New Zealand's Cambridge Stud has purchased the Southern Hemisphere breeding rights to Almanzor (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), and the 2016 European champion 3-year-old is set to shuttle there later this year. Almanzor is based at Haras d'Etreham in France and is currently standing his first season for €35,000. He will be syndicated in New Zealand and will stand for NZ$30,000.
Brendan Lindsay, who with his wife Jo recently purchased Cambridge Stud from the legendary studmaster Sir Patrick Hogan, said, “Our purchase of Almanzor is a further vote of confidence in the New Zealand industry. He will be the first European champion 3-year-old since Montjeu to stand in New Zealand, so having access to a horse with his credentials is hugely significant. We will be throwing our full support behind him.”
Cambridge also stands Montjeu's highly successful son Tavistock (NZ) and leading second-crop sires Burgundy (NZ) and Highly Recommended (Aus).
“Almanzor was a truly outstanding racehorse, he was the highest-rated turf horse in world in 2016 alongside Winx with a Timeform rating of 133,” said Cambridge Stud Chief Executive Officer Henry Plumptre. “He displayed an exceptional turn of foot and also has an outcross pedigree which is so sought after by Australasian breeders.”
A first-crop son of Group 1 winner Wootton Bassett (GB), who is himself by another successful New Zealand shuttler in Iffraaj (GB), Almanzor was trained by Jean-Claude Rouget and was a stakes winner at two. He won his three Group 1s at three in three different countries, kicking off the sequence in France's G1 Prix du Jockey Club. He bested a stellar field of older horses in the fall the G1 Irish Champion S.-those in his wake including the subsequent Arc winner Found (Ire), champion 3-year-old filly Minding (Ire), the previous year's Jockey Club winner New Bay and global Group 1 winner Highland Reel (Ire)-and he had Found again in his wake when taking the G1 Champion S. five weeks later. Almanzor will be given every chance to succeed in Europe as well, his shareholders including breeder Haras d'Etreham, Gerard Augustin-Normand and SF Bloodstock.
Click here for a TDN Big Interview with Haras d'Etreham's Nicolas de Chambure discussing Almanzor.
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