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Classic Winner Alpha Centauri To Headline Niarchos Offering At Goffs

The “restructuring” of how the Niarchos family's breeding empire will operate means Classic winner Alpha Centauri and Group 1 scorer Alpine Star will go under the hammer at the Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale.

Albigna, Fiesolana, Tapestry and a raft of other top-class mares in foal to stallions such as Frankel, Dubawi, Wootton Bassett, No Nay Never and more will feature among the draft.

The offering will number 44 mares all told and Alan Cooper, the operation's racing manager, was keen to stress that the draft was not a dispersal and that the iconic Niarchos silks that were proudly carried by Miesque, Spinning World, Light Shift, Sulamani and Bago are going nowhere anytime soon.

Speaking exclusively to TDN Europe, he explained, “This is a restructuring process and not a dispersal. The family will have the opportunity to set reserves on the stock as they see fit.”

Cooper added, “The racing stables will continue to be supported by foals, yearlings, two-year-olds and older horses that are already in the system. There will be further offerings at Tattersalls and Arqana in the coming months.”

Three consignors will handle the draft with 18 from Norelands and 13 apiece for Baroda Stud and Kiltinan Castle. The 44 lots feature 10 Group winners.

Announcing the draft, Goffs Group Chief Executive, Henry Beeby said, “The Niarchos Family have proved to be one of the world's preeminent owner-breeders over the last fifty years and have developed a broodmare band that is the envy of the global bloodstock community.

“It is extremely rare for a draft of this quality and depth to be offered at public auction and Goffs are delighted that we have been chosen to handle this superb sale.”

He added, “As was the case when Paul Makin and David Wildenstein appointed us, we will ensure a global audience at Kildare Paddocks for a draft that would have graced any breeding stock catalogue in the world and offers an unprecedented chance to buy into some of the best bloodlines in thoroughbred racing.”

Alpha Centauri will forever be remembered for providing Jessica Harrington with a breakthrough Classic victory when storming home in the 2018 Irish 1,000 Guineas. She went on to land a trio of Group 1 triumphs in the Coronation S. at Royal Ascot, the Falmouth and then the Prix Jacques le Maroi.

Harrington also trained Alpha Centauri's half-sister Alpine Star as well as top-notcher Albigna to other notable successes. Alpine Star won the Coronation S. in 2020 while Albigna ran out a gritty winner of the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac on Arc weekend in 2019.

The full list of the Niarchos Mares are as follows.

Consigned by Baroda Stud

Albigna (IRE) in foal to St Mark's Basilica

Burning Topic (GER) in foal to Ulysses

Innervisions (IRE) in foal to Saxon Warrior

Kanthaka (JPN) in foal to Arizona

Liquid Amber (USA) in foal to No Nay Never

Mirror in Space (IRE) – Maiden

Mississippi Delta (USA) in foal to Camelot

Night Glow (USA) – Maiden

Night of Light (IRE) in foal to Lope De Vega

Nocturne (GER) in foal to State of Rest

Sea Meets Sky (FR) in foal to Churchill

Tierra Del Fuego (IRE) barren

Valle De La Luna (GB) in foal to State of Rest

Consigned by Kiltinan Castle Stud

Alpine Star (IRE) in foal to Frankel

Diaphora (GER) in foal to New Bay

Foniska (IRE) – Maiden

Heliosphere (USA) in foal to Study Of Man

Light of Joy (USA) in foal to Night Of Thunder

Light of Night (GB) in foal to Saxon Warrior

Lovee Dovee (GB) in foal to Sea The Moon

Martini Glass (USA) in foal to Starspangledbanner

Nature Spirits (FR) in foal to New Bay

Perseids (USA) – Maiden

Phaenomena (IRE) in foal to No Nay Never

Provocateuse (IRE) in foal to Kingman

Spell On You (IRE) in foal to Study of Man

Consigned by Norelands

Alpha Centauri (IRE) in foal to Sea The Stars

Bold As Love (IRE) – Maiden

Cosmic Lady (IRE) – Maiden

Dawn Wall (AUS) in foal to Saxon Warrior

Fiesolana (IRE) in foal to Mehmas

Flutter (IRE) in foal to Wootton Bassett

Forever Be (IRE) in foal to Wootton Bassett

Hand On Heart (IRE) in foal to No Nay Never

Humankind (IRE) – Maiden

La Fiamma (USA) in foal to Mehmas

Malicieuse (IRE) in foal to Wootton Bassett

Only Mine (IRE) in foal to Siyouni

Raja Ampat (IRE) in foal to Baaeed

See (USA) – Maiden

Snakeless (USA) in foal to Circus Maximus

Sunrise Valley (USA) in foal to Study of Man

Tapestry (IRE) in foal to Dubawi

That Which Is Not (USA) in foal to Frankel

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Niarchos Family To Receive International Award Of Merit

The Niarchos Family will be honoured with the Longines and IFHA International Award of Merit for 2021. The award recognises distinguished horsemen and horsewomen for lifelong contributions to Thoroughbred racing, with previous winners including the Magnier Family and Aidan O'Brien; the Romanet Family, Jim Bolger, Alec Head and Seth Hancock.

The late Stavros Niarchos, a Greek naval officer in World War II who made his fortune in the shipping business, first became involved with Thoroughbred racing in the 1950s before taking a break and returning with a major commitment in the 1970s. The Niarchos Family has bred and/or raced 125 Grade and Group 1 winners around the globe.

One of the Niarchos Family's first notable horses was Nureyev, who they purchased at the 1978 Keeneland July Sale. Nureyev went on to be a highly influential sire, and among his best progeny was the Niarchos Family's homebred Miesque, a champion in England, the U.S. and France, a dual GI Breeders' Cup Mile winner, Hall of Famer and influential broodmare, her progeny perhaps highlighted by the Group 1-winning sire Kingmambo. Miesque's influence is still felt today through numerous branches, including the one that has produced Group 1-winning sisters Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) and Discoveries (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) for the Niarchos Family.

Stavros Niarchos was leading owner in France in 1983 and 1984, and leading breeder in 1989, 1993 and 1994. Niarchos died in 1996, at which point his daughter Maria Niarchos-Gouaze took over the family's Thoroughbred business.

The Niarchos Family has been strong supporters of the Breeders' Cup since the meeting's inception and has won seven Breeders' Cup races with six homebreds: Miesque, Spinning World, Domedriver (Ire), Six Perfections (Fr), Karakontie (Jpn) and Main Sequence. The Niarchos Family will be honoured during a ceremony on Nov. 5 in Del Mar during the Breeders' Cup, where Niarchos-Gouaze will accept the Award of Merit on behalf of the family.

Other prominent horses raced by the Niarchos Family include Bago (Fr), Divine Proportions, Light Shift, Ulysses (Ire), Alpha Centauri (Ire), Study Of Man (Jpn) and Circus Maximus (Ire). They also bred War Of Will, the 2019 GI Preakness S. winner.

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Dam Of Albigna Tests In Foal To Circus Maximus

Freedonia (GB) (Selkirk), the dam of G1 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac winner Albigna (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), has been scanned in foal to new Coolmore stallion Circus Maximus (Ire).

The Niarchos Family, who bred Circus Maximus and raced the treble Group 1 winner in partnership with the Coolmore syndicate, are also supporting the freshman sire by sending him their European Champion 3-year-old filly Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), who was named Horseracing Ireland's Horse of the Year in 2018.

Among the other well-credentialed mares already tested in foal to Circus Maximus are Group 2 winner Banimpire (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), Bunditten (Ire) (Soviet Star), the dam of G2 Coventry S. winner Rajasinghe (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}), and the dams of Group 1 winners Rip Van Winkle (Ire), Trip To Paris (Ire) and Canford Cliffs (Ire).

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The Curragh Honours Alpha Centauri

The Curragh announced that the Niarchos Family will sponsor the Aug. 22 G2 Debutante S. to acknowledge the racing career of Niarchos homebred Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), who was named Cartier champion 3-year-old filly and Irish Horse of the Year in 2018. During her racing career, she won six of 10 starts, including the G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas, G1 Coronation S., G1 Falmouth S. and G1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard.

“The Niarchos family are synonymous with racing at the Curragh with their name associated with numerous high-quality winners over many years,” Evan Arkwright, Racing and Sponsorship Manager, The Curragh commented. “We are delighted that they have agreed to honour Alpha Centauri by adding her name to a race that consistently attracts the very best juvenile fillies.”

In 2019, the Jessica Harrington-trained Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}), a half-sister to Alpha Centauri, also owned and bred by the Niarchos family, won under Shane Foley before going on to a Group 1 success in the 2020 G1 Coronation S. She was the highest-rated 3yo filly in the Longines World Rankings over one mile in 2020.

Maria Niarchos-Gouazé said, “Racing in Ireland has been very good to my family and we are pleased to be able to support the Curragh through the sponsorship of such a prestigious race that has been won by many brilliant fillies, including Alpine Star.”

Alpha Centauri, who retired from racing in 2018, produced a colt by Galileo last season.

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