Weatherbys Stallion Scene : An international view

Muhaarar is heading into his second season standing at Petit Tellier in Normandy, the son of Oasis Dream has had some big-money results around the world this year

THE TWO-DAY BREEDERS’ CUP meeting saw eight European-based sires with winners or placed horses, including the late Shamardal and shuttle stallion Zoustar, whose Starlust, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, was bred on the sire’s 2020 sojourn to Tweenhills Stud in Gloucestershire

Second to the Ralph Beckett-trained filly in that 5f race was the six-year-old gelding Motorious, now with trainer Philip D’Amato having originally been trained in Newmarket by Stuart Williams. He was bred in Britain by Kirtlington Stud and Mary Taylor out of their excellent mare Squash and is by Muhaarar.

Like his son, the 12-year-old former Shadwell stallion is no longer resident in Britain, and after an initial hop across the English Channel to France for a two-season stint at Haras des Faunes in the south-west, the son of Oasis Dream is now resident at Petit Tellier and has one covering season under his belt at the Normandy-based farm

Muhaarar: the Petit Tellier-based sire has had a good year internationally with his older runners

The four-time Group 1 sprint winner is under the watchful eye of stud manager Patrick Chedeville and stands alongside The Grey Gatsby (Mastercraftsman) and Recoletos (Whipper).

“Muhaarar is a delight to have around and is a professional in the covering shed,” says Chedeville.

The stallion covered 110 mares last spring, and has 69 foals on the ground from his last season at Faunes.

It was a great thrill to watch the Breeders’ Cup and those sorts of performances can quickly change the profile of a stallion

“I have five mares in-foal to him, and many other clients gave him some support,” adds Chedeville. “We were delighted with the support he got.”

The stallion’s big money earner on the track this year was the Saudi Turf Sprint winner Annaf, who picked up £900,000 in that race alone, while at the same meeting the Ian Williams-trained Enemy collected nearly £400,000 in the Red Sea Handicap (G3) beaten just a head by Tower Of London, the second year in succession the horse has finished runner-up in the race.

In Europe, the five-year-old gelding Israr, the 2023 winner of the Princess of Wales’s Stakes (G2), was the easy winner of the Listed Wolferton Stakes at Royal Ascot, while the Jessica Harrington-trained Trevaunance, also a five-year-old and a Group 2 winner in 2022, took fourth place in the Group 1 1m4f Preis Von Europa for owner Moyglare Stud, having finished second in the race in 2023.

On the same card in Cologne, the four-year-old filly Armira won the Group 3 Kolner Sprint Trophy over 7f for trainer Peter Schiergen and owner-breeder Gestut Brummerhof.

As can be seen many of the sire’s best runners improve with age and longevity and the European racing scene might be a more suitable environment for the sire away from Britain with its strong focus on juvenile performances.

The Grey Gatsby: the 13-year-old stallion has stood all of his career at Petit Tellier and, like his own sire Mastercraftsman, is a good producer of fillies

“It was a great thrill to watch the Breeders’ Cup and those sorts of performances can quickly change the profile of a stallion,” says Chedeville.

“I think it will suit him being here in Normandy and closer to perhaps some of the better mares in France.

“He is a still a young stallion and so we are very hopeful of the future for him.”

Muharaar’s fee for 2025 is €14,000, unchanged from 2024.

Of Muhaarar’s stud mate The Grey Gatsby, Chedville updates: “His fee is unchanged, too. He covered around 70 mares last year down a little on the 115 he saw in 2023.

“I think he is a great value stallion and, like his own sire Mastercraftsman, he seems to be a good producer of fillies.

“He has Atomic Blonde in the US, she was also a good filly in Germany with Henk Grewe and is and is now running well with Christophe Clement, and Mylady who has won a Grade 3 in the US with Chad Brown.

“He is getting some quality jumping winners now, too, and again fillies are leading the way – Isis D’Inor has won two Listed hurdles at Auteuil this autumn, and By Exeter has been placed in a four-year-old Listed hurdle.

“Of course, we would like a good colt to come long, but The Grey Gatsby is doing very well so far.”

Petit Tellier, which is near Sévigny in the Argentan region of Normandy, will, as usual, be open on the 2025 Route D’Etalons, January 17-18, and everyone is welcome.