By Adam Houghton
Like any vibrant metropolis, Haras d'Etreham is somewhere that embraces the diversity of its inhabitants. At one time the roster featured everything from a dual Group 1-winning sprinter in Hello Youmzain (Fr), now one of the most expensive Flat stallions in France, to the leading National Hunt sire Saint des Saints (Fr), who in October this year was pensioned from stud duties.
“We just need as many options as possible,” says Etreham's Nicolas de Chambure, speaking more generally about the evolving stallion scene domestically which, in his words, had a strong demand for a horse like Hello Youmzain, France's leading first-season sire of 2024.
“I feel like it's filling a gap, something that we didn't have before,” he continues. “We were missing a few options to breed a good two-year-old or to breed a good sprinter. We've seen some of those stallions retiring in France recently, but then we've also retired a son of Frankel in Onesto last year. So, there are still those Classic horses, those 10- or 12-furlong horses, but now it's a more diverse pool of stallions, which is good.”
De Chambure certainly knows a thing or two about Classic horses. In 2025, Etreham supporters will be able to choose from three of the last six winners of the Poule d'Essai des Poulains in Persian King (Ire) and Victor Ludorum (GB), successful in consecutive years in 2019 and 2020, plus Metropolitan (Fr), who retires to the farm near Bayeux after his Longchamp success back in May for owners Peter Bradley and Scuderia Scolari.
If you're going to corner one area of the market, then Classic-winning milers would appear as good as any. And, in the shape of Metropolitan, de Chambure is adamant that breeders have a totally unique opportunity on their hands, in keeping with the spirit of diversity.
“Obviously, what was a big plus for us in his profile was that Metropolitan was the only Classic-winning son of Zarak, and he's probably the one that has shown the most precocity and speed,” de Chambure sums up.
“He was unbeaten at two. He was probably capable of being a Group winner at two, but Mario [Baratti, trainer] decided to give him time. Mario always said he had enough speed, natural speed, to be at his best at three over a mile.
“He ran him in the [G3 Prix de] Fontainebleau, a traditional trial for the French Guineas. He needed the race, Mario said, and then he came back three weeks later and he won the French Guineas. That was a great performance and he really established himself as a strong stallion prospect after that race.”
Though Metropolitan failed to add to his Group 1 tally after his Poulains win, he confirmed himself a miler out of the top drawer with a third-place finish in the St James's Palace Stakes and a runner-up effort in the Prix Jacques le Marois. Said to be “ready for a break” when finishing eighth on what proved to be his swansong in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Metropolitan never raced beyond a mile, which remains a cause of regret for de Chambure, who reveals that it hadn't always been the intention to retire him at the end of his three-year-old campaign.
He explains, “Obviously, the option was to go for the French Derby over 10 and a half furlongs [after the Poulains], but Mario wanted to keep the horse at a mile with the view of stretching him in distance at four. We came in and bought into the horse after the St James's Palace, so we were involved with him when he ran in the Jacques le Marois. At this point we were really keen to keep him in training next year.
“That's a little bit of my regret, that we didn't see him over 10. He was so good at a mile but I think there was maybe something else to see over 10 because he was finishing his races so strongly, and his pedigree says that he would have been suited for 10 furlongs. But he did enough at two, and he did enough this year, for us to retire him. He's a great addition for us and a great addition for the French breeders.
“The Dubawi line is still not very well represented in France,” de Chambure adds of Metropolitan's place in the French market. “Obviously, we have Zarak, but we haven't had many sons of Dubawi in France. It's important to have that sire line in France, and he's an outcross to a lot of the Galileo lines, so it makes him very easy to use and open to a lot of different mares.”
Bred by Stuart McPhee, Metropolitan is the second winner from four runners out of his unraced dam, Alianza (GB) (Halling), 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 and their associates have been busy recruiting suitable mates for the three-year-old at the recent breeding stock sales, both in Europe and the US. Their acquisitions include black-type performers such as the Listed scorer Turn Cartwheels (Fr) (Dream Ahead), bought for €130,000 at Arqana, and the G3 Prix Miesque second Lady Mia (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}), who fetched $80,000 at Keeneland.
“In a competitive and selective market, it is essential to support one's stallions and Metropolitan will benefit from strong backing from his connections,” says de Chambure. “A number of shares have been sold to some of the leading breeders in France and abroad. They have reserved a quality broodmare band for him and we are delighted with the welcome he has received since the announcement of his arrival at stud and following visits.
“We warmly invite breeders to come and see him at stud in order to finalise their crosses.”
And what will breeders find when they come to see Metropolitan in the flesh?
“He has a bit of size, without being too tall, and he's got a lovely attitude about him,” de Chambure adds. “For a Zarak he's got great strength and depth and he's built like a miler. He's got that balance and he walks well–he's very correct. I think he's going to suit loads of mares physically.
“He's such a good-looking horse. I think when you see him, you really want to breed to him.”
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