:Solemia

Solemia is a bay filly with a white star bred in Ireland by the Wertheimer family. She was sired by the Critérium de Saint-Cloud winner Poliglote and was the last foal of the mare Brooklyn's Dance, winner of the Prix Cléopâtre. Both of Solemia's parents were owned and bred by the Wertheimers. Before Solemia's arrival, Poliglote's best flat racer had been the dual Grand Prix de Deauville winner Irish Wells. In recent years he has had some success as a sire of steeplechasers.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/profile/horse/90537/poliglote |title=Poliglote Stud Record|publisher=Racing Post |date=2012-02-15 |access-date=2012-10-07}} Brooklyn's Dance produced five other stakes winners including the Prix Greffulhe winner Prospect Wells and was also closely related on her dam's side to many good winners including Green Dancer, Authorized, Makfi and Alhaarth.{{cite web|author=Martin Stevens |work=Racing Post |url=http://bloodstock.racingpost.com/news/bloodstock/solemia-poliglote-brooklyns-dance-wertheimer-bloodlines-to-the-fore-in-corrida/1041685/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227215847/http://bloodstock.racingpost.com/news/bloodstock/solemia-poliglote-brooklyns-dance-wertheimer-bloodlines-to-the-fore-in-corrida/1041685/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2014-02-27 |title=Wertheimer bloodlines to the fore in Corrida |date=2012-05-28 |access-date=2012-10-07}}

Solemia is trained at Chantilly by the Spanish-born Carlos Laffon-Parias, and has been ridden to all her successes by Olivier Peslier.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/profile/horse/769331/solemia |publisher=Racing Post |title=Solemia |date=2011-06-02 |access-date=2012-10-07}}

Solemia did not appear as a two-year-old until October 17 when she finished unplaced in a maiden race at Longchamp. Fifteen days later she recorded her first success when Olivier Peslier rode her to a six length win in a minor race at Maisons-Laffitte.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/results/213/maisons-laffitte/2010-11-01/517911 |publisher=Racing Post |title=Prix Aquatinte II |access-date=2012-10-07}}

As a three-year-old, Solemia ran four times at Saint-Cloud in minor stakes races, finishing fifth, third and second before winning her second race in the Listed Prix Joubert over 2400 metres on 30 September. Solemia was moved up to Group class for the first time for her final start of the year in the Prix du Conseil de Paris, in which she was matched against colts and older horses. She finished strongly but failed by a neck to catch the colt Vadamar.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/results/211/longchamp/2011-10-16/541508 |publisher=Racing Post |title=Prix du Conseil de Paris |access-date=2012-10-07}}

Solemia began her four-year-old season impressively, with a four length win in the Listed Prix Lord Seymour at Longchamp in April. A month later she was made favourite for the Group Three Prix d'Hédouville but was beaten three lengths a head by the British gelding Allied Powers and the filly Molly Malone. She was later promoted to second when the runner-up was disqualified for causing interference.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/results/211/longchamp/2012-05-08/555326 |publisher=Racing Post |title=Prix d'Hédouville |access-date=2012-10-07}} In the Prix Corrida at the end of May at Saint-Cloud, Solemia started at odds of 3/1 in a field which included the 2011 Arc de Triomphe runner-up Shareta. In a closely contested finish, she held off the late challenge of Shareta to win by a nose with Siyouma and Andromeda Galaxy less than a length behind. The Wertheimers' racing manager Pierre-Charles Bureau called the winner "very brave" and nominated the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud as a likely target, explaining his view that the filly would be better over a longer distance.{{cite web|url=http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/solemia-saint-cloud-france-solemia-denies-unlucky-shareta-in-prix-corrida/1041672/#newsArchiveTabs=last7DaysNews |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170325031024/http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/solemia-saint-cloud-france-solemia-denies-unlucky-shareta-in-prix-corrida/1041672/#newsArchiveTabs=last7DaysNews |url-status=dead |archive-date=2017-03-25 |title=FRANCE Solemia denies unlucky Shareta in Prix Corrida |work=Racing Post|date=2012-05-28 |access-date=2012-10-07}} The form of the race worked out well: Shareta won the Yorkshire Oaks and Prix Vermeille while Siyouma won the Sun Chariot Stakes.

After a break of two months, Solemia returned to finish fourth in the Prix de Pomone in August and then finished third to Shareta and Pirika in the Prix Vermeille. In the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Solemia started at odds of 41/1 in a field of eighteen which had been weakened by the late withdrawals of Snow Fairy (injury),{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/horse-racing/19770119 |title=Snow Fairy to miss Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe through injury |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2012-09-29 |access-date=2012-10-07}} Danedream (travel restrictions) and Nathaniel (illness).{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/horse-racing/19795251 |title=Danedream and Nathaniel to miss Arc at Longchamp |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2012-10-02 |access-date=2012-10-07}} The leading contenders included the Japanese Triple Crown winner Orfevre, The Derby winner Camelot and the improving filly Great Heavens. Peslier positioned Solemia just behind the leaders before taking the lead early in the straight. Orfevre moved past her and took a clear lead 200 metres from the finish but Solemia rallied to regain the lead in the last strides and won by a neck. After the race, Laffon-Parias praised Peslier's performance and admitted that he never expected the filly to win, saying that he had "hoped she might get a place".{{cite news|author=Tony Paley |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/oct/07/solemia-prix-de-larc-de-triomphe?newsfeed=true |title=Outsider Solemia pulls off shock victory in Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe |work=The Guardian |date=7 October 2012 |access-date=2012-10-07}} Solemia's success gave Peslier a record-equaling fourth success in the race, following Helissio (1996), Peintre Celebre (1997) and Sagamix (1998).{{cite news|author=Horse Racing |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/horseracing/9592625/Prix-de-lArc-de-Triomphe-2012-Olivier-Peslier-delivers-perfect-challenge-to-land-race-for-the-fourth-time.html# |title=Olivier Peslier delivers perfect challenge to land race for the fourth time |work=Daily Telegraph |date=7 October 2012 |access-date=2012-10-07}}

In November Solemia was sent to contest the Japan Cup at Tokyo Racecourse. She finished thirteenth of the seventeen runners behind the Japanese filly Gentildonna.

After her run in Japan Solemia was retired from racing to become a broodmare. It was announced that she would be covered in 2013 by the stallion Dubawi at the Dalham Hall Stud.{{cite web|url=http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/74725/arc-de-triomphe-winner-solemia-retired |title=Arc de Triomphe Winner Solemia Retired |work=BloodHorse |date=30 Nov 2012 |access-date=2012-12-04}}

{{Pedigree

|name = Solemia (IRE), bay filly, 2008{{cite web|url=http://www.equineline.com/Free-5X-Pedigree.cfm?page_state=ORDER_AND_CONFIRM&reference_number=8312781®istry=T&horse_name==Solemia%20(IRE)&dam_name=Brooklyn's%20Dance%20(FR)&foaling_year=2008&nicking_stats_indicator=Y |title=Solemia pedigree |website=Equineline|date=2012-05-08 |access-date=2012-10-07}}

|inf =

|f = Poliglote (GB)
1992

|m = Brooklyn's Dance (FR)
1988

|ff = Sadler's Wells
1981

|fm = Alexandrie
1980　

|mf = Shirley Heights
1975

|mm = Vallee Dansante
1981

|fff = Northern Dancer

|ffm = Fairy Bridge

|fmf = Val de l'Orne

|fmm = Apache

|mff = Mill Reef

|mfm = Hardiemma

|mmf = Lyphard

|mmm = Green Valley

|ffff = Nearctic

|fffm = Natalma

|ffmf = Bold Reason

|ffmm = Special

|fmff = Val de Loir

|fmfm = Aglae

|fmmf = Sir Gaylord

|fmmm = Americaine

|mfff = Never Bend

|mffm = Milan Mill

|mfmf = Hardicanute

|mfmm = Grand Cross

|mmff = Northern Dancer

|mmfm = Goofed

|mmmf = Val de Loir

|mmmm = Sly Pola (Family: 16-c){{cite web|url=http://www.bloodlines.net/TB/Families/Family16c.htm |title=Little Agnes – Family 16-c |publisher=Bloodlines.net |access-date=2012-10-07}}

}}

• Solemia is inbred 3 × 4 to Northern Dancer, meaning that the stallion appears in both the third and fourth generations of her pedigree. She is also inbred 4 × 4 to Val de Loir

{{reflist}}

{{Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Winners}}

Category:2008 racehorse births

Category:Racehorses bred in Ireland

Category:Racehorses trained in France

Category:Arc winners

Category:Thoroughbred family 16-c