleas winner Aubevoye and a half-sister to the Shutterbug, a multiple Listed winner, Trawangane, a winning grand-daughter of Shy Danceuse, and Group 1 winner Zafeen visited Ectot for her first mating.

Normandie Breeding sold a colt by Ectot for €31,000 at Arqana February – he is a half-brother to the 2019 Listed Prix Finlande winner and Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary second Olendon by Le Havre.

Racing Form

15 runs, seven wins, three places | Best Timeform Rating: 123 | Average winning distance: 9.00f

Stakes form

AT 2 Won Criterium International, Saint-Cloud, Gr.1, (8f. beating Earnshaw (USA) and Prestige Vendome (FR)), Prix des Chenes, Parislongchamp, Gr.3, (8f. beating Elliptique (IRE) and Daraybi (FR)), Criterium du Fonds Europeen de L’Elevage, Deauville, L., (8f. beating Baby Foot (IRE) and Elliptique (IRE)).

AT 3 Won Qatar Prix Niel, Parislongchamp, Gr.2, (12f. beating Teletext (USA) and Adelaide (IRE)), Prix de Fontainebleau, Parislongchamp, Gr.3, (8f. beating Karakontie (JPN) and Galiway (GB)).

AT 4 Third in La Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte, Maisons-Laffitte, Gr.3, (to Gailo Chop (FR)).

AT 5 Won Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes, Belmont Park, Gr.1, (12f. beating Flintshire (GB) and Twilight Eclipse (USA)).