Belbek

By Katie Ritz and Sue Finley    There are seven stallions based in France whose first foals will sell at this week's Arqana December Sale. We talked with the connections at their stud farms to find out what they have seen in the foals, what they will bring to market of theirs this week, and what expectations are for the progeny they are about to launch into the sales arena.   ACE IMPACT (Cracksman -- Absolutly Me, by Anabaa Blue). Standing for  €30,000 at Haras de Beaumont.  2023 Cartier Horse of...

Star miler Charyn will stand at an unchanged fee of €35,000 and will anchor the five-strong Sumbe roster, which was announced on Wednesday. A winner of the G1 Queen Anne Stakes, G1 Prix Jacques le Marois and the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, he will welcome his first foals in 2026. A trio of Sumbe sires will have their first yearlings next year. International globetrotter Mishriff will stand for a reduced fee of €12,500, while the Group 1-winning juvenile pair of Angel Bleu and Belbek will stand for lower fees...

After four years with the bloodstock team at Arqana, Mario Gussago has this week joined Sumbe as nominations and racing manager. The Italian native previously had a long stint in Newmarket, spending five years with Marco Botti as travelling head lad and another three as second assistant to Roger Varian. "I never wanted to train so I was looking to work on the other side and I am so grateful to Arqana," says Gussago. "They've been so good to me, and not many other people would have given me this...

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...

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})...

Nurlan Bizakov has made his presence felt in France in recent years, purchasing Haras de Montfort et Preaux and Haras du Mezeray to combine these two established studs under his Sumbe banner. Sumbe is now a name becoming increasingly familiar throughout Europe and the team behind it was rewarded with a Group 1 winner from the first crop of horses bred in France by Bizakov when Belbek (Fr) (Showcasing {GB}) landed the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere on Arc day. The Andre Fabre-trained colt will take the next step forward in his...