Persian King (Ire)

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...

The Auctav Winter Breeding Sale concluded on Wednesday, and a 1/50th share in Persian King (Ire) brought €140,000 on a private bid to top proceedings. Sold as lot 8, the share was acquired by Broadhurst Agency. Persian King stands at Haras d'Etreham and has 16 winners worldwide in his first crop. Three other lots made €25,000 or more, with a 1/48th share in Nirvana Du Berlais (Fr) (lot 4) making €50,000 from B & R Consulting. The stallion resides at Haras de la Hetraie, while his eldest foals are 3-year-olds...

Offered in foal to Persian King (Ire) by Haras d'Etreham, the Pivotal (GB) mare Quara (Ire) topped the third day of the December Breeding Stock Sale at Arqana when being bought by Llama O'Mahony's Whitethorn Bloodstock for €72,000. The 10-year-old Quara is out of the Listed-winning Dubawi (Ire) mare Quanzhou (Fr), a half-sister to the G1 Prix du Cadran hero Mille Et Mille (GB) (Muhtathir {GB}). Though Quara was unraced, Quanzhou is the dam of five winners, including the Listed scorers Hooking (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and Le Destrier...

A share in French Classic winner Persian King (Ire) (lot 3B) is one of 14 lots catalogued for the Auctav Winter Breeding Sale. The first-season sire has 14 winners to his name. The sale, which features stallion shares, breeding rights, two broodmares, and a 3-year-old filly, is set for Wednesday, Dec. 11 beginning at 3 p.m. local time. Other lots of note are a share in group sire The Grey Gatsby (Ire) (lot 5B), a stallion share in Beaumec De Houelle (Fr) (lot 4B), a share in Nirvana Du Berlais...

A 1/50th share in first-season sire Hello Youmzain (Fr) (lot 4) brought a sale-topping €250,000 from Laurent Benoit's Broadhurst Agency during Tuesday's Arqana Online November Sale. The son of Kodiac (GB) has 19 winners worldwide. His pair of Group 3 winners are G3 Prix des Chenes hero Misunderstood (Fr), and G3 Prix Eclipse hero Electrolyte (Ire). Kullazain (GB) was third in the G3 Cornwallis Stakes, and Afentiko (Ire) was placed in a French listed affair. He stands for €40,000 at Haras d'Etreham next year. Group 1 sire Kameko's 1/50th (lot...

Hello Youmzain (Fr), the leading first-season sire in France this year, has had his fee increased to €40,000 as he prepares to stand his fifth season at Haras d'Etreham in 2025. The sire of two black-type winners from his first crop, namely the G3 Prix des Chenes winner Misunderstood (Fr)--who also finished third in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere--and G3 Prix Eclipse scorer Electrolyte (Ire), Hello Youmzain was introduced at a fee of €25,000 back in 2021. He remained at that level the following year, before being dropped to €22,500...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Friday's Observations features Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up graduate Bambalam (Persian King).   16.45 York, Mdn, £100,000, 2yo, 7fT BAMBALAM (FR) (Persian King {Ire}), who was his sire's most expensive progeny sold at auction when becoming the fourth-highest-priced lot at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale in April, makes his...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday's Observations features a pricy son of Into Mischief.   3.25 Dundalk, Mdn, €18,000, 2yo, 8f (AWT) BERNARD SHAW (Into Mischief) bids to build on his highly encouraging debut fourth under John Velazquez in The Curragh's Barronstown Stud Maiden in June in this race won in the last two...

Haras d'Etreham resident Persian King (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) became Europe's latest first-crop sire to get off the mark when his Joel Boisnard-trained daughter Out Of Africa (Fr) annexed Monday's €23,000 Prix Toyota, a 6 1/2-furlong newcomers' event, at Craon. 5th-Craon, €23,000, Mdn, 6-10, unraced 2yo, 6 1/2fT, 1:17.55, sf. OUT OF AFRICA (FR) (f, 2, Persian King {Ire}--Africaine {GB}, by Oasis Dream {GB}) broke smartly and raced prominently in a close-up second through the early fractions of this debut. Stoked up at the top of the straight, the 19-5 favourite...

Lot 154, a son of Persian King (Ire) and the Paco Boy (Ire) mare Robanne (GB), hammered at 600,000gns to Stroud Coleman Bloodstock from the draft of Tally-Ho Stud during the second session of the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale. The dam was third in a brace of Group 3s, and is already responsible for Listed Prix Herod winner and G3 Prix Imprudence runner-up Ritournelle (Fr) (Camelot {GB}). Bred by Haras d'Etreham and Riviera Equine, the colt caught the eye of Tally-Ho at €80,000 out of the 2022 Arqana December Breeding...

Hyde Park Stud, Saturday's leading buyer, shelled out €95,000 for a colt by Persian King (Ire) (lot 723) to top the fifth and final day of the Arqana October Yearling Sale. Out of the American dual stakes winner Much Obliged (Kingmambo), who was also placed twice at graded level, the Haras de l'Hotellerie-consigned colt is also a half-brother to G3 Acomb S. winner Syphax (Arch). Saturday's statistics for the second day of Part 3 stood at a gross of €1,045,000 for 72 sold from 82 offered (88%). The average was...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Friday's Observations features a full-sister to three-time Group 1 winner Persian King (Ire). 14.15 Saint-Cloud, Debutantes, €27,000, 3yo, f, 8fT PROPHETIE (GB) (Kingman {GB}) is a key runner for Ballymore Thoroughbred Racing and the Andre Fabre stable, being a full-sister to the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains, G1 Prix...