GRAND Glory was one of the highlight lots at the Arqana December Sale, fetching €2.5 million as a prospective broodmare.

This was just days after her fifth-place finish to Triple Crown hero Contrail in the Grade 1 Japan Cup in Tokyo and following a season in which she got within a nose of becoming a dual Group 1 star.

The five-year-old, a prior classic-placed pattern winner, pipped Audarya to win the Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet over 10 furlongs at Deauville in August, but had the photo go against her when a nose runner-up to Rougir in the Group 1 Prix de l’Opera at ParisLongchamp six weeks later. Grand Glory (dam by Daylami) is a first-crop daughter of Haras de Bouquetot stallion Olympic Glory, and so is Watch Me (Galileo).

The latter filly did win twice at the highest level and may have added at least one more had her career not ended prematurely in the summer of her four-year-old season. She beat dual Guineas winner Hermosa by a length and a half in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot and added the following summer’s Group 1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville. She had a Siyouni filly in January and is booked to Persian King.

Those two mares head the double-digit tally of stakes winners and blacktype earners that have represented Olympic Glory (Choisir), and when he can get two such notable horses in his first crop, there’s no reason why he should not come up with more. He is by the top sprinter-miler and established Group 1 sire Starspangledbanner and so is on the long list of Danehill-line (Danzig) stallions who have hit the Group 1 target more than once at stud.

He was also a top-class racehorse. Olympic Glory was a wide-margin debut winner shortly before chasing home Dawn Approach in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, his only defeat at two. Victory in the Group 2 Superlative Stakes, Group 2 Vintage Stakes and Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere followed and he kicked off his three-year-old campaign with Group 3 success at Newbury.

The brilliant Moonlight Cloud only beat him by a short head in the Group 1 Prix Jacque Le Marois at Deauville, he chased home Maxios in the Group 1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, and then won the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes easily before returning to action at four to add a Group 1 double in the Lockinge Stakes and Prix de la Foret.

Olympic Glory’s top-priced yearling in 2021 made €90,000 in Deauville and last month his winning daughter Helcia (out of US Grade 1 winner Mizdirection) made €115,000 at Arqana’s February Mixed Sale, sold in foal to Mehmas. He is a value sire to watch.

OLYMPIC GLORY (IRE), Bay 2010. Jt Champion 3yr old colt in Europe in 2013. Champion older miler in Europe in 2014. Won eight races, £1,419,773, from 6 furlongs to 1 mile, 2 to 4 years including, JLT Lockinge Stakes, Newbury, Gr.1, Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere Grand Criterium, Longchamp, Gr.1, Qatar Prix de la Foret, Longchamp, Gr.1, Qipco Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1, 32red.com Superlative Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.2, Veuve Clicquot Vintage Stakes, Goodwood, Gr.2, AON Greenham Stakes, Newbury, Gr.3, also placed second in P. Fresnay le Buffard Jacques Le Marois, Deauville, Gr.1, Qatar Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, Longchamp, Gr.1, Coventry Stakes, Ascot, Gr.2, and third in P. Fresnay le Buffard Jacques Le Marois, Deauville, Gr.1.

Retired to Stud in 2015, and sire of the winners of 365 races, and £7,761,377, including GRAND GLORY (GB), WATCH ME (FR), ERIC THE EEL (AUS), MINTD (IRE), QUICK (GB), ETONIAN (IRE), LUCKY LYCRA (IRE), MEDAL WINNER (FR), JANNAH FLOWER (IRE), LORD OLYMPUS (AUS), PHOCEENE (FR), Waldersee (FR), Asterella (FR), Port Etienne (FR), Ursuly (IRE), Zelandia (FR), Chorba (FR), Olympic Games (FR), Pythion (FR), Got Wind (GB) and Aljumayliyah (GB)

Stands at: Haras de Bouquetot, Domaine de Bouquetot, 14130 Clarbec, France.

Contact: Jeffroy Benoit, Sebastien Desmontils, Antoine Gronfier

Telephone: +33 (0)2 31 32 28 91

Email: nominations@bouquetot.com

Web: www.alshaqabracing.com

Fee: €4,000