Champion Sprinter Muhaarar Starts New Chapter at Haras du Petit Tellier

For a horse who won the G2 Gimcrack S. as a juvenile before torching the sprinting scene with a sequence of four straight Group 1 victories the following year, Muhaarar (GB) has been a surprisingly slow burner in his second career as a stallion, certainly compared to the fast start that was expected of him when he was retired to stand his first season at Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum's Nunnery Stud in 2016.

It seemed like all the ingredients were there for Muhaarar to make an immediate and significant impact, a two-year-old winner in May who was blessed with brazen speed on the racecourse and the fiercest of support from Sheikh Hamdan in his second career at stud.

Not only did Sheikh Hamdan send a handful of Shadwell's best mares to his prized homebred in that first year, but he also went to great lengths to secure the pick of Muhaarar's debut yearlings at the sales in 2018, including the top-priced filly at 925,000gns.

It was an immense show of faith from the legendary owner-breeder in the hope that Muhaarar might one day prove to be a worthy successor to his grandsire, Green Desert, the flagship stallion on the Shadwell roster for many years and a hugely influential sire of sires, having produced the likes of Cape Cross (Ire), Invincible Spirit (Ire) and, of course, Muhaarar's own sire, Oasis Dream (GB).

Perhaps the best compliment that can be paid to Muhaarar is that he was arguably a better racehorse than any of them. Having made the breakthrough in Group 1 company when winning the inaugural running of the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, Muhaarar then went on an unstoppable run which saw him add the G1 July Cup, G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest and G1 Champions Sprint S. to his unique haul.

A few other top-class performers came along shortly after him in what can often be a muddled sprinting division, the likes of Battaash (Ire)–also trained by Charlie Hills for Sheikh Hamdan–Blue Point (Ire) and Harry Angel (Ire), but none of them achieved what Muhaarar did in winning four Group 1 races in the same season.

However, whereas Blue Point romped to top honours in the first-season sire ranks last year, having 41 individual winners in Britain and Ireland, it's fair to say that Muhaarar found it altogether tougher going with his first runners four years earlier.

Ranked joint-sixth among the leading first-season sires in Britain and Ireland in 2019, Muhaarar did have a black-type performer among his 12 winners in that first crop of two-year-olds, the Group 3-placed filly Unforgetable (Ire), but otherwise it was a rather forgettable debut year.

Better was to come in 2020 when Muhaarar was the leading second-season sire in Britain and Ireland with 44 individual winners. His 17 juvenile winners included Sheikh Hamdan's G3 Horris Hill S. hero Mujbar (GB), plus Amo Racing's Baradar (Ire), who won two of his first three starts before finishing third in the G1 Futurity Trophy.

It was Muhaarar's 27 three-year-old winners that year who surprised most observers, though, chiefly with the range of distances they were capable at. Unforgetable continued to look cut from the same cloth as her sire when Listed-placed over five and a half furlongs and Group 3-placed over seven, but Muhaarar's other highly-rated runners in Britain and Ireland included Albaflora (GB), runner-up in the Listed Noel Murless S. over a mile and five furlongs, while, in France, Paix (Ire) won the G3 Prix de Lutece over a mile and seven.

It's in France that Muhaarar finds himself in 2024 for the third straight year. It was announced in the autumn of 2021–just a few months after the death of Sheikh Hamdan–that Muhaarar would be relocating to Alain Chopard's Haras des Faunes in Bordeaux where he covered 54 mares at a fee of €5,000 in 2022 and 124 mares at a fee of €7,500 in 2023.

Now, Muhaarar is limbering up for his first season standing at Haras du Petit Tellier following a deal which saw him make the move from Bordeaux to Normandy in August last year. Shadwell owner Sheikha Hissa retains half of the shares in the stallion, with the other half being made up of a consortium of French breeders.

Eric Puerari of Haras des Capucines is at the helm of the new syndicate, managed by Capucines Bloodstock, and it's clear in his view that Britain's loss is France's gain with a stallion who has so much to offer–if not the guarantee of speedy, two-year-old winners which eventually saw his popularity on home soil decline.

“It's a very exciting, new adventure,” Puerari begins when explaining how the stallion came to be at Haras du Petit Tellier. “Muhaarar had been leased in the south-west with Haras des Faunes for two years. My partner, Michel Zerolo, loved the horse and we made an offer to Shadwell to purchase half of him.

“He didn't totally convince the English breeders because they thought his progeny were not precocious enough. They take a bit of time to come [to hand], but they're durable and very resistant. They've won all over the world–France, England, Ireland, United States, everywhere. He's a very versatile sire and they can win from six furlongs to a mile and a half.”

Muhaarar stands at an increased fee of €14,000 this season–albeit still a fair way below the £30,000 he stood for in his first three years at Nunnery Stud–following what was arguably the most successful year yet for his progeny on the racecourse in 2023.

The versatility Puerari speaks of was certainly on show throughout last year. G1 July Cup runner-up Run To Freedom (GB) and G3 Bengough S. winner Annaf (Ire) both achieved notable results over six furlongs, while Israr (GB) won the G2 Princess Of Wales's S. and Trevaunance (Ire) filled the runner-up spot in the G1 Preis Von Europa, both races run over a mile and a half.

Above all else, the highlight in 2023 was provided by Classic hero Marhaba Ya Sanafi (Ire), who became Muhaarar's second individual Group 1 winner in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains before going on to finish third behind the top-class pair of Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}) and Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club.

Incidentally, Muhaarar's first Group 1 winner was Shadwell homebred Eshaada (GB) when she won the Fillies & Mares S. back in 2021. That was a thrilling contest in which she just held off paternal sibling Albaflora by a short head after the two talented, middle-distance performers had gone head-to-head for much of the Ascot straight.

Neither filly finished with the same ferocity that Muhaarar did when blitzing down the same straight to win the Commonwealth Cup and Champions Sprint S. six years earlier, but clearly there are other qualities which have been passed down, both from him and his maternal grandsire Linamix (Fr), a noted influence for stamina at stud.

Expertly unpicking Muhaarar's pedigree, Puerari says, “Interestingly, he has inbreeding on both sides to Lyphard and Mill Reef who were two real champions of their time. They are the two grandsires of the dam of Oasis Dream.

“Muhaarar traces back to Pugnacity, one of the top-class mares of Major Holliday's breeding operation. Pugnacity was the dam of Relkino, who was a champion horse in England. He was by Relko and you'll find again that Relko blood in Linamix.

“Linamix is a top broodmare sire. He's the broodmare sire of Kendargent and it gives that will to win to his progeny. And this is very important when you are breeding, to try to find blood with a will to win.”

Everything seemed to come easily to Muhaarar in most of his Group 1 victories, but that will to win was certainly in evidence the day he won the July Cup, looking on the back foot for much of the race before edging ahead close home to get the verdict by a nose.

The last few years of Muhaarar's stallion career have arguably been characterised in much the same way, having to fight hard for every bit of success he's enjoyed having been written off in some quarters, deserted by many of the breeders who rushed to him early on.

Now, Muhaarar can start to enjoy the fruits of his labour with a limited book of up to 130 mares due to visit him at Haras du Petit Tellier in 2024, the most expensive stallion on a roster which also includes Elvstroem (Aus), Recoletos (Fr) and The Grey Gatsby (Ire).

Jean-Daniel Manceau, responsible for stallion nominations at Capucines Bloodstock, says, “He will be used by plenty of French and international breeders, including Henri Bozo from Haras des Monceaux, Guy Pariente and Jean-Claude Seroul, who races all of his stock. He will also be supported by Shadwell, obviously. They will send a full-sister to the champion mare Taghrooda.

“We also have a good group of shareholders. We've got the Dubois family who will support him a lot. They have bred already some very good horses this year, and in the past, like Sauterne and Elusive Princess.

“We've also got Haras de Saint Pair [owned by Andreas Putsch], a very good breeder here in France, and Peter Kavanagh of Kildaragh Stud. And, obviously, we have Haras des Capucines who will support him a lot with some of our best mares.”

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New Partnership for Muhaarar, Who Moves to Petit Tellier

Shadwell Stud's Champion Sprinter Muhaarar (GB), who has stood the last two years at Haras des Faunes in the south of France, will now be owned by Shadwell and a consortium of French breeders and will be moved to Haras du Petit Tellier in Normandy, according to Eric Puerari. Puerari said that Muhaarar's stud fee would be announced at the end of the year.

The group of breeders is comprised of Jean-Pierre Dubois and several generations of his family, Haras des Capucines, Haras de Saint-Pair, and several others. Sheikha Hissa will retain half of the shares in the stallion, and the syndicate will be managed by Capucines Bloodstock, with Puerari at the helm.

A Shadwell homebred, Muhaarar was champion sprinter of 2015, when he won the G1 Commonwealth Cup, G1 July Cup, G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest and G1 British Champions Sprint S. as a 3-year-old. He began his career at Shadwell's Nunnery Stud, beginning at a fee of £30,000. He was moved to Haras des Faunes after the death of Sheikh Hamdan in a two-year arrangement.

“He started at Shadwell, and the first two years, he was so popular it was impossible to get a season,” said Puerari. But after a relatively slow start at stud, and the death of Sheikh Hamdan, Shadwell accepted an offer from Faunes. The stallion has been very hot the past two years, and after breeding 54 mares at Faunes in 2022 at a €5,000 fee, he covered 124 in 2023 at a €7,500 fee.

“Last year, he had an exceptional year and when you look at his statistics, he's boxing way above his weight for a horse who stood this year for an advertised stud fee of €7,500,” said Puerari. “Last year, he had an amazing percentage of stakes winners per runners. His numbers are very good. He's been kind of a forgotten horse.”

In 2023, Muhaarar has been represented by Marhaba Ya Sanafi (Ire), the winner of the G1 French Guineas, who went on to be third in the G1 French Derby, and Cicero's Gift (GB) an undefeated 'TDN Rising Star' through his first three starts before missing in the G1 St. James's Palace S.

His recent top runners demonstrate his versatility. 'TDN Rising Star' Be Your Best (Ire) was second in the GI Del Mar Oaks at nine furlongs on the turf on Friday; Run To Freedom (GB) was second in the six-furlong G1 July Cup on July 15; three days earlier, 'TDN Rising Star' Israr (GB) won the G2 Princess of Wales's S. at twice that distance; and this spring at Santa Anita, Motorius won the GIII San Simon S. at 6 1/2 furlongs on the turf.

“He does tend to produce horses who stay, which is strange for a sprinter, because he's by Oasis Dream (GB),” said Puerari, “but when you look at Oasis Dream's pedigree, there's a lot of staying blood. We think he really fits a niche that we don't have in France in the €10,000-€15,000 range. For example, this year when Mishriff got hurt, after Intello, Galiway, Goken, and few others, there's not much. Not many people are going to travel to England and Ireland to breed for €10,000. So I think he should be very popular.”

Muhaarar will travel from Bordeaux to Normandy this coming week, where he will be available for breeders' inspection.

“He gets good-looking stock and he is himself a very good-looking horse,” he said. “He's a very well balanced horse. He's mid-sized. Very dark bay, no white. He's very handsome horse, with a beautiful head.

“We'll decide on his stud fee later. We'll wait for the end of the year and put him at a fee where people won't try to negotiate, because he'll be good value.”

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Israr Eclipses Adayar In Newmarket’s Thursday Feature

The odds for Thursday's Kingdom of Bahrain-sponsored G2 Princess of Wales's S. suggested a measure of redemption was in store for Derby and King George hero Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), but Shadwell's former handicapper and 7-2 second favourite Israr (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}–Taghrooda {GB}, by Sea The Stars {Ire}) confounded those in possession of 1-3 tickets with a power-packed display of his own to claim a career best in the 12-furlong feature. The eventual winner slipstreamed Godolphin duo Global Storm (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) and Adayar through the early fractions and eased outside into an echelon formation in readiness for his bid passing halfway. Moving into second with three furlongs remaining, he was pushed to the front going into “the dip” and lengthened clear in impressive fashion up the hill to easily assert superiority by 4 1/2 lengths. Adayar was unable to match the winner's kick up the hill, finishing a well-beaten second. Stablemate Global Storm was 7 1/2 lengths further adrift in third.

Israr, who attained 'TDN Rising Star' status tackling one mile at Doncaster on debut in 2021, snagged two of six handicap outings last year and opened this campaign with runner-up finishes in May's G3 Aston Park S. at Newbury and in last month's Listed Grand Cup at York.

“We ran him at York over a mile-and-six, he took on a good stayer [Quickthorn] that day and it was a mistake as it was too far,” explained John Gosden after collecting a third renewal. “They have gone strong fractions today and they are not far off a track record. It was a great performance, he coped with the good-to-firm ground and it was the best performance of his life. I expected him to run well today, but I didn't expect him to beat Adayar like that. He is improving, but I don't want to rush him in any big races like the [G1] King George. I think it would be too soon and too quick after a performance like that. I'd like to try and box a bit more cleverly than that. If we space his races he will be a nice horse right the way through to the [G1] Sheema Classic next year. I do have plans, but I've not got them organised yet so I will have to get the old [programme] book out.”

It was a first triumph in the race for rider Jim Crowley, who added, “He didn't quite get home last time at York, but he is probably only just coming to himself now. He has a very good personality and is very laid back, but he is tough and tries hard. As soon as I got upsides Adayar at the two pole I pretty much knew we had got him beat. It looks as though a mile-and-a-half is definitely his trip. He is a big, strong horse that is getting better with racing and age and is a work in progress.”

Reflecting on a sub-par performance from Adayar, trainer Charlie Appleby said, “Will [Buick] was happy throughout the race and when he made the move we thought he'd go and put it to bed. To be fair to Israr, he came under the pump before we did and we thought we had got him at it. He was disappointing when he hit the rising ground and just emptied out. We'll get him home and see what the vitals say after the race, but it wasn't the ground. He's won on quick ground before so I'm not going to use that as an excuse and we'll see if anything comes out in the wash.”

Pedigree Notes
Israr becomes the first pattern-race scorer, from two winners, produced by G1 Oaks and G1 King George S. & Queen Elizabeth S. heroine Taghrooda (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who also hit the board in the G1 Yorkshire Oaks and G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Taghrooda is the leading performer for multiple stakes-winning G2 Lancashire Oaks second Ezima (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), herself a daughter of the unraced Ezilla (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}). Descendants of Ezilla include Group 1-winning siblings Estimate (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}), Enzeli (Ire) (Kahyasi {Ire}), Ebadiyla (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) and Edabiya (Ire) (Rainbow Quest). Taghrooda has the unraced 2-year-old filly Taraneem (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) and a yearling colt by Lope De Vega (Ire) to come.

 

Thursday, Newmarket, Britain
PRINCESS OF WALES'S S. (SPONSORED BY THE KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN)-G2, £125,000, Newmarket, 7-13, 3yo/up, 12fT, 2:27.33, g/f.
1–ISRAR (GB), 134, c, 4, by Muhaarar (GB)
1st Dam: Taghrooda (GB) (MG1SW-Eng & G1SP-Fr, $2,404,603), by Sea The Stars (Ire)
2nd Dam: Ezima (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Ezilla (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden; J-Jim Crowley. £70,888. Lifetime Record: 11-4-3-3, $243,660. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Adayar (Ire), 134, h, 5, Frankel (GB)–Anna Salai, by Dubawi (Ire). O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby. £26,875.
3–Global Storm (Ire), 137, g, 6, Night Of Thunder (Ire)–Travel, by Street Cry (Ire). (200,000gns Wlg '17 TATFOA; 260,000gns 2yo '19 TATBRE). O-Godolphin; B-Grenane House Stud (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby. £13,450.
Margins: 4HF, 7HF, 9. Odds: 3.50, 0.33, 18.00.
Also Ran: Grand Alliance (Ire).

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Muhaarar’s Fee Increased to 7.5k At Haras Des Faunes

Multiple Group 1 winner Muhaarar (GB), fresh off a season that included 13 stakes winners and 20 stakes horses among his progeny, will stand for an increased fee of €7,500 at Haras des Faunes, Jour de Galop reported on Thursday. The sire of 18 black-type winners total, the 10-year-old was priced at €5,000 in his first year at Haras des Faunes this term. Bran (Fr), Trevaunance (Ire) and Polly Pott (GB) all celebrated Grade or Group 2 victories in 2022, while Paris Peacock (Ire) struck at Group 3 level alongside Evening Sun (GB) Stateside.

Standing for €3,500 next year is Born To Sea (Ire). Gutaifan (Ire)'s fee has been set at €3,000, and completing the Haras des Faunes quartet is Captain Chop (Fr) at €1,500.

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