It was a huge thrill for me, to breed SESMEN, the 7f Group 3 Prestige Stakes winner, who is by Inchinor ex Poetry In Motion by Ballad Rock.
Inchinor was a Group 3 winner over 7f and 7.5f both at Newbury and was also an excellent 2nd in the 7f Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket, behind the subsequent and truly outstanding 2000 Guineas winner, Zafonic.
Poetry In Motion was a moderate 5f sprint maiden winner for trainer Eric Alston but was from the excellent family of TERESINA, a filly who had been bought by George Lambton, in 1920, for the grandfather of the present H.H Aga Khan. That purchase was the beginning of what would become one of the most successful and outstanding breeding operations, in throughbred history.
Teresina was by the stallion and top class performer, Tracery, who had won the 8f Gr.1 Sussex Stakes, the St James Palace Stakes, the St Leger Stakes and was also 3rd in the Epsom Derby, before being sold to Argentina and was bred by August Belmont.
An outstanding race filly, Teresina won the Goodwood Cup, the Jockey Club Stakes, was 2nd in both the Gr.1 Eclipse Stakes and Gr.1 Coronation Stakes and was also 3rd in both the Gr.1 Oaks and also the Gr.1 St. Leger Stakes.
Mated with the 2000 Guineas winner Diophon, Teresina produced the Irish Oaks Winner, Theresina and this female line eventually extended down to Nasseem, the dam of Poetry in Motion.
Nasseem was the dam of the group winning sprinter Neshad, who stood in Germany and Nasseem herself, had won the 6f Gr.3 Cherry Hinton Stakes at Newmarket and was also 3rd in the 5f Gr.2 Queen Mary Stakes and 3rd in the 8f gr.1 Coronation Stakes.
This is an incredibly important family because when mated with the Derby winner Hyperion, Teresina produced the stallion Alibhai, who became the dam-sire of His Majesty, who in turn, became the dam-sire of the breed shaping stallion, DANEHILL.
Sesmen was trained by Marco Botti in Newmarket and became the Italian’s first stakes winner in the UK, having started her racing career by winning a 7f maiden race at Kempton, as a 2 year old.
It was a very encouraging and pleasing win because Marco very rarely has his horses fully tuned, first time out, so there was great hope, of better things to come from the filly.
She then won an 8f Novice Stakes at Nottingham, beating colts and was then sent to Goodwood, for the 7f Gr.3 Prestige Stakes. The filly travelled extremely well during the race and quickened very impressively, under jockey Oscar Urbina, to win a shade cosily.
Next time out, Sesmen was raised in class again and went into the 8f Gr.1 Fillies Mile at Ascot, as an unbeaten filly of three races. She was 3rd favourite at 7/2 on the day but unfortunately for her, the rain that they had beforehand, along with the fact that she pulled very hard during the race itself, ruined her chances and she lost her unbeaten record, eventually finishing a tired 6th of 8 runners, beaten 8 1/2 lengths by Simply Perfect, the subsequent winner of the 8f Gr.1 Falmouth Stakes as a 3 year old.
Perhaps needing her initial outing as a 3 year old, in the 7f Gr.3 Dubai Duty Free Stakes at Newbury, won by Mick Channon’s very good filly, Majestic Roi, who went on to win the 8f Gr.1 Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket, later in the year, Sesmen then travelled to France to contest the 8f Gr.1 Poule D’Essai Des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas).
Always well placed, under jockey Thierry Jarnet, Sesmen travelled very well, quickened nicely and led from 2 furlongs out, until inside the final furlong.
I actually thought at one stage that she might hold on for third place in this Classic race but she didn’t quite stay the mile in top class Group 1 company and tired towards the end of the race, with three horses overtaking her, inside the final 100 yds or so.
She came a very creditable 6th to the outstanding filly, Darjina, who was bred and owned by H.H The Aga Khan.
Sesmen raced another 5 times as a 3 year old and was retired by her owner, Scuderia Rencati Sri, after winning her final race, which was an 8f Listed race at Lingfield.
As a broodmare, Sesmen hasn’t yet produced a black-type horse but her progeny have shown ability, including Chastushka, by Poet’s Voice, who won an 8f maiden at Newbury, first time out as a 2 year old, for top Newmarket trainer, John Gosden O.B.E.
Chastushka had various Gr.1 entries at 2 and 3 years and ran a creditable race, first time out as a 3 year old, when beaten only 3 1/2 lengths in a 10f Listed race at Newbury.
I very much hope that Sesmen and her progeny can continue to breed black type winners from the Classic producing family of Teresina, for many years to come and it has been an absolute pleasure and thrill, for me personally, to be part of that history.