Sumbe

Sumbe's undefeated listed winner Hot Darling (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) has been confirmed for the G3 Albany S. at Royal Ascot on Friday, June 21, trainer Amy Murphy revealed on Friday. "It was a great result for everyone, the owners and my team at home," said Murphy of the filly, who sold earlier this week for 460,000gns, a record for the Tattersalls Online platform. "She's going to go for the Albany. We'll find it out if six furlongs is right, but we're looking forward to running her and she's...

Nurlan Bizakov's Sumbe bought the two-for-two listed winner Hot Darling (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) for a record 460,000gns during the Tattersalls Online Pop-Up Sale on Wednesday. The daughter of Boater (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}) won her debut at Chantilly in April before taking the Listed Prix des Reves d'Or at Vichy on May 15. She was consigned by trainer Amy Murphy and is from the same family as 2024 G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains hero Metropolitan (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}). The bay carried an entry in Sunday's G3 Prix du Bois...

Long absent but certainly not forgotten by the racing intelligentsia, TDN Rising Star Matrika (Ire) (No Nay Never) stages her comeback in a renewal of Newmarket's G3 Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn S. on Wednesday that could yet determine the shape of next month's G1 1000 Guineas. While seen generally as an understudy to Ballydoyle's sidelined Opera Singer (Justify) and other TDN Rising Star Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the Classic picture throughout the winter weeks, there is time for her to emerge as a leading light with this seven-furlong...

Back in the dying years of the last century I spent some time working for Horse & Hound. It was part of a large magazine group set in a 30-storey tower block on the south bank of the Thames in central London. A strange place for an equestrian publication to be based, but there we were, sharing the 20th floor with Country Life and Shooting Times, the odd Labrador or terrier running around loose, occasionally biting a delivery man or cocking a leg on the coat stand. You can imagine...

The first five mares bred to Nurlan Bizakov's Sumbe newcomers--multiple Group 1 winner Mishriff (Ire), and the pair of G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winners Angel Bleu (Fr) and Belbek (GB), are all in foal the operation announced on Tuesday morning. Group 3 winner Tamarind (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), a winner of the G3 Give Thanks S. and the dam of three stakes-placed horses, is in foal to Mishriff, as is Labaaqa (Ire) (Le Havre {Ire}), who is the only one of the five not a member of Bizakov's broodmare band. Albanka...

Not even a blanket of snow and some icy country lanes could deter those on the annual Normandy bloodstock pilgrimage more formally known as the Route des Etalons. With plenty of new sires to show off this year, many of France's major stallion studs welcomed in breeders and members of the public during the weekend showcase which is now in its 14th year. At Haras de Bonneval, the French home of the Aga Khan Studs stallions, more than 600 people turned out on Saturday to see the quartet of stallions...

For most farms it is enough just to be introducing one new stallion to the market in a season. For Nurlan Bizakov's Sumbe, that task is multiplied by three as the Normandy-based operation launches homebred Belbek (Fr) and Angel Bleu (Fr) at the same time as relaunching Mishriff (Ire) after a false start. It is unlikely that anyone has forgotten Mishriff but the stallion business is a fickle game. A misplaced kick to the wall of his stable at Haras de Montfort & Préaux at the beginning of the year...

Following the news that a pair of Group 1-winning juveniles will be joining the Sumbe roster in 2024 earlier this month, multiple Group 1 winner Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) anchors the five-strong Sumbe roster at Haras de Montfort et Preaux, Nurlan Bizakov's operation announced on Tuesday morning. The three-time top-level scorer will stand for €17,500 in his first season, after a setback ruled him out of the 2023 covering season. A winner of the Dubai Sheema Classic, Prix du Jockey Club and International S. to go with five other...

Winless since capturing the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere 12 months ago, Nurlan Bizakov's Belbek (Fr) (Showcasing {GB}) thrived back on a deep surface to sign off with a win in Sunday's G3 Prix Perth at Saint-Cloud. Showing he retained his ability when third in the G2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein at ParisLongchamp on Arc Saturday, the Andre Fabre trainee was kept fresh in the interim and raced a touch freely early anchored in fourth against the rail by Bauyrzhan Murzabayev. One of five who stayed far side swinging for home, the...

Nurlan Bizakov's investment in French racing and breeding has been significant since 2019 when he bought Haras de Montfort et Preaux, followed later by the purchase of Haras du Mezeray. Branding his stallion and breeding operation as Sumbe, he added Golden Horde (Ire) to the roster for the 2021 season, and last year announced that Mishriff (Ire) would stand for Sumbe, with De Treville (GB) also on the roster. The line-up for 2024 has been enhanced again with the announcement that Bizakov's homebred Group 1 winner Belbek (GB) (Showcasing {GB})...

Godolphin's €130,000 Arqana October acquisition Casapueblo (Ire) (Le Havre {Ire}--Uruguay {Ire}, by Authorized {Ire}) justified 7-5 favouritism by overcoming traffic issues and was elevated to the 'TDN Rising Star' ranks with a taking display in Wednesday's Prix de la Maniguette at Chantilly. The eventual winner lobbed along in third through steady early stages, but slipped to fourth when brake-checked and impeded approaching halfway in this debut. Full of run along the rail when encountering heavy traffic passing the quarter-mile marker, he found an open lane inside the final 300 metres...

Recorder (GB) has changed hands and will now stand at Longford House Stud in Ireland after transferring from Sumbe in France.  The move will see Recorder join Melbourne Cup winner Rekindling (GB), Rajsaman (Fr) and more at the County Tipperary stud.  Recorder raced just three times in a career that did not extend beyond a juvenile campaign. But it was a successful one to the extent that he carried the Queen's colours to victory in the G3 Acomb S. at York for trainer William Haggas.  He has sired four black-type...