This year's Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner Metropolitan (Fr) will begin his stallion career at Haras d'Etreham next season, the stud announced on Wednesday. He will stand for a fee of €15,000, with a small number of shares available in the son of Zarak (Fr).
Bred by Stuart McPhee, Metropolitan was bought by Alessandro Marconi for €78,000 at the Arqana October Yearling Sale. He was trained for owners Peter Bradley and Scuderia Scolari by Mario Baratti, who saddled him to win three of his seven career starts. The Classic winner also finished third in the G1 St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and runner-up in the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville.
“Metropolitan has always been an exceptional horse, with a rare presence,” said Baratti. “He is strong, compact, and boasts an excellent acceleration. From the beginning of his career in Deauville at two, until the Jacques le Marois, he continually demonstrated his incredible ability. It has been a memorable experience to train him and we wish him great success in his new career as a stallion.”
Metropolitan is the second winner from four runners out of his unraced dam, the Halling mare Alianza (GB), a half-sister to the Listed-placed Boater (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}). Also unraced was his second dam, Cercle d'Amour (Storm Cat), a full-sister to the Listed-winning Royal Tigress (Storm Cat) and a half-sister to the G3 Norfolk Stakes winner and G1 Prix Morny runner-up Warm Heart (Diesis {GB}).
Etreham's Nicolas de Chambure said, “Metropolitan is a top-class stallion prospect and we are enthusiastic about his arrival at the stud for 2025. We have nothing but praise for him–he is a magnificent horse with a faultless physique. His pedigree represents a real asset for breeding because as a descendant of Dubawi, Storm Cat and Sharpen Up, he is exempt of the bloodlines of Danzig and Sadler's Wells and can be crossed with a multitude of mares.
“His qualities as a racehorse are also remarkable. Combative and precocious, with great natural speed, he has powerful assets to succeed as a sire. His name Metropolitan is well-chosen with reference to the cosmopolitan connections associated with his career. We would like to thank them once again for their trust and we are delighted that we will join together to support Metropolitan in his new role as a stallion.”
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
