Last year's Group 1 Prix Jean Prat winner Puchkine (Fr) has settled in well at Haras de Beaumont with the stud manager Mathieu Alex saying that, “everyone who has seen him, loves him.”
Puchkine will provide something a little bit different for breeders in France and his fee has been set at €8,500.
The speedy son of Starspangledbanner (Aus) went unbeaten at two before confirming his progression into a top-notch three-year-old when taking out the Prix Jean Prat at Deauville.
It was after that Group 1 triumph when the Chehboub family bought a 50 per cent share in the colt, who joined Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Ace Impact (Ire), Intello (Ger), Sealiway (Fr) and Stunning Spirit (GB) on the roster.
Alex said, “We bought into Puchkine straight after his Group 1 win. The Prix Jean Prat is quite a prestigious race, which has been won by Too Darn Hot (GB) and Pinatubo (Ire) in the past.
“Puchkine is a very good-looking horse. He's by Starspangledbanner, who obviously needs no introduction. And we also liked the fact that he was unbeaten as a two-year-old. He raced three times and won three times, including a very impressive five-length win on debut. So you know, he's got a lot of things going for him and I think France does need the stallion that is able to produce fast and precocious horses.”
He added, “I think the career of a stallion at two is very important. People are looking at it very closely. He raced from seven furlongs to a mile, quite versatile also as a three-year-old. But he was a really fast horse, a sprinter, and he won the Prix Jean Prat in a very good time. He was tough and genuine, always gave his best, and has a very good mind.”
All told, Puchkine ran eight times for Jean-Claude Rouget and won four of those starts. He amassed close to €300,000 in prize-money and, in that Prix Jean Prat win, he had the likes of French 1,000 Guineas runner-up Kathmandu (Ire), Beauvatier (Fr) and Vespertillio (Fr) behind.
A half-brother to Listed performer Slevka (Fr) (Shalaa {Ire}), Puchkine is the fourth foal out of the unraced So You Think (NZ) mare Vadyska (Ire), herself a half-sister to German Listed winner Romina Power (Fr). She hails from the family of Group 1 Fillies' Mile winner Lyric Of Light (GB) (Street Cry {Ire}).
One thing is for sure, Puchkine won't lack support in his debut season at stud. His breeder Alain Jathiere along with Gerard Augustin-Normand remain involved in his ownership and are understood to be planning on sending him mares this year. Puchkine's addition to the roster is another reminder of the massive strides that Haras de Beaumont has made in just a short space of time.
Arc hero Ace Impact is very much the star attraction at the stud and the excitement is building for his first foals in 2025.
There is also great anticipation building about Sealiway, whose first yearlings will hit the market in the autumn, with Alex describing the British Champion Stakes winner as “a very important horse” for the farm.
He concluded, “You know, Haras de Beaumont is a young operation, but 2024 and 2025 are very exciting years. In 2024, we saw Ace Impact joining the team and he covered 180 mares, including 115 black-type or black type producers. So he had a very good year in year one and received great support from all over the world. He is obviously a very exciting horse to have here.
“We also had the first foals born by Sealiway in 2024. Sealiway is a very important horse to the farm as we bought him as a yearling. He raced for the team and now, being a stallion, he's a dual Group 1 winner. He won the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere very impressively and won the Champions Stakes at Ascot at three so it's exciting.”
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