Almanzor

HARAS D’ETREHAM is currently assembling a stallion dynasty in the stunning Normandy countryside and in 2018 Europe’s highestrated horse of 2016, Almanzor, joined his highly progressive sire Wootton Bassett.

Born and raised at the de Chambure family’s stud, Almanzor scaled the heights on the racecourse and elevated his sire, the Group 1 Prix Jean Luc Lagardère winner Wootton Bassett, into the European stallion elite.

Victories in the Prix du Jockey-Club, the Irish Champion Stakes and the Champion Stakes saw Almanzor crowned the Cartier champion three-year-old colt with his 1m2f prowess assuring him of a large book of mares when he retired to stud.

Before his championship season Almanzor, who was a €100,000 yearling purchase by his trainer Jean-Claude Rouget at Arqana’s August Yearling Sale, won three times as a two-year-old, showing plenty of ability at an early age.

From the first crop of Wootton Bassett, a son of Iffraaj, Almanzor hails from a top-class Aga Khan line.

He is out of the Maria’s Mon mare Darkova, an unraced daughter of the Listed winner Darkara. She is a Halling half-sister to the dam of European champion Darjina, whose five success included victories in the Poules d’Essai des Pouliches, Prix du Moulin and Prix d’Astarté, all Group 1 contests.

Almanzor covered 140 mares in his first season and with Northern Dancer himself not appearing until the fourth generation of Almanzor’s page, the young sire is suitable for a wide variety of mares.

He was supported by some of the most famous breeders in the world with HH The Aga Khan sending mares to Almanzor, as well as the likes of Skymarc Farm, the de Chambure family, SF Bloodstock and China Horse Club.

As befits a stallion of his stature he has covered 40 Group 1 performers and the dams of Group 1 performers, amongst them Unaided, the dam of Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile, the First Lady Stakes and the Matriarch Stakes winner Uni. She foaled a half-brother to Uni last year.

From the Etreham broodmare band Elodie, a full-sister to the Group 1 winners We Are and With You and a half-sister to Group 1 winner Call The Wind, has an Almanzor yearling daughter, while Glittering Tax foaled a half-brother to three-times Grade 1 winner Miss Temple City.

A total of 16 members of Almanzor’s first crop came on the market last year with 14 of them selling for an average of €105,132 and, as the median price was scarcely €10,000 less, it demonstrates the market’s appetite for progeny of the young sire. Exactly half of the foals that sold did so for at least €100,000.

His top-priced foal sold at Arqana’s December Breeding Stock Sale with Ronald Rauscher going to €260,000 to secure a filly from Haras d’Etreham. One of four six-figure foal sales for Almanzor at Deauville, the January-born foal is the second out of the Listed-placed Montjeu mare Fresh Air, who is a half-sister to the dam of this year’s Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Siskin, and to the dam of the American champion mare Close Hatches.

Almanzor had two six-figure results at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale recording a top price of 160,000gns for the first born out of the Group 3-placed Fixette, a daughter of Kodiac from the Moyglare family of Easy To Copy, Trusted Partner and Low Key Affair.

Offered by Norelands Stud he was purchased by Haras d’Etreham and SF Bloodstock.

Almanzor’s most expensive filly at that sale was Overbury Stud’s daughter of Plume Rose, the dam of three winners and out of an unraced half-sister to Peintre Celebre. She made 125,000gns to Blandford Bloodstock.

Racing Form

11 runs, eight wins, one place | Best Timeform Rating: 133 | Average winning distance: 9.06f

Stakes form

AT 2 Won Gd. Criterium de Bordeaux HK Jockey Club, Bordeaux Le Bouscat, L., (8f. beating Camp Courage (USA) and Ankle (FR)).

AT 3 Champion 3yr old colt in Europe in 2016. Won Prix du Jockey-Club, Chantilly, Gr.1, (10½f. beating Zarak (FR) and Dicton (GB)), QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes, Leopardstown, Gr.1, (10f. beating Found (IRE) and Minding (IRE)), Qipco Champion Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1, (9½f. beating Found (IRE) and Jack Hobbs (GB)), Prix Guillaume d’Ornano-Logis St Germain,

Deauville, Gr.2, (10f. beating Zarak (FR) and Royal Artillery (USA)), Prix de Guiche, Chantilly, Gr.3, (9f. beating Floodlight (USA) and Gardol City (FR)), third in Prix de Fontainebleau, Chantilly, Gr.3, (to Dicton (GB)).