By Emma Berry
DEAUVILLE, France — One man who has truly made his mark on Deauville's summer season is Nurlan Bizakov. First his unbeaten Lazzat (Fr) (Territories {Ire}) took the G1 ARC Prix Maurice de Gheest, continuing his relentless surge through to the top ranks. To round off that successful day, another homebred, Ramadan (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) won the G3 Prix Daphnis. Next came Charyn (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) – already a Group 1 winner at Royal Ascot this year – who strode to success in the following weekend's G1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jaques Le Marois.
As we hit the third weekend of Group 1 action in Deauville, Bizakov will dominate Sunday's racing in a different manner as the sponsor of the entire Prix Morny card through his breeding operation Sumbe.
“We've been lucky in France but I have been in this game for a long time and there have been plenty of bad days so I am just trying to enjoy the good days,” says Bizakov, who is currently sitting in third place in the owners' table in France, behind only Wertheimer et Frere and HH The Aga Khan.
“France is good to me and I won my first Group 1 here with Belbek a couple of years ago, but now having three Groups 1 wins this year is unbelievable.”
The Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère winner Belbek (Fr) (Showcasing {GB}) was among the first wave of horses bred by Bizakov in France as he broadened his interests there from his original base at Hesmonds Stud in England. That expansion has included the purchases of Haras de Montfort et Preaux, which is now home to the Sumbe roster of stallions which includes Belbek, and then Haras du Mezeray from Charles-Henri de Moussac.
“We have tried to bring only very good racehorses to become stallions,” Bizakov says. “Mishriff is a world champion and Angel Bleu was champion two-year-old in France. We wanted to support the stallion game in France because after the days of Le Havre and Wootton Bassett there is a big gap. We want to stand stallions that will bring Irish, English and German mares to France. The [covering] numbers were good this year and now it's up to their progeny.”
Eventually that roster is likely to feature Charyn, now four, and bought by Bizakov as a yearling from his breeders Guy and David O'Callaghan.
“It's more likely that we won't go to America for the Breeders' Cup Mile so we have two options,” says Bizakov of Charyn's more immediate career concerns. “The Moulin in September is our main target now. It's another Group 1 and another opportunity to show his ability to French breeders, and then we hope to go to Ascot for the QEII. After that we will make a decision but it's more likely he will stay in training next year since he's improving. But we'll see how he is through his next two races and make a decision.”
He adds, “I was very impressed by the reception given to Charyn by French breeders. Everyone is congratulating me and saying that they can't wait until he is in his box at Montfort. Whether that will be next year or not, we'll see.
For the gelded Lazzat a stud career is not an option but international travel is now on the cards for the three-year-old whose race record now stretches to six straight wins.
“Lazzat has been amazing this year,” says Bizakov. “Unfortunately he is a gelding but that means we can enjoy him racing. So far everything has been good and he hasn't missed a single dance.
“Sending any horse to Australia isn't easy. He'll have to get through all the veterinary checks and if he is accepted he will go to the Golden Eagle [in early November]. That's Plan A and we'll try to get there but Plan B would be the Prix de la Foret.”
He continues, “I'd like to send a few good horses to Australia. I have set up a company there and prize-money in Australia is unbelievable. I believe that horses at Listed level here can be competitive enough.”
In the meantime, Bizakov and his family can look forward to welcoming their guests, many of them fellow breeders, to Deauville on Sunday for the nine races sponsored by Sumbe, including the two Group 1 features, the Prix Morny and Prix Jean Romanet.
“When France Galop approached me last January and told me there was this opportunity I grabbed it,” he says. “It's a big day for French racing and for French breeding – everyone is here for the sale and it's a nice way for us to say thank you to France Galop for everything they have done, and to the breeders. I am very happy and proud to be sponsoring this day.”
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