Tdn Europe • Page 2 of 8 • Thetdn.Com Saturday • 27 February 2021
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
SATURDAY, 27 FEBRUARY 2021 BHA RELEASES 2021 FIXTURES BIZAKOV ADDS MEZERAY The British Horseracing Authority has released its full fixture TO EXPANDING list for 2021, with 1,486 total fixturesB897 flat and 589 jumps-- scheduled and with prizemoney minimums across all races set to FRENCH OPERATION return to pre-Covid levels with the Horserace Betting and Levy Board continuing its higher than usual contribution to prizemoney. There will be 1,079 afternoon fixtures and 407 evening fixtures. Jockeys will continue to be restricted to one meeting per day, with the situation to be reviewed when Covid protocols are no longer required. The BHA will reduce the number of flat races in July and August by about 70, with a potential reduction in the number of 2-year-olds in training in 2021 forecast and to keep fields large and competitive. The Easter fixture list has also been adjusted, when it has historically been planned to maximize spectators. The Horserace Betty Levy Board will contribute ,20.1-million to racing from May 1 to June 30. This comprises ,16.4-million for prizemoney and ,3.7-million in regulatory and fixture grants. The core day-to-day prizemoney contributions will total ,14- million through the per-race rate card, an increase of 49% on the ,9.4-million allocated to comparable prize money funds in a Haras du Mezeray | Photo courtesy Sumbe typical May and June. The HBLB will also make contributions to the Appearance By Emma Berry Money Scheme (,1.3-million), Divided Races Fund (,0.15- Nurlan Bizakov's breeding operation Sumbe has been million) and the Great British Bonus (,0.9-million). expanded further with the purchase of Haras du Mezeray from Cont. p5 the de Moussac family. The acquisition of the 440-acre farm in Normandy follows the 2019 purchase of Haras de Montfort & Preaux, which is just 10 IN TDN AMERICA TODAY kms from Mezeray and is home to the Sumbe stallions Le Havre IT’S ELEMENTARY AS FIRE TESTS WATER ON DIRT (Ire), Recorder (GB) and Golden Horde (Ire). The latter, who has Chris McGrath examines Saturday’s GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of just embarked on his first covering season, had his first mare Youth S., where Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Fire At Will scanned in foal on Thursday. returns on the dirt. Click or tap here to go straight to TDN Cont. p2 America. TDN EUROPE • PAGE 2 OF 8 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • 27 FEBRUARY 2021 Bizakov Adds Mezeray To Expanding French Operation cont. The Kazakhstan-born Bizakov said of his most recent purchase, Bizakov founded his breeding empire at Hesmonds Stud in the "When I bought Montfort & Preaux I realised that the existing UK. He has retained that 700-acre Sussex farm, which is used for land was not big enough to accommodate my own mares as well boarding clients' mares or for his own mares visiting as those of Montfort & Preaux's clients. When we moved our British-based stallions, but his entire broodmare band was 30-plus mares from England it put it under pressure, and from moved to France last year. Tony Fry, the long-term manager of day one, Mathieu, Tony and I have been looking for some Hesmonds Stud, has moved to Haras du Mezeray, and Mathieu options around Montfort & Preaux. Then we decided to look at Alex remains in charge of Haras de Montfort & Preaux. Mezeray, which was on the market and is just 10 minutes from Montfort & Preaux. It has been a long journey but finally we've done it and I am very happy because Mezeray is a very big name in French breeding. It has a long history, having been founded by Paul de Moussac in 1962. So it is coming up for its 60th anniversary next year." During those last six decades two Arc winners, Trempolino and Subotica (Fr), have headed a notable list of Mezeray-bred Group 1 winners which includes Luth Enchantee, Amonita (GB), Naaqoos (GB), Coquerelle (Ire) and Mekhtaal (GB). More recently, it has also been responsible for the five-time Group 2 winner Enbihaar (Ire) and last season's G3 Prix Thomas Bryon winner and G1 Criterium International runner-up Normandy Bridge (Fr), a son of Le Havre who is a Classic prospect this season for young Deauville trainer Stephanie Nigge. Montfort & Preaux has also produced a number of top-class Nurlan Bizakov with Roger Varian | Sumbe performers in recent seasons, including the dual Classic heroines TDN EUROPE • PAGE 3 OF 8 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • 27 FEBRUARY 2021 Bizakov Adds Mezeray To Expanding French Operation cont. Avenir Certain (Fr) and La Cressonniere (Fr), both by Le Havre, who is also the sire of the David Menuisier-trained dual Group 1 winner Wonderful Tonight (Fr). She was bred at the farm, along with Suedois (Fr) and Mont Ormel (Fr) (Air Chief Marshal {Ire}). Bizakov continued, "We will consider Mezeray and Montfort & Preaux as one farm. Obviously some staff will be focused on one Senior Vice President Gary King farm and some on the other but I am sure there is plenty of Twitter: @garykingTDN room for synergy between the two. I hope that clients from both [email protected] farms will benefit from this merger as well because it will give us + 1.732.320.0975 more room, more facilities and more infrastructure." International Editor Kelsey Riley Twitter: @kelseynrileyTDN [email protected] European Editor Emma Berry Twitter: @collingsberry [email protected] Associate International Editor Heather Anderson Twitter: @HLAndersonTDN Marketing Manager Alayna Cullen Twitter: @AlaynaCullen [email protected] Golden Horde | Sumbe Contributing Editors The owner/breeder indicated that he is keen to expand his Alan Carasso stallion operation in France. Along with the three stallions at Christina Bossinakis Montfort & Preaux, Mezeray is currently home to De Treville Cafe Racing (GB), an Oasis Dream (GB) half-brother to Too Darn Hot (GB) Sean Cronin who will be represented by his first runners this season. Tom Frary "We will discuss with his owner Rashit Shaykhutdinov what he [email protected] would like to do with De Treville," he said. "We would definitely like to stand more stallions in the future. That was the main Irish Correspondent reason that I decided to buy Montfort & Preaux in the first Daithi Harvey place, because they had Le Havre and Recorder, who I hope will have a big year this year. Now with Golden Horde we have a Regular Columnists Chris McGrath | John Berry | Kevin Blake new stallion at the farm and this year we will look for some Amy Lynam | Melissa Steele options to buy. I would like to stand a Group 1-winning miler and we might look at a mile-and-a-quarter horse as well." Bizakov's own mare Card Shop (Chester House), the dam of G3 Prestige S. winner Ollie Olga (Stormy Atlantic), was the first to IN TDN AUS/NZ TODAY be scanned in foal to Golden Horde this week. The breeder will ARTORIUS JOINS NEWGATE’S NEXT GENERATION also be supporting his new stallion with Albanka (Giant's The G1 Blue Diamond S. winner is the latest 2-year-old colt to Causeway) and Totally Devoted (Seeking The Gold), the dams be snapped up as a stallion prospect by Newgate. Click or tap respectively of two more of his group-winning homebreds in here to go straight to TDN Aus/NZ. TDN EUROPE • PAGE 4 OF 8 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • 27 FEBRUARY 2021 Bizakov Adds Mezeray To Expanding French Operation cont. Altyn Orda (Ire) (Kyllachy {GB}) and Tomyris (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). Also slated to visit the G1 Commonwealth Cup winner is Melilot (Fr) (Elusive City), whose daughter Mageva (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) was third in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, and Dalkeya (Fr) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), a half-sister to the Aga Khan's G1 Dubai Sheema Classic winner Dolniya (Fr) (Azamour {Ire}). "Golden Horde has settled in very nicely," said Mathieu Alex. "He's a horse with a great mind. He has already covered 16 mares and the first one has been scanned in foal. He's a very exciting horse to have in France as he is a Royal Ascot Group 1 winner, so that is very exciting for French people. He had great form at two, which is always a plus, and he's a good-looking horse, so he's been popular." Le Havre | Sumbe Of the inclusion of Mezeray in the operation's portfolio of studs, he added, "It is a great opportunity to be able to purchase such a prestigious farm where 27 Group 1 winners, including two Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winners, were bred. Good land is so important and definitely one of the keys for racing success. Nurlan Bizakov loves the breeding side of this industry and it made sense to go ahead with this farm located 10 kms away from Haras de Montfort & Preaux. It is a very exciting project and all the team involved feel very privileged to be part of it. It is also great news for France where the racing system is one of the best in the world. It's great to see major players want to be here." Despite moving his breeding stock to France, Bizakov still has horses in training in Britain and he singles out the 96-rated treble winner Shandoz (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}), trained by Roger Varian, as one he is particularly looking forward to seeing return to the track this season. TDN EUROPE • PAGE 5 OF 8 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • 27 FEBRUARY 2021 Bizakov Adds Mezeray To Expanding French Operation cont.