Demarchelier (by Dubawi out of Loveisallyouneed, by Sadler’s Wells) was a pricey Tattersalls purchase by Chad Brown & Mike Ryan for Peter Brant on their first raid to the European yearling sales (they shelled out the equivalent of $592,486), and he went on to justify that purchase price by running unbeaten through his first three starts before at bad step in the G1 Belmont Derby forced his retirement to Claiborne Farm in Kentucky. But the brilliance he showed in his brief career, combined with his fabulous pedigree and gorgeous good looks, make him an exciting prospect despite his short racing stint.
Demarchelier (named for the famous French fashion photographer) made his debut in November of his juvenile season on the Aqueduct turf, and overcame an eventful trip to just get up in time over the eventual stakes winner Seismic Wave, in a performance that earned him TDN Rising Star honors.
Put away until the following spring’s Keeneland meet, he made it 2-for-2 with another score at 1-1/16 miles on turf in allowance company, again rallying impressively through the lane to get up in time.
Stepped to stakes company next, Demarchelier stayed perfect through three starts when — again despite an eventful trip — he ran down familiar foe Seismic Wave to take the G3 Pennine Ridge Stakes at Belmont, with next-out G1 Belmont Derby winner Henley’s Joy, plus the likes of Social Paranoia and Value Proposition also in the field.
Although he retired halfway through his 3-year-old having completed just three races, trainer Chad Brown rated Demarchelier’s ability and turn of foot very highly in comparison to the other top horses he’s trained, while owner Peter Brant believes in Demarchelier’s chances of success as a stallion so strongly that he will retain half of the shares in the horse and will support him strongly at Claiborne, a farm with a history of high achievement from European imports.
Demarchelier — as can be inferred from his yearling price tag — sports a pedigree second to none anywhere in the world. He is a son of the leading British stallion Dubawi, the only British stallion ever to sire more than 100 Group/Graded winners, and probably the second best active stallion in the world at the moment, behind only Galileo. Dubawi also has a rising profile as a sire-of-sires thanks to the superb year being put up by European freshman sire Night of Thunder.
Demarchelier’s female family is no less impressive, as he’s out of a full-sister to the G1 winners Quarter Moon (also a G1 producer) and Yesterday. There are no fewer than 8 G1 winners under Demarchelier’s first three dams.
Physically, Demarchelier is an incredibly well-balanced, athletic horse with plenty of substance, very much in the European mold, and much like his renowned sire.
Demarchelier enters stud in 2020. You can see his page on the Claiborne website here.
Demarchelier wins the G3 Pennine Ridge
Profile of Demarchelier upon retirement
Demarchelier’s sire, Dubawi, wins the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas