A Week Without Varenne: Toniatti (ANACT) Warns of the Enduring Legacy of His Grandchildren in Global Trotting

Roberto Toniatti Giacometti, president of the National Association of Trotter Horse Breeders (ANACT) since 2022, is a pivotal figure in Italian horse breeding. His name is synonymous with numerous champions bearing the "Jet" prefix. Toniatti's entry into the racing world was serendipitous, leading him through its transformations, triumphs, and cycles to become a cornerstone of national breeding. He draws a parallel with the late Enzo Giordano, Varenne's historic owner, who ventured into an unfamiliar world by purchasing the champion horse: "It's not that uncommon," Toniatti explains. "Giordano was a novice at the time, and he acquired a champion capable of earning over 6 million euros on the track and as much once he entered breeding." These are stories that highlight how passion often sparks from unexpected encounters with horses.

The only trotter foal auction in Italy will take place in Busto Arsizio on September 6th and 7th. These foals, with diverse pedigrees and values, are accessible across all price ranges. Each of them carries the potential to become a new champion, perhaps even a future Varenne.

Toniatti's path has intersected with that of the "son of the wind" on several occasions, a personal story that is not widely known. "I tried to acquire him on a couple of occasions," he recounts. The first attempt dates back to 1999, when Varenne was dominant in Italy but hadn't yet achieved global phenomenon status. "We met Enzo Giordano for lunch at a restaurant in Anzio. My father had allocated a very significant sum: we wanted to purchase 50% of Varenne with the prospect of him becoming a sire." That lunch remains vivid in his memory. "Enzo didn't answer my question: he simply raised a hand, palm open. Five billion lire for half of Varenne. It was too much even for us, and we left. The next day, he easily won the Triossi, and I immediately understood I would regret it."

History would prove how founded that feeling was. Varenne would soon begin his global conquest. However, Toniatti didn't give up. Three years later, he tried again. It was 2002, at the start of his record-breaking season: "But that deal also didn't materialize."

Toniatti's interest wasn't solely driven by Varenne's racing prowess. Underlying his desire to invest in Varenne was a precise breeding insight: "A fundamental reason was that in his pedigree was what I consider the progenitor of modern Italian breeding, Sharif di Jesolo, who was his grandfather. And Sharif had been our property. We had an intuition that Varenne could be the great successor, and in retrospect, we were not mistaken."

Here, the narrative of the champion gradually shifts from racing to breeding. For Toniatti, Varenne's impact is undeniable: "Varenne represented an era in breeding as well. In Italy, he produced excellent horses, then there was his offspring abroad, and many even more significant mares. He has characterized our Stud Book for over 25 years, influencing it fundamentally and preponderantly."

Looking back over recent decades, Varenne represents an ideal lineage that permeates Italian breeding: "His greatness doesn't end today, as happened after a certain period with Sharif. Instead, it's destined to produce a kind of long wave that has spread like wildfire throughout the world of trotting." It is precisely this "long wave" that holds the key to understanding Varenne's enduring legacy for future generations. Toniatti provides a specific example: "Consider that the first two finishers in this year's Hambletonian have Varenne in their pedigree, as do sires like Tactical Landing, who has been booked for a significant number of mares in France."

The question inevitably arises, especially now: Could another Varenne be born? Can Italian breeding once again produce a horse capable of marking an era with the same intensity?

However, in breeding, time operates by different rules than those of current events. Answers don't come immediately. "With horses, no one can claim victory after a month, a day, or a year. A stallion isn't judged by his first yearlings. Then there are the long-term impacts, and Varenne is having an immense influence through the long wave of all global pedigrees."

This is why his story as a sire doesn't end with his passing. Rather, it enters a different phase. "I expect to see great results in subsequent generations as well. After all, Varenne is Sharif's grandson, so pay attention to his grandchildren even more than his children."

Perhaps this is the phrase that best guides Italian breeding into the future.

As the auctions approach, when breeders, owners, and operators will once again examine yearlings, pedigrees, maternal lines, and crosses, seeking to glimpse tomorrow's champion, Varenne's story takes on an even more concrete meaning. Every catalog is a collection of possibilities. Every foal carries a combination waiting only to be verified on the track.

No one can know if another Varenne will be born. Perhaps it is even unfair to ask a horse yet to be born to become what the Captain was.

But breeding thrives on this: selecting, investing, waiting, making mistakes, starting over, and continuing to believe that the next great horse is somewhere out there.

The Captain will race no more. His blood, however, still has a long way to go.