High-class miler Taareef to take up stallion role at Haras du Mezeray

High-class miler Taareef has been retired and will swell the ranks of sons of Kitten's Joy standing in Europe when he joins the roster at Haras du Mezeray in Normandy next year.

He will be the second horse by the in-form Kentucky stallion to stand on the continent, after Bobby's Kitten at Lanwades in Newmarket, with this season's star three-year-old colt Roaring Lion looking likely to retire to Tweenhills in time.

A $675,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase on behalf of Shadwell in 2014, Taareef was bred by Dixiana Farms and is out of the stakes-placed Carson City mare Sacred Feather.

He was trained by Jean-Claude Rouget to win both his starts at two and landed the Group 3 Prix Daphnis and Group 2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein at three.

Last year at four he recorded impressive victories in the Group 3 Bertrand du Breuil – taking the scalp of Zelzal and Siyoushake – and the Group 3 Prix Messidor, in which he beat Al Wukair by two lengths.

Later that season he found only champion Ribchester too good in the Prix du Moulin and made it back-to-back scores in the Prix Daniel Wildenstein.

This season brought a third in the Group 2 Prix du Muguet and fourth in the Prix d'Ispahan.

Shadwell’s stud director Richard Lancaster said: “Taareef mixed it with the best at a mile in France, beating several Group 1 winners and establishing himself as a high-class performer for Jean Claude-Rouget, who always held the horse in the highest regard.

“He was a talented two-year-old, unbeaten in two starts, which is a huge bonus in what has become a hugely commercially driven market place.

"Taareef also has the added appeal of being by Kitten’s Joy, who is arguably one of the hottest stallions in the world right now on the back of leading lights Roaring Lion and Hawkbill.”

A fee for Taareef will be announced at a later date.

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