On Tuesday the European Pattern Committee (EPC) announced that 42 races are at risk of being downgraded in 2025, including Britain's G1 Commonwealth Cup.

Its status will depend very much on its performance in 2024, which will mark the tenth running of the race introduced to the British calendar in 2015 as a readymade Group 1 in order to “create a more balanced programme and better opportunities for high-class sprinters”. The Commonwealth Cup, run at Royal Ascot over six furlongs for three-year-olds only, was initially open to geldings, though this rule was changed from 2020. Its introduction to the race programme coincided with the upgrading to Group 1 status of the Qipco British Champions Sprint S., formerly known as the Diadem S.

The Commonwealth Cup couldn't really have asked for a better inaugural winner than Muhaarar (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and his ascent through the sprinting ranks illustrated to an extent the importance of a springboard such as this. The Shadwell colt, winner of the previous year's G2 Gimcrack S., had finished eighth, some seven lengths behind Make Believe (GB), in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains on his first and only try at a mile. His attempt at the Classic was understandable as Muhaarar had won the G3 Greenham S. over seven furlongs on his three-year-old debut. Dropped back to six, however, his season came alive. From the Commonwealth, which he won by three and three-quarter lengths from Limato (GB), he sailed faultlessly through the July Cup and Prix Maurice de Gheest before returning to Ascot to claim his fourth consecutive Group 1 victory in the newly promoted British Champions Sprint. 

Two more three-year-olds have won the latter since then: Sands Of Mali (Fr) (Panis), who was runner-up in the Commonwealth Cup of 2018, and  three years later Creative Force (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who had also won the G3 Jersey S. in 2021.

Commonwealth Cup ratings 

A race is rated through the average mark of the first four horses home. The EPC considers these ratings over a three-year period. The Group 1 parameter is 115, and to retain Group 1 status a race's rating must be within 2lbs of that mark. 

In the case of Group 1 races for three-year-olds only, if the average rating falls more than 2lb below the parameter in two consecutive years, then a majority vote among EPC member countries will decide whether or not the race is to be downgraded.

In 2020, race ratings were discounted owing to the Covid pandemic and the disruption to the racing calendar. The yearly race ratings for the other eight runnings of the Commonwealth Cup are shown below, courtesy of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), along with the first four finishers for each year. 

2015 115.00 (Muhaarar, Limato, Anthem Alexander, Salt Island)

2016 112.25 (Quiet Reflection, Kachy, Washington DC, La Rioja)

2017 117.25 (Caravaggio, Harry Angel, Blue Point, Bound For Nowhere)

2018 111.50 (Eqtidaar, Sands Of Mali, Emblazoned, Stone Of Destiny)

2019 118.75 (Advertise, Forever In Dreams, Hello Youmzain, Ten Sovereigns)

2020   —  (Golden Horde, Kimari, Ventura Rebel, Royal Commando)

2021 110.75 (Campanelle, Dragon Symbol, Measure Of Magic, Dandalla)

2022 111.25 (Perfect Power, Flaming Rib, Flotus, Cadamosto)

2023 114.50 (Shaquille, Little Big Bear, Swingalong, Ocean Quest)

As we can see, three of the eight rated runnings to date have met or exceeded the Group 1 parameter of 115, and one fell below that by less than 1lb. Of concern is the fact that the other four were all some way short, even with that 2lb concession. The ratings of 2021 and 2022 triggered a warning, and while last year's running was up to par, the three-year average rating for the race remains below 113. 

The race's lowest rating of 110.75 will be discarded from the three-year cycle this year, so a vintage renewal in 2024 will certainly help matters (we're looking at you, Vandeek).

How good were the winners?

Muhaarar was a hard act to follow but Quiet Reflection (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), the first filly to win the Commonwealth Cup, went on to win the G1 Haydock Sprint Cup in the same season as well as finishing third in the G1 July Cup. She remained in training at four and won the G3 Renaissance S in Ireland.

Caravaggio (Scat Daddy) won the Flying Five S. three months after his Commonwealth victory, and that race has subsequently been upgraded to Group 1 status. He led home two sprinting stars in Harry Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal). Harry Angel collected the July Cup and Haydock Sprint Cup that same season, while Blue Point really came into his own at four and five with back-to-back wins in the G1 King's Stand S., the second of which came in the same week that he won the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. in the summer following his victory in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai. He was the champion first-season of Britain and Ireland in 2023.

Eqtidaar (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) failed to sparkle after his narrow victory in the Commonwealth Cup, but his runner-up Sands Of Mali we have discussed above.

The highest rating achieved in the race came in 2019 when the subsequent Prix Maurice de Gheest winner Advertise (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) had Hello Youmzain (Fr) (Kodiac {GB}) behind him in third, and the latter went on to win that year's Haydock Sprint Cup followed by the Diamond Jubilee in 2020. In fourth that day was Ten Sovereigns (Ire) (No Nay Never), who won the July Cup on his next start, and the redoubtable Khaadem (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), who won that season's Stewards' Cup, was seventh. Khaadem also won the G2 King George S. in 2022 as well as last year's G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee S. (formerly the Diamond/Platinum Jubilee) as a seven-year-old.

The 2020 winner Golden Horde (Ire) (Lethal Force {Ire}) was subsequently third in both the July Cup and the Sprint Cup, while Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), who was awarded the race in the stewards' room after being headed by Dragon Symbol (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}) at the wire, returned to Ascot the following year to take third in the Platinum Jubilee. She had also won the G2 Queen Mary S. and G1 Prix Morny during a top juvenile campaign.

Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}) was another crack two-year-old who gathered the G2 Norfolk S., G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park S. before returning at three to lift the Commonwealth Cup. He too had found the mile beyond him when finishing seventh to Coroebus (Ire) in the 2,000 Guineas after winning the Greenham.

And that brings us to Shaquille (GB) (Charm Spirit {Ire}), last year's top-rated three-year-old sprinter in the world on a mark of 120. His Commonwealth Cup victory over the favourite Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never) was followed by a sound beating of his elders in the July Cup.

Of the seven male winners to date, six are currently at stud in Britain, France and Japan. Eqtidaar died last year. Another eight of the placed horses are now active stallions.

Overall it's a pretty solid roll call for a race which raised eyebrows when being parachuted into the programme as a brand new Group 1 but which generally can be considered to be doing the job it was designed to do.

Following Tuesday's announcement by the EPC, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) expressed its disappointment at the lack of support for its bid to upgrade the G2 City of York S., a move which would provide another tweak to the sprint programme and make it the sole seven-furlong Group 1 race in Britain. The EPC also turned down an application from the BHA to upgrade the G2 Qipco Champions Long Distance Cup.

What do the experts think?

The BHA's director of international racing and development Ruth Quinn, who also sits on the EPC, recalls the unprecedented decision to create the Commonwealth Cup and award it Group 1 status from the outset.

“It was a project that [the EPC members] were all very passionate about and fully embraced, and they understood the reasons why Britain was putting it forward as a strategic case.

“At the time there was a lot of surprise that we were looking to create a new Group 1 race from scratch, which was unheard of, but it was a brand new concept and we were trying to capture people's attention in a way that the race programme hadn't been able to before. It meant that if you win the Middle Park you don't have to go and try your horse in the Guineas if it's a genuinely speedy animal. Everyone knows that three-year-old sprinters are going to struggle against older horses if we don't give them a helping hand in the first half of the season.”

She adds, “If we hadn't put it in at Group 1 level then I think we would have had a much harder task in making them change their behaviour, and we did hit the ground running with Muhaarar. And we had a good few years of real talking horses for the race over the winter.

“I do feel it is serving a broader, long-term role which just didn't exist in the past.”

Aidan O'Brien saddled the 2017 winner Caravaggio, as well as last year's runner-up Little Big Bear. He says of the possibility of the race being downgraded, “It would be a massive pity. The Commonwealth Cup is a very prestigious race and it is in a great slot in the programme book for the three-year-olds. It has just become a very important race in a relatively short space of time. 

“Strategically, it might not be a great idea if they decided to downgrade the race. I think it should remain a Group 1 because it's a very important race in an important place in the calendar. 

“You get the best three-year-old sprinters turning up there every year. I remember when it wasn't there and its addition has made a massive difference. Everything is right with the race. They might be jumping the gun if they downgraded it.”

Breeder and former trainer Luca Cumani agrees with O'Brien. He says, “I think it's a very important race for three-year-old sprinters and it filled a gap in the calendar that existed before. Before, everybody had to try to make a potential sprinter into a miler by trying him in the Guineas and only then have to revert to sprinting but have nowhere to go in his own age group, but instead having to take on the older horses. So they were marking time for almost a year until the horse became a four-year-old and could start to be competitive again.

“So I think it does definitely fill a gap in the Pattern and I would be very sad to lose it as a Group 1 race. I am surprised that it is in danger.”

Kirsten Rausing, breeder and owner of Lanwades Stud, is keen to see the City of York S. upgraded to a Group 1. It has been won in the last two years by the dual Group 1 winner Kinross (GB), and Rausing's homebred Sandrine (GB), herself a treble winner at Group 2 level over six and seven furlongs, has been third in both of the last two runnings. 

She says of the Commonwealth Cup being on the at-risk list, “In general it is of course disappointing but personally I feel the retention of Group 2 status for the City of York Stakes is of more concern. Upgrading that race would have given us a first Group 1 over seven furlongs in the UK. One hopes that the upgrade will come in 2025.

“Re the Commonwealth Cup, [the possibility of] downgrading it must be seen as an admission that the race has not achieved the original ambition of attracting the world's best sprinters. Whether the reason for this is the race date in the context of the worldwide racing calendar, or perhaps the, although rich by UK standards, relatively low prize-money, or the inevitable absence of Japanese representation in a sprint race. Who can tell?”

Richard Fahey, trainer of Perfect Power and Sands Of Mali, says, “One of the problems was that we were selling [sprinters] off to Hong Kong and this race was brought in to try to give us a chance to keep them. We've had a lot of luck in the race and I am hugely surprised to see that it's on the list. 

“It's a stepping stone for the younger sprinters. Yes, it's an easier option for them in some respects, and maybe that's why the ratings aren't standing up, but obviously it's a restricted pool of just three-year-olds. 

“It would be a shame if it's downgraded, as there are some good prep races for it. They upgraded the [G3] Pavilion and the [G2] Sandy Lane when the Commonwealth Cup was introduced, so what happens to them if it becomes a Group 2?”

Joe Foley, owner of Ballyhane Stud, stands Sands Of Mali and was also instrumental in the purchase of Shaquille for Steve Parkin's Dullingham Park. He says, “I was surprised to read that the race is in danger of being downgraded. The Commonwealth Cup has been a very successful race since its inception. Obviously I paid close attention to the race last year and Shaquille was very impressive but then he went on and achieved a big rating on his next start when beating his elders in the July Cup. Last year's Commonwealth Cup was an up-to-scratch renewal. Not only had you Shaquille in there but the runner-up, Little Big Bear, was a high-class two-year-old who achieved some big ratings. You had Swingalong in third and another very good horse in fourth [Ocean Quest]. To see that the race is under the spotlight after such a high-class edition is surprising. I'd be very disappointed if that happened.”

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It is unlikely that anyone has forgotten Mishriff but the stallion business is a fickle game. A misplaced kick to the wall of his stable at Haras de Montfort & Préaux at the beginning of the year left the multiple Group 1 winner with a foot injury which meant he was unable to start his new job in February. Instead, his covering debut will take place in February 2024.

Last week in Deauville, he was on show with all five Sumbe stallions at Clairefontaine racecourse, enabling breeders to call in while at nearby Arqana. They won't have been disappointed by what they saw. Mishriff, always a fine-looking horse in his days in training, has developed into a truly imposing specimen during his year of leisure. To this beholder, he comes very close to being a textbook example of a Thoroughbred.

“Mishriff, as everybody knows, had a setback last year,” says Sumbe manager Tony Fry.

“It seems such a long time ago now that he won the Prix du Jockey Club. He won on turf, dirt. There was a few races that he was unlucky in, but he was a true world champion.”

Fry notes that Mishriff is 1.66 metres tall – that's 16.3hh in old money – and it is easy to believe that breeders are renewing their initial interest in the horse, especially with his fee now reduced a little to €17,500 from what would have been his opening mark of €20,000.

Mishriff remains the sole Group 1 winner for his sire Make Believe (GB). On his top line he traces back through Makfi (GB) to Dubawi (Ire), the horse who became such an effective conduit for the blood of Mr. Prospector on this side of the Atlantic, ensuring that his ill-fated sire Dubai Millennium (GB) could at least be remembered in stallion terms as a one-crop wonder.

Underneath, Mishriff's family holds equally lofty claims to greatness. Bred by his owner Prince A A Faisal, he is a member of the family which has stood Nawara Stud in ample stead over the years. His dam Contradict (GB), by the increasingly useful broodmare sire Raven's Pass, fell just short of gaining black type herself but she has bred three black-type earners, with Mishriff, her third foal, way out in front. Contradict is out of the Group 3 winner Acts Of Grace (Bahri), making her a granddaughter of the G1 Prix de Diane winner Rafha (GB) (Kris {GB}). The latter's success at stud has by now far outstripped her Classic credentials on the track, and through her sons Invincible Spirit (Ire) and Kodiac (GB) especially, her imprint can be found in reams of modern-day racehorses.

Mishriff makes his debut alongside a horse who has a special place in he heart of his owner: Belbek, a son of Showcasing (GB). His dam, the Makfi (GB) mare Bee Queen (GB), was purchased from Juddmonte and, as a granddaughter of Banks Hill (GB), represents one of that operation's key families. 

“He's a Sumbe homebred, so that gives him the pride of place,” says Mathieu Le Forestier, the former trainer who joined Sumbe last year. “It's very meaningful that the first stallion that we bred here in France in our first year here joins the roster as an exciting prospect. 

“He's been a champion two-year-old. And what's very interesting about him is that he started off in April, he was the first runner from André Fabre's yard. And even before the summer, he won the Prix du Bois. He clicked off fractions in the upper level of what's been seen in the last decade in France in this specific race. He went all through the year and picked up the crown in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère, which is obviously an important race in the stallion business.”

He continues, “He's been around all year at three and he eventually bowed out with a nice Group 3 win, beating horses of Group 1, Group 2 level, older horses. So it's a good starting point for a future stallion. He comes from one of the deepest families in Europe and is the close relative of 12 other Group 1 winners.”

Tony Fry adds, “Belbek is a Juddmonte-bred through and through. Showcasing was Juddmonte and Bee Queen was Juddmonte. So, thank you to Juddmonte. 

“You can't make somebody use your stallion. All you can do is show them and say, 'Here they are. What do you think?' And people can stand in front of you for ten minutes and pick out faults and positives and whatever. But he's an exceptionally good-looking horse, a nice-moving horse with a great disposition. He took his racing well, he took everything well. And the mare is a very kind mare as well. She's just one of those sweetheart mares. And again, she'll always be special to us for providing Nurlan with his first Group 1 winner. So we're very hopeful. We'll send a good selection of mares to him, as we have with all our stallions. You can't ask people to use them unless you believe in them and follow it through yourselves.”

Sumbe has somewhat cornered the market in winners of the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagradère as joining Belbek is the previous year's victor Angel Bleu, who should be a valuable addition to the French stallion ranks. Though he went off to be trained in England by Ralph Beckett, the son of Dark Angel (Ire) was bred in France by Pan Sutong at Ecurie des Monceaux, and he recorded his two most significant wins there in the Jean-Luc Lagardère followed by the G1 Criterium International. His other five wins included the G2 Vintage S. and, at four, the G2 Celebration Mile and Listed Spring Trophy for Marc Chan and Andrew Rosen.

Though they both won France's major two-year-old contest for colts, Belbek and Angel Bleu are very different types, with the latter a smaller and more compact individual than the tall Belbek.

“He's 1.61 metres, a deep horse with a strong neck and very strong shoulder,” says Le Forestier of the dapple grey Angel Bleu. “He really looks to be the early-maturing, strong, sturdy type that may be very appealing to breeders.”

Adding a bit of oomph to a decent race record is the fact that Angel Bleu's dam, Cercle De La Vie (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), is a full-sister to the Group 1-winning stallions Highland Reel (Ire) and Idaho (Ire) from the family of the top Australian broodmare Circles Of Gold (Aus) (Marscay {Aus}), who in turn produced the stallions Haradasun (Aus) and Elvstroem (Aus).

While the first books for the trio are being drawn up, there is also the anticipation next season of the first runners for Sumbe's G1 Commonwealth Cup-winning stallion Golden Horde (Ire), who, as a son of the G1 July Cup winner Lethal Force (Ire), also represents the Dark Angel sire-line. Then there's De Treville (GB), who doesn't have quite the same lofty race record but has the distinction of being the first foal of the great Dar Re Mi (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}). A dual winner, he managed Group 3 placings on three occasions, and the stallion's family has been given a major boost by his high-flying half-brother Too Darn Hot (GB), both on the track and through the exploits of his first crop of runners in 2023.

“We try our best to address every segment of the market,” says Le Forestier. “We have De Treville at entry level and then up to Mishriff at the top end. We have sprinters, we have middle-distance horses.”

Tony Fry, who started his association with Nurlan Bizakov in England as manager of Hesmonds Stud, has seen plenty of change during his tenure. He says, “It's been 13 years now. When we started, it was six mares that we bought in December back in 2010. And now we're up to 55 mares, new stallions and two farms in France and still a farm in England. We have Haras de Montfort & Préaux and Haras du Mézeray in France, and Hesmonds in England. Montfort is the stallion station and we board mares here. Mézeray is more Nurlan's private farm, and we take in boarders there as well. They're only six kilometres apart.”

He continues, “I remember we were we were driving out of Hesmonds one day and he said, 'One day I'd like to to buy a farm in France.' And I said, 'I hope you do. If you do, it means you enjoying the industry. It means you're having success. It means you want to expand.' So that was 12 years ago and it did happen. He still enjoys it. As we all know, with horses, there's plenty of downsides. It's normally more bad news than good news. But he's taken the bad news. We move on and he still wants to succeed and breed Group 1 winners, be in Group 1 races, be in the best races. So the ambition is still there.”

Bizakov's ambition is plain to see, not least in naming Sumbe after his birthplace in Kazakhstan. The operation took on its first major sponsorship earlier this year when backing the G1 Prix Morny and the entire undercard on one of Deauville's major summer Sundays.

“The long-term plan is to establish it as a top-tier brand,” says Le Forestier. “First of all, the boss sees himself as a breeder, and every venture he makes into the business is breeding-orientated. He has a very long-term view about things and it impacts everything in the company, be it horses in training or stallions. For instance, when we take in a new stallion prospect, the first client, the first user of the stallion would be Mr Bizakov himself. We're trying our best to make people understand that the brand is a multi-dimensional operation and that we stand behind our customers in the stallion business because we are our primary customers.”

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A dual Group 1 winner at two, taking the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and Criterium International after also winning the G2 Vintage S. at Glorious Goodwood, Angel Bleu was named the French Champion juvenile and was the second-highest-rated two-year-old in Europe in 2021. His distinctive Group 1 double was previously achieved by Blushing Groom in 1976 and Irish River two years later.

“Not only is he a tough, sound horse, but he looks the part, and he's from a real stallion family,” says Sumbe's manager Tony Fry while taking a break from yearling inspections at Arqana. “The dam side is full of Group 1 performers. We followed him as a two-year-old and liked him, but the deal couldn't be done, and then two years later it has been done. Sometimes it's worth the wait.”

To date, Angel Bleu, who was Dark Angel's highest-rated juvenile, has won seven of his 17 starts, including the G2 Celebration Mile in August. His pedigree has plenty of depth, too, as his dam, Cercle De La Vie (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), is a full-sister to the Group 1 winners and stallions Highland Reel (Ire) and Idaho (Ire). His third dam is the Australian Oaks winner and champion broodmare Circles Of Gold (Aus), whose sons Elvstroem (Aus) (Danehill) and Haradasun (Aus) (Fusaichi Pegasus) were both globe-trotting Group 1 winners and stallions.

Reflecting on the career of Angel Bleu, his trainer Ralph Beckett said, “As well as being really talented, Angel Bleu is a very tough individual, whose race record shows he took his racing very well and kept coming back for more. To do it at two, three and four is a rare thing nowadays.” 

Belbek followed Angel Bleu on the list of winners of the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, and it is a roll of honour which includes the names Siyouni (Fr) and Wootton Bassett (GB), who have made such an impact on the French stallion ranks in recent years. A son of the Makfi (GB) mare Bee Queen (GB), who was purchased by Bizakov from Juddmonte, his third dam is the brilliant racemare and black-type producer Banks Hill (GB) (Danehill), sister of the stallions Dansili (GB), Champs Elysees (GB) and Cacique (GB), making his fourth dam none other than the blue hen Hasili (GB) (Kahyasi {Ire}).

“He'll always be very special, whatever he does,” says Fry of Belbek. “Again, as a son of Showcasing, he'll be popular. He's a Group 1-winning two-year-old. Things just didn't quite go his way this year through no fault of his own. But he's a beautiful-looking horse, and again it's a Juddmonte family through and through. I don't think you can ever really go wrong with those.”

Though Mishriff joined Sumbe last year, a foot injury sustained after retirement ruled him out of his first covering season, meaning that the farm is launching three new stallions. As a winner of the Prix du Jockey Club, followed by the Saudi Cup, Dubai Sheema Classic, and Juddmonte International for Prince Faisal, Mishriff needs little introduction, but the breeding fraternity will need a small reminder that he is essentially a new stallion in 2024.

“A lot of people were with us for the journey last year,” Fry says. “We had to disappoint them. I don't think anyone was more disappointed than us, the boss, and Prince Faisal, obviously.

“But he's back, he's healthy, he looks fantastic. He's let down, and you have to remember what a good racehorse he was. And I think anybody that saw him before the setback said what a beautiful-looking horse he was. He really fills the eye. People have just got to go back, look at his races and realise that it's just a wonderful opportunity to have a horse like that in France. And again, people are very quick to knock horses being retired, but he stood three years of training and racing.”

He adds, “Prince Faisal had eight mares for him last year. He was very patient. He bought a couple of expensive mares for him, including [dual Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed] Oscula. He's still keen and the horse is very dear to his heart. So he'll be sending a good batch of his broodmare band to Mishriff.”

That home support for the Sumbe stallions also holds true for the G1 Commonwealth Cup winner Golden Horde. With an average just above €43,000 for his eight yearlings sold at Arqana in August and the V.2 Sale, he has another nine members of his first crop to be sold this week.

“We've got 18 by Golden Horde at home and I could open the gate and show you those and there's nothing I'd be hiding because they are just solid, attractive horses,” says Fry.

“To send 18, 20 mares to Golden Horde, everybody knows the success rates of stallions. That's the big belief that we have in that horse.” 

He adds, “Our broodmare band now numbers 50 or 50-plus, and we'll be in the market to look at mares for our stallions. As I have said on a number of occasions, it's very easy to go out and sell the stallions; you can be a salesman and you can sell your nominations but we want to say 'We believe in this horse. We are backing him with our own mares. We're behind you. We want him to work for us and the breeders.' So we will be investing in mares for all of our new stallions and our existing stallions. That's important.”

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The top lot was sourced by Middleham Park and was described as “a standout” on the day by the operation's Tom Palin. 

“We loved him, we thought he was a standout,” said Palin of lot 1919. “He walked around there with a bit of presence. He goes to Eve Johnson Houghton, he's our first horse with her and he's a strong, racy, two-year-old sort and looks to be the type that she'll do well with. Golden Horde was such an impressive racehorse and his stock looks racy. We're delighted to get him.”

Of this week's business Palin added: “We've got stuck in, we got eight since the start of Book 1. It's been competitive for the better lots and we've had to stretch a bit on some of them but it hasn't been silly. It's been sensible but strong. We're delighted with what we've bought.”

Golden Horde is best known for scorching to G1 Commonwealth Cup glory for Clive Cox in 2020. He stands for €8,000 at Montfort et Preaux  and his first yearlings have been well received by the market. 

Of the 1,862 yearlings offered across Book 1, 2, 3 and 4, 1,531 were sold at a clearance rate of 82%. That represented a drop of 4% on last year. 

The aggregate was down 20% to 158,567,500gns while the median fell 10% to 52,000gns and the average by 18% to 103,571gns.

Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony commented, “More than 165 million guineas has been spent on yearlings at Tattersalls in the past few weeks which, although some way below last year's runaway record-breaking returns, is a substantial sum that has only been bettered once.

“There have been some memorable highlights in amongst those impressive sums, including the 2,000,000gns October Book 1 sale-topping Frankel colt, who is the highest-priced yearling to be sold in Europe this year, the 725,000gns Dubawi filly, who headed Book 2 and is the second highest-priced filly ever sold at Europe's largest yearling sale, and some astounding pinhooking triumphs throughout the past two weeks which, as ever, reflect the professionalism and commitment of the consignors.

“The pre-eminent status of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sales owes everything to the support of the breeders and consignors, primarily from Britain and Ireland, but also from France, Germany and Italy, who entrust us with the cream of the European yearling crop year after year.

“Evidence of this support and the peerless quality of the yearlings is to be seen on racecourses around the world with Tattersalls yearlings consistently winning at the highest level on the global stage. To date in 2023 Tattersalls yearlings bought for as little as 5,000gns have won Group 1 races in Britain, Ireland and France, as well as Australia, Hong Kong and the US. It is this unrivalled level of achievement which brings buyers to yearling sales at Tattersalls from throughout the world, alongside the domestic British and Irish buyers for whom the Tattersalls October Yearling Sales are unmissable.

“While the total 2023 yearling spend at Tattersalls has been the second highest ever, we should recognise that there has been a recalibration from the dizzy heights of last year and we should pay heed to this.

“With specific regard to Books 3 and 4 it has not been ideal to have coincided with the top-class racing at Newmarket, but this will not be the case again for the foreseeable future. With a wider perspective, our industry faces challenges which we all acknowledge.

“Nevertheless we should not lose sight of the fact that we have an outstanding internationally admired product, much of which has been showcased over the past two weeks at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sales and which we will continue to work tirelessly to promote.”

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Le Havre is hard to replace, but in the season after his death, Sumbe could hardly have a more alluring new arrival than Prince AA Faisal's Mishriff (Ire). Like Le Havre, he won the Prix du Jockey Club, a race with a tall reputation when one considers the winners who progressed successfully to the stallion ranks: think Darshaan (GB), Bering (GB), Peintre Celebre, Hernando (Fr), Montjeu (Ire), Shamardal, Lope De Vega (Ire), and New Bay (GB), with Study Of Man (Ire), Sottsass (Fr) and St Mark's Basilica (Fr) to follow.

Mishriff's immediate male line is formed of three different Guineas winners in three countries: Make Believe (GB), Makfi (GB) and Dubawi (Ire), and this is surely the first time that the latter, the newly crowned champion sire in Britain and Ireland, features as the great grandsire of a stallion. Underneath, the lineage of Sumbe's treble Group 1 winner is no less impressive. With the great Rafha (GB) (Riverman) as his third dam, this is a family which includes two stalwarts of the Irish scene, the half-brothers Invincible Spirit (Ire) and Kodiac (GB). It is their half-sister, the G3 Princess Royal S. winner Acts Of Grace (Bahri) who is Mishriff's grand-dam, and his mother is the winning Raven's Pass mare Contradict (GB), who has already produced three black-type horses, including Listed winner Orbaan (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and G3 Craven S. runner-up Momkin (Ire) (Bated Breath {GB}).

Prince Faisal, who has carefully cultivated this family over generations, also raced Mishriff's sire Make Believe, a 180,000gns purchase as a foal from breeder Simon Hope of Aston Mullins Stud. His support of that Ballylinch Stud resident with a member of his signature family has resulted in Make Believe's best offspring to date, and the prince will surely put his breeding clout behind Mishriff, too, along with Sumbe's Nurlan Bizakov, who has a significant broodmare band of his own spread across his studs, which include Haras du Mezeray and Hesmonds Stud in England. 

“Mishriff was a one-of-a-kind horse,” says Sumbe's Mathieu Le Forestier. “He won a [French] Derby and there are only a handful of Derby winners each year, but even fewer go on to become superstars and be consistent and repeat their form in the long run, which he did.”

And that really gets right to the crux of the matter. Mishriff will be six by the time he covers his first mare. In his 21 starts he won seven times. Just three of those appearances were made in his juvenile season, in the manner in which his trainer John Gosden often introduces his Classic prospects, and he won his maiden in November at Nottingham by ten lengths. His Saudi ownership meant that he had a slightly less orthodox Classic preparation than would ordinarily be the case for a Newmarket-based three-year-old. In February of 2020 he was flown to Riyadh for the inaugural Saudi Cup meeting and finished second in the Saudi Derby. 

We all know what happened next. With the Covid pandemic wreaking havoc on the early days of the European Flat season, Mishriff made a delayed reappearance back at his home course in early June, winning the Listed Newmarket S., setting him up perfectly for his success in the Prix du Jockey Club, which was run in early July. A second French raid that summer saw him add the G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano to his record. More was to come.

“His breakthrough was when he was four,” says Le Forestier. “He went on a winning streak starting in February in the Saudi Cup on the dirt over nine furlongs. And he won three weeks later in Dubai, over 12 furlongs on the turf [in the Sheema Classic]. And after the stint in the Middle East, he came back to win the Juddmonte International in the summer by six lengths, which was a stunning performance, and it was very important to be able to win a Group 1 on British soil.”

That season also included being runner-up to Adayar (Ire) in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. after a rather over-exuberant performance in the Eclipse, in which he was third of four on ground he perhaps didn't appreciate. However, he came close to winning that same contest this season when beaten only a neck by Vadeni (Fr) having been hampered in his run. He couldn't add to his tally of wins in his final season of training, but in six Group 1 starts this summer and autumn he was only out of the first four once, closing out his career with a fourth in the Breeders' Cup Turf.

Le Forestier continues, “Mishriff arrived soon after the Breeders' Cup and he's settled in well. He's a very nice, quiet horse, a little bit manly in the yard.

“Of course, we will send him a number of mares ourselves, and Prince Faisal will as well. So he'll have good support from his owners.”

Mishriff joins a young roster at Sumbe. Recorder (GB), a son of the Galileo bred and owned by the late Queen Elizabeth II stands alongside De Treville (GB), the Oasis Dream (GB) half-brother to Too Darn Hot (GB), whose first-crop runners in 2022 included the TDN Rising Star Gain It (Fr). The line-up is completed by G1 Commonwealth Cup winner Golden Horde (Ire), who will have his first yearlings at the sale in 2023. 

Though Le Havre was lost to a tumour in March, his influence will be felt for some time to come. At the Tattersalls December Mares Sale his Group 3-winning daughter Ville De Grace (GB) sold for 2,000,000gns to Lordship Stud, while later that same week at Arqana, a Le Havre weanling half-sister to the dual Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Treve was sold to Juddmonte. With the Yoshida family also having bought Le Havre's first two Classic winners, Avenir Certain (Fr) and La Cressonniere (Fr), his legacy as a broodmare sire is gaining momentum internationally, while one of his sons, Motamarris (Fr), stood his first season at Haras du Mazet this year.

“Losing Le Havre at age 16 was a big loss. It was not expected so soon,” says Le Forestier. “It's not easy to find a replacement for such a horse, so they've been looking carefully, making bids here and there, trying to find the right one. And eventually they made a decision on Mishriff and we are very thankful that we could reach this agreement so that Mishriff could come to France.”

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Shortly after changing its name to Montfort et Preaux, the stud added Recorder (Ire), The Queen's homebred G3 Acomb S. winner by Galileo (Ire) who was well supported by breeders and, with eight first-crop winners this year, sits behind only Zarak (Fr) on the French first-season sires' table.

Last year, Golden Horde (Ire) (Lethal Force {Ire}) became the first stallion recruited to the stud since it was purchased by Bizakov and renamed Sumbe in homage to his hometown in Kazakhstan. The G1 Commonwealth Cup winner Golden Horde represents a unique opportunity for French breeders, he being one of very few representatives of the red-hot Acclamation sireline in the country, and its only Group 1 winner.

Bred by CN Farm, Golden Horde was picked up by trainer Clive Cox for £65,000 at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale of 2018. He made his debut in mid-May for owner Al Mohamediya Racing and broke his maiden at second asking two weeks later when making all to win a Windsor maiden by 4 1/2 lengths. Two lengths from the winner Arizona (Ire) (No Nay Never) when fifth in the G2 Coventry S., Golden Horde won the G2 Richmond S.-just like Acclamation's ascendant sire son Mehmas (Ire)-over Threat (GB) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), who would go on to add the G2 Gimcrack S. and G2 Champagne S. in his next two starts. Golden Horde, meanwhile, stepped up to Group 1 company finishing third behind Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal) in the G1 Prix Morny before running that rival to a neck when second in the G1 Middle Park S.

Golden Horde returned to Royal Ascot for a belated 3-year-old debut in the G1 Commonwealth Cup, and shook off the cobwebs in decisive fashion when racing prominently and pulling 1 1/2 lengths clear in the closing stages for a first top-level win. Facing older horses for the final three starts of his career, Golden Horde made a good account of himself on each occasion, beaten 1 1/2 lengths when third in the G1 July Cup, fifth in the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest and third in the G1 Sprint Cup S. Golden Horde proved both consistent and versatile, having been Group 1-placed over both good and soft ground.

“He was very consistent, very tough, and I loved his way of racing-first out, running hard all the way and very, very tough and genuine,” said Sumbe's Mathieu Alex. “It's a great pleasure to have him here too, he is very well behaved and has a great mind, and we have a lot of faith in him.”

Golden Horde's pedigree has continued to go from strength to strength since his purchase as a yearling. His dam, the Pivotal (GB) mare Entreat (GB), was sold by her breeder Cheveley Park Stud for 14,000gns at Tattersalls July in 2016 carrying Golden Horde. A month after Golden Horde became a pattern-race winner, his elder sister Exhort (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) also scored at listed level. Line Of Departure (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), Entreat's 3-year-old of 2021, won the Listed Cathedral S. in June, and was ultimately gelded after tall assignments in the July Cup and G2 Hungerford S. Entreat has a 2-year-old filly by Zoffany (Ire) named Heart To Heart (GB) who was a 580,000gns Tattersalls October purchase last year by MV Magnier and won one of nine starts this year, and a filly foal by Zoustar (Aus) who was bought back for 240,000gns at the same sale. Golden Horde traces back to a highly productive American family: his third dam is Imagining (Northfields), best known as the dam of the champion and Group 1 producer Serena's Song (Rahy), whose legacy includes G1 Coronation S. winners Sophisticat and Rizeena (Ire), Jim Bolger's useful sire Vocalised, dual Grade I winner and Grade I sire Honor Code and G1 Prix d'Ispahan victor Zabeel Prince (Ire).

The recent death of Golden Horde's broodmare sire Pivotal may mean that his genes are more highly sought after than ever, especially considering Pivotal's position in the pedigree of French champion sire Siyouni as well as exciting young stallions like St Mark's Basilica (Fr), Sottsass (Fr), Cracksman (GB) and Advertise (GB).

“Golden Horde's sireline is very proven-Acclamation, Dark Angel, and his dam Entreat is by Pivotal and is the dam of six winners including three stakes winners, and it is the family of American champion Serena's Song and Sophisticat,” Alex said.

Breeders can be encouraged, too, by the fact that Sumbe threw the strength of its broodmare band behind Golden Horde, who Alex describes as “a very good-looking horse,” in his first season at stud.

“He's very masculine and has a lot of strength, and he's a great mover,” Alex said. “We supported him heavily on the farm sending 20 very good mares–stakes performers and dams of stakes performers. He's been very well received in France, and across Europe.”

After covering his first book in 2021 for a fee of €10,000, Golden Horde will be available for €8,000 next year.

“I think Golden Horde should be a very commercial sire because he was a very talented 2-year-old who brings a lot of precocity, but also trained on and won a Group 1 race at Royal Ascot as a 3-year-old,” Alex said. “He's a fast horse, a very good-looking horse with a great pedigree, so fingers crossed-he has a lot of things going for him.”

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“Le Havre, the sire of 45 stakes winners, had another stellar year in 2021 and we feel very fortunate to stand such a high-class stallion,” said Sumbe's Mathieu Alex, who indicated that Bizakov has supported Golden Horde, a Group 1-winning son of Lethal Force (Ire), with 20 of his best mares.

He added, “Next year looks particularly exciting with the first foals of Golden Horde arriving. We have a lot of faith in this high-class athlete, who was a Group 1 winner at Royal Ascot and a Group winner at two. Golden Horde is a beautiful horse and breeders love him when they see him. We have supported him with very good mares and will continue to do so. We really appreciate all the support and thank the breeders for their commitment.”

The Normandy-based Sumbe roster also includes Her Majesty the Queen's Recorder (GB), a group-winning son of Galileo (Ire), and the well-bred Treville (GB), an Oasis Dream (GB) half-brother to champion juvenile Too Darn Hot (GB) out of the stellar racemare Dar Re Mi (GB). Recorder will stand at €4,000, while De Treville, who has joined Sumbe since Bizakov's purchase of Haras du Mezeray in March, is priced at €2,500.

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The Coventry S. winner of 1895 went on to win the Derby and the St Leger and, kept in training, he returned to Royal Ascot to win the Gold Cup, which had been his principal 4-year-old target.

Exactly a century later, the horse who was prophetically named to triumph at the meeting, Royal Applause (GB) (Waajib {Ire}), landed the Coventry S.–then a Group 3–on his second start and continued unbeaten through his juvenile season, adding victories in the G2 Gimcrack S. and G1 Middle Park S. 

The Derby would certainly not have been on the mind of Royal Applause's trainer Barry Hills, who was correct in his publicly-aired doubts following the Middle Park that his colt would even see out the mile of the 2000 Guineas. A son of the 1988 Queen Anne S. winner Waajib, himself representing Try My Best's branch of Northern Dancer's male dynasty, Royal Applause has a thoroughly speedy bottom line which prevailed not just in his own genetic make-up but also in his precociously fast elder sister Lyric Fantasy (Ire) (Tate Gallery). Known as the 'Pocket Rocket', she became the first 2-year-old filly to win the G1 Nunthorpe S. in its then 70-year history in 1992.

With her own triumph at the Royal Meeting coming in a record-breaking romp in the Queen Mary S., Lyric Fantasy prompted the transfer of her dam Flying Melody (GB) (Auction Ring) to the broodmare band of Sheikh Maktoum Al Maktoum's Gainsborough Stud while carrying Royal Applause. If he'd been born these days, Royal Applause would have been an obvious candidate for the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Ascot but, having finished tenth in the 2000 Guineas, he was then sixth to Pivotal (GB) in the G2 King's Stand S. and managed just one win that season in a conditions race at Doncaster.

Happily, the imperious nature of his debut season was recaptured at four, with Royal Applause adding the Cammidge Trophy and G3 Duke of York S. to his winning record before landing the G3 Cork and Orrery S. back at Royal Ascot. The following year the race was upgraded to Group 2 status before becoming a Group 1 with a name change in 2002 to make the Golden Jubilee. Currently known as the Diamond Jubilee S., the race will presumably undergo a further rebranding to mark The Queen's Platinum Jubilee next year.

Sent off as favourite for the G1 July Cup, Royal Applause couldn't match the finishing burst of 50/1 outsider Compton Place (GB), but he bounced out of his second place at Newmarket to land his second Group 1 success in the Haydock Sprint Cup, prevailing by a length and a quarter over Danetime (Ire).

One hundred years after Persimmon retired to stud, Royal Applause made his way to Sandringham, replacing the retiring Derby winner Shirley Heights (GB) on the royal roster. He lives there still in retirement, at the age of 28 but looking a decade younger, with his last two registered foals having been born in 2017. In 19 crops, he only hit the 100-mark five times, with his 110 foals of 2006 being his largest output. But nevertheless, Royal Applause is becoming an increasingly significant influence in a modern-day breeding world which values precocity over more Classic attributes, notwithstanding the fact that speed is a vital component of a top-class racehorse irrespective of the distance at which he competes.

The GI American Oaks and GI Queen Elizabeth Challenge Cup winner Ticker Tape (GB) remains Royal Applause's sole winner at the top level. Battle Of Hastings and Whatsthescript also excelled in America, and they are two of his nine Group/Grade 2 winners, along with Acclamation (GB), his stand-out son from his first crop, who is doing most to keep the line not just alive but thriving. 

Almost a quarter of the field for Tuesday's Coventry S. are male-line descendants of Royal Applause, the quartet being by his grandsons Dark Angel (Ire) and Mehmas (Ire), both by Acclamation. Another of the latter's sons, the late Harbour Watch (Ire), was responsible for an unusual double on Oaks day when Pyledriver (GB) won the G1 Coronation Cup at Epsom and Baron Samedi (GB) claimed the GII Belmont Gold Cup in New York.

Acclamation and Dark Angel will of course both be well represented this week, and more notably so will last season's record-breaking freshman sire Mehmas, who has maintained his lead in the second-crop sires' table and has eight group entries at Royal Ascot. Dark Angel has a growing number of sons at stud, with freshman Birchwood (Ire) currently topping the list for 2-year-old winners in France. It's not hard to imagine that sons of Mehmas will soon follow.

Another of Acclamation's sons, the dual G1 King's Stand S. winner Equiano (Fr), has recently moved to the Irish National Stud but has played his own part in extending the success of this line at the Royal Meeting in particular through the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. winner The Tin Man (GB). Equiano is also the sire of GI Breeders' Cup Turf sprint winner Belvoir Bay (GB).

Birchwood is not the sole representative of Dark Angel's branch in France as Gutaifan (Ire) is now at that country's most reliable source of fast horses, Alain Chopard's Haras des Faunes. The July Cup winner Lethal Force (Ire) is another to have relocated and is now at Haras de Grandcamp, while his smart juvenile son and G1 Commonwealth Cup winner Golden Horde (Ire) is at Haras de Montfort et Preaux under Nurlan Bizakov's Sumbe banner. 

A reliable broodmare sire, Royal Applause also features in that category for the young stallions Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal), Adaay (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and Cappella Sansevero (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), and for the G3 Winter Derby winner Forest Of Dean (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}), who is set to run in Tuesday's Wolferton S.

As Royal Applause himself closes in on his third decade, he lives in splendour at Sandringham, alternating between the stallion box he has inhabited since 1998 and his sizeable paddock within the shelter of the walled garden.

His eyes are as bright as they have ever been, and if his slightly flat, unshod feet don't relish a momentarily rough surface, as soon as he's on the grass he walks with a swagger indicative of the supreme athlete that he once was. Best of all though is his temperament. There's not an ounce of sourness in the old stallion.

“He's never been the type of horse who has to have the same person look after him,” says David Somers, manager of The Royal Studs. “Everyone here loves him because he's so easy, he's an absolute gentleman.”

The esteemed old gentleman is no longer troubled by the hubbub of a race meeting or the covering shed in his quiet corner of Norfolk. His excitement these days is in working out which of his visitors has a packet of Polos in their pocket. But there will be plenty of royal applause ringing out at Ascot this week, and no doubt some of it will once again be for his descendants. Long may they run, and long may he reign.

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The acquisition of the 440-acre farm in Normandy follows the 2019 purchase of Haras de Montfort & Préaux, which is just 10 kms from Mézeray and is home to the Sumbe stallions Le Havre (Ire), Recorder (GB) and Golden Horde (Ire). The latter, who has just embarked on his first covering season, had his first mare scanned in foal on Thursday.

Bizakov founded his breeding empire at Hesmonds Stud in the UK. He has retained that 700-acre Sussex farm, which is used for boarding clients' mares or for his own mares visiting British-based stallions, but his entire broodmare band was moved to France last year. Tony Fry, the long-term manager of Hesmonds Stud, has moved to Haras du Mézeray, and Mathieu Alex remains in charge of Haras de Montfort & Préaux.

The Kazakhstan-born Bizakov said of his most recent purchase, “When I bought Montfort & Préaux I realised that the existing land was not big enough to accommodate my own mares as well as those of Montfort & Preaux's clients. When we moved our 30-plus mares from England it put it under pressure, and from day one, Mathieu, Tony and I have been looking for some options around Montfort & Préaux. Then we decided to look at Mézeray, which was on the market and is just 10 minutes from Montfort & Préaux. It has been a long journey but finally we've done it and I am very happy because Mézeray is a very big name in French breeding. It has a long history, having been founded by Paul de Moussac in 1962. So it is coming up for its 60th anniversary next year.”

During those last six decades two Arc winners, Trempolino and Subotica (Fr), have headed a notable list of Mézeray-bred Group 1 winners which includes Luth Enchantee, Amonita (GB), Naaqoos (GB), Coquerelle (Ire) and Mekhtaal (GB). More recently, it has also been responsible for the five-time Group 2 winner Enbihaar (Ire) and last season's G3 Prix Thomas Bryon winner and G1 Criterium International runner-up Normandy Bridge (Fr), a son of Le Havre who is a Classic prospect this season for young Deauville trainer Stephanie Nigge.

Montfort & Préaux has also produced a number of top-class performers in recent seasons, including the dual Classic heroines Avenir Certain (Fr) and La Cressonniere (Fr), both by Le Havre, who is also the sire of the David Menuisier-trained dual Group 1 winner Wonderful Tonight (Fr). She was bred at the farm, along with Suedois (Fr) and Mont Ormel (Fr) (Air Chief Marshal {Ire}).

Bizakov continued, “We will consider Mézeray and Montfort & Préaux as one farm. Obviously some staff will be focused on one farm and some on the other but I am sure there is plenty of room for synergy between the two. I hope that clients from both farms will benefit from this merger as well because it will give us more room, more facilities and more infrastructure.”

The owner/breeder indicated that he is keen to expand his stallion operation in France. Along with the three stallions at Montfort & Préaux, Mézeray is currently home to De Treville (GB), an Oasis Dream (GB) half-brother to Too Darn Hot (GB) who will be represented by his first runners this season. 

“We will discuss with his owner Rashit Shaykhutdinov what he would like to do with De Treville,” he said. “We would definitely like to stand more stallions in the future. That was the main reason that I decided to buy Montfort & Préaux in the first place, because they had Le Havre and Recorder, who I hope will have a big year this year. Now with Golden Horde we have a new stallion at the farm and this year we will look for some options to buy. I would like to stand a Group 1-winning miler and we might look at a mile-and-a-quarter horse as well.”

Bizakov's own mare Card Shop (Chester House), the dam of G3 Prestige S. winner Ollie Olga (Stormy Atlantic), was the first to be scanned in foal to Golden Horde this week. The breeder will also be supporting his new stallion with Albanka (Giant's Causeway) and Totally Devoted (Seeking The Gold), the dams respectively of two more of his group-winning homebreds in Altyn Orda (Ire) (Kyllachy {GB}) and Tomyris (CGB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). Also slated to visit the G1 Commonwealth Cup winner is Melilot (Fr) (Elusive City), whose daughter Mageva (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) was third in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, and Dalkeya (Fr) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), a half-sister to the Aga Khan's G1 Dubai Sheema Classic winner Dolniya (Fr) (Azamour {Ire}).

“Golden Horde has settled in very nicely,” said Mathieu Alex. “He's a horse with a great mind. He has already covered 16 mares and the first one has been scanned in foal. He's a very exciting horse to have in France as he is a Royal Ascot Group 1 winner, so that is very exciting for French people. He had great form at two, which is always a plus, and he's a good-looking horse, so he's been popular.”

Of the inclusion of Mézeray in the operation's portfolio of studs, he added, “It is a great opportunity to be able to purchase such a prestigious farm where 27 Group 1 winners, including two Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winners, were bred. Good land is so important and definitely one of the keys for racing success. Nurlan Bizakov loves the breeding side of this industry and it made sense to go ahead with this farm located 10 kms away from Haras de Montfort & Préaux. It is a very exciting project and all the team involved feel very privileged to be part of it. It is also great news for France where the racing system is one of the best in the world. It's great to see major players want to be here.”

Despite moving his breeding stock to France, Bizakov still has horses in training in Britain and he singles out the 96-rated treble winner Shandoz (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}), trained by Roger Varian, as one he is particularly looking forward to seeing return to the track this season.

He said, “We have a good bunch of horses to go to war with. We bought two by Recorder last year to support our stallion and we sent one of those to England to Clive Cox, who trained Golden Horde. In England, we have horses with Roger Varian, John Gosden and Clive Cox, and in France we have a good bunch of trainers as well. With French premiums we will probably have more horses in training in France.”

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The A to Z of the region's stallions, from Almanzor (Fr) to Zelzal (Fr), has a price range from €1,000 to €140,000, the latter commanded by France's champion sire, Siyouni (Fr), sire of last season's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Sottsass (Fr). Between those two figures can be found a horse to suit just about every breeder's budget and, as has increasingly been the case in recent years, a number of high-profile young stallions have joined the French ranks for 2021.

There's quite a leap in price from Siyouni down to the next most expensive stallion in France at €40,000, the established Classic sire Le Havre (Ire). His best runner last year was the dual Group 1-winning filly Wonderful Tonight (Fr), who was bred at Haras de Montfort et Préaux, where her sire stands under Nurlan Bizakov's Sumbé banner. Le Havre has recently been joined by new recruit Golden Horde (Ire). The G1 Commonwealth Cup-winning son of Lethal Force (Ire) whose grandam is a half-sister to champion racemare and producer Serena's Song (Rahy), makes his debut at €10,000.

“It's always very nice to meet the breeders, especially when you have a new horse, but we were lucky that we were able to bring Golden Horde in to Deauville during the sales so plenty of people saw him there, and he has had visitors every day,” said Mathieu Alex of Sumbé. “But of course there is always a great atmosphere for the Route des Etalons, when you can welcome people, and breeders meet, but this year we have to be sensible and be careful.”

He added, “We obviously liked Golden Horde a lot physically but it's always nice to get feedback and to hear that people agree with us. He's going down well and it's obviously important to get the support from the breeders. Mr Bizakov will support him with mares also.

“It's also an exciting year for Recorder (GB) with his first runners. We've worked for three years for that and he has 100-plus horses in training, in France and some abroad. We have 15 that were bred here that we've sent to good trainers, so fingers crossed.”

While its flagship stallion Wootton Bassett (GB) has moved to stand at Coolmore in Ireland, Haras d'Etreham has an exciting year in store with the arrival of two new Group 1 winners, Persian King (Ire) and Hello Youmzain (Fr), each being the sole French representative of their popular respective sires Kingman (GB) and Kodiac (GB). Furthermore, once the Flat season starts, Wootton Bassett's champion son Almanzor (Fr) will be represented by his first runners, while the first foals of his fellow Etreham resident City Light (Fr) will be arriving over the next few months.

Camelot (GB) enjoyed a terrific season with his runners in 2020 and two of his sons join French studs this year. Etreham's National Hunt wing, Haras de la Tuilerie, welcomes the Irish Derby winner Latrobe (Ire), while among Haras d'Annebault's new faces for the season is Fighting Irish (Ire). Breeders using the Group 2 winner in his first season will be eligible for a €50,000 bonus if they are fortunate enough to breed Fighting Irish's first Group winner in France, Britain or Ireland.

The retirement of Kendargent (Fr) to stud in 2010 coincided with the first year of the Route des Etalons initiative. Breeders who viewed him and perhaps used him then at his introductory fee of €1,000 will have enjoyed the success he has had in the ensuing years, which has really put Haras de Colleville, the farm of his owner Guy Pariente, firmly on the map of Normandy's leading studs. The grey, now 18, was joined at stud in 2017 by his son Goken (Fr), who was France's leading first-season sire in 2020, and their stud companion Galiway (GB), has also made a pleasing start to his career, most notably as the sire of G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Sealiway (Fr).

Another son of Kendargent returns to France this year. The former Godolphin campaigner Jimmy Two Times (Fr) spent his first two seasons in Germany at Gestut Hofgut Heymann but is now resident at Haras de Montaigu alongside the popular young National Hunt stallions No Risk At All (Fr) and Beaumec De Houelle (Fr).

“Jimmy Two Times is small and compact but he is very well-balanced, strong horse,” said Sybille Gibson of Haras de Montaigu. “I took him to the Hippodrome de Clairefontaine during the sales in December and lots of people came to see him then. We just hope he will do as well as Goken has done. 'Jimmy' was the best colt by Kendargent so we dream.”

The offspring of No Risk At All include the reigning Champion Hurdler Epatante (Fr), while Beaumec De Houelle, who now has yearlings on the ground, is a son of the late Montaigu resident Martaline (GB).

Gibson continued, “No Risk At All and Beaumec De Houelle are both fully booked, with mares from all the best breeders in France, and more and more people from abroad. The English are just mad for No Risk At All. Both horses are limited to 150 mares and they were full in November.”

Breeders going both ways across the Channel this year face increased expense and paperwork in the wake of the end of the Brexit transition period, which is understandably causing a few headaches for stud owners.

“We have had received a few mares from England and we have already had one or two cancellations,” Gibson said. “And for us it's the same, we don't know if we are going to send all our mares that were due to go to England because with Brexit the transport is now quite complicated.”

She added, “We will really miss the Route des Etalons this year. We have had a few breeders come to the farm but I think some people don't really want to travel too much at the moment. Normally we would have between 200 and 300 people visit us over the weekend. They came not only to see the new stallions but to see us and to see how the horses were changing. We had more and more people coming from a long way, not just Normandy. We will just have to look forward to next year.”

The burgeoning stallion unit at Larissa Kneip's Haras de Saint Arnoult has been extended again this year to include newcomers Elarqam (GB)—a son of two champions in Frankel (GB) and Attraction (GB)—and Yafta (GB), a Group 3-winning son of Dark Angel (Ire).

Kneip said, “Elarqam is very well booked, which is not surprising. He's the only son of Frankel in France and he was Frankel's second-highest rated runner after Cracksman. Yafta already has about 50 mares booked to him. Until recently we didn't have too many speed stallions in France but there are a few more now and obviously there was a demand for them. But none of them seem to have the sort of pedigree Yafta has, because it is really speed throughout, back to the fifth generation, and that's quite a rarity.”

The farm with the largest roster of nine stallions is Al Shaqab's Haras de Bouquetot, which this year has signed up Robert Ng's G1 Prix Jacques le Marois winner Romanised (Ire) as well as the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye winner Wooded (Ire), a son of Wootton Bassett. They join Shalaa (Ire), who has recently returned from Arrowfield Stud in Australia, where his first crop includes the Magic Millions 2yo Classic winner Shaquero (Aus), and Al Wukair (Ire), who has first-cop runners in Europe this season.

Sea The Stars (Ire) has two young sons at stud in France, Bouquetot's Zelzal (Fr), who his first runners this year, and Haras du Logis resident Cloth Of Stars (Ire), the G1 Prix Ganay winner who was placed in two Arcs and has his first yearlings at the sales of 2021. Another young stallion taking that next important step in his career this year is Recoletos (Fr), the winner of seven of his 14 starts including two Group 1s. He stands alongside the Derby winner Motivator (GB), sire of the mighty Treve (Fr), at Haras du Quesnay.

Plenty will be expected from the first-crop runners by Zarak (Fr) when they take to the track this year. Not only is he a Group 1-winning son of Dubawi (Ire), whose sons Night Of Thunder (Ire) and New Bay (GB) have made encouraging starts to their own stud careers in the last two seasons, but he is out of the brilliant Arc winner Zarkava (Fr) and shares his broodmare sire Zamindar with Kingman. Ordinarily, a visit to the Aga Khan's Haras du Bonneval is one of the highlights for travellers on the route. This year Zarak, Dariyan (Fr) and their illustrious stablemate Siyouni must be admired from afar.

Videos and further information on the stallions from the 28 participating studs will de displayed online over the weekend and, when the world returns to some sort of normality, be sure to brighten up next January with a trip around the picturesque farms of Normandy.

The post Follow ‘La Route’ Online For 2021 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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