Soleil Marin a potentially high-class son of Kendargent

SOLEIL MARIN (IRE) - 2014 bay colt

Haras de Colleville stallion Kendargent (by Kendor) has been an unexpected hit at stud, and although none of his 16 stakes winners has won at the highest level, it seems likely that it is just a matter of time before his first Group 1 star is crowned.

He already has two pattern winners in 2017 and it is possible that either, or both, could fill that gap on his record. One is the dual Group 3 scorer Jimmy Two Times, who finished third in last year's Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest, and the other is Soleil Marin.

Godolphin's colt was bred by Ecurie Peregrine SAS, he is trained by Andre Fabre, and he was winning for the fourth time from five starts when beating his odds-on stable companion Akihiro by a head in the Group 3 Prix Noailles over 10 and a half furlongs on good ground at Chantilly on Sunday.

Soleil Marin was fourth in a seven-furlong Clairefontaine maiden on his debut in August, two months before a narrow success over nine and a half furlongs on the polytrack at Deauville.

His final start at two was an odds-on seven-length score over 10 furlongs on heavy ground at Saint-Cloud in November and his return to action last month was in a listed contest over a half-furlong farther at the same venue, which he won by one and three-quarter lengths.

The colt is a half-brother to a winner and his thrice-successful dam, Sousmarine (by Montjeu), is a half-sister to Group 3 Prix de Lutece third Investissement (by Singspiel). Their dam, Underwater (by Theatrical), was runner-up in the Group 2 Prix de Mallaret, another edition of which was among the three races won by her half-sister Legerete (by Rahy).

Those wins also included the Group 3 Prix de Royaumont, she was third in both the Group 1 Prix de l'Opera and Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac, and her progeny include Pilote (by Pivotal), a listed scorer whose pattern placings include the Group 2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano and Group 2 Prix Eugene Adam.

Underwater and Legerete are among eight winners from 10 foals out of a one-time scorer called Sea Hill (by Sea Hill) and the octet also includes Icelips (by Unbridled), a filly who made her name at stud.

Her son Numb Lips (by Olmodavor) was a stakes winner in California, daughter Iron Lips (by Iron Mask) won the Group 3 Prix Eclipse and finished third in the Group 2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte, but the best of her offspring is Falco (by Pivotal), the Group 1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas) scorer who has sired blacktype winners on the flat and over obstacles.

Sea Hill was a half-sister to Group 1 Prix Lupin winner and classic sire Groom Dancer (by Blushing Groom) and her siblings also include Featherquest (by Rainbow Quest). That filly was only a minor winner but she became the dam of classic-placed Group 1 star Plumania (by Anabaa) and of Group 2 Prix de Royallieu scorer Balladeuse, whose daughter Left Hand (by Dubawi) won the Group 1 Prix Vermeille and was runner-up in Group 1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) last year.

The fifth dam of Soleil Marin is, therefore, Lady Berry (by Violon d'Ingres), the Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak heroine who became one of those special mares that produce at least three individual Group 1-winning progeny.

Le Nain Jeune (by Pharly) won the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris, Indian Rose (by General Holme) won the Group 1 Prix Vermeille, and Vert Amande (by Kenmare) won the Group 1 Prix Ganay.

Soleil Marin's record to date suggests that he is a high-class middle-distance colt in the making, although that of his sire raises a question as to how far he might stay: his progeny tend to be sprinters and milers. It is possible, therefore, that Sunday's trip may be as far as he wants to go.