Muhaarar on the move: 'I think the horse has been underrated, I’ve always thought that'

Muhaarar will stand at Patrick Chedeville's Haras du Petit Tellier from the start of 2024 after Shadwell sold a 50 per cent share in the stallion to a group of French breeders, led by Haras des Capucines. 

Europe's champion sprinter in 2015, the son of Oasis Dream was viewed as something of a slow burner during his six seasons at Nunnery Stud and, despite siring the one-two in the 2021 British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes, Eshaada and Albaflora, was leased to Haras des Faunes at the beginning of the 2022 covering season.

Shadwell racing manager Angus Gold welcomed the move to Petit Tellier in Normandy, and believes that breeders have worked out what he and trainer Charlie Hills felt about Muhaarar during his racing career; namely that he was anything but a one-dimensional sprinter. 

"Personally I think the horse has been underrated, I’ve always thought that," said Gold. "I think his figures are remarkable; towards the end of last year and this year, look at the number of stakes-class horses he’s come up with. 

"In the last 48 hours he’s had Be Your Best finish second in a Grade 1 at Del Mar and Trevaunance finish fourth in a Group 1 at Deauville."

Out of Oaks and King George heroine Taghrooda, Israr became Muhaarar's latest Group winner in the Princess of Wales's StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

Gold added: "To me, he punches well above his weight. I think breeders in Britain were quick to dismiss him because they thought he was a sprinter and so, when his stock didn’t come out with a lot of precocity and early speed, they rather wrote him off.

"It’s very interesting that he does put a fair bit of stamina into his stock. Although he was champion sprinter for us, we always thought he was probably a miler. Bar his last race at Ascot, he always hit a flat spot in his races over six and then was flying at the end."

Muhaarar began his three-year-old season by winning the Greenham over seven furlongs but a bid for Classic glory over a mile in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains was somewhat inconclusive, with his challenge undermined by being drawn in stall 18 of 18 at Longchamp.

"We brought him back to sprinting and his sheer class was winning him the Group 1 sprints," said Gold. "But we always felt that probably underneath it, he would have been a miler."

Muhaarar: won four Group 1 sprints in a row in 2015Credit: Edward Whitaker

While July Cup runner-up Run To Freedom, a half-brother to Twilight Son, is Muhaarar's highest achiever on official ratings, the next five on the list are out of mares by Sea The Stars, Nayef, Galileo, Dansili and Azamour. 

"As both Eric Puerari [principal of Haras des Capucines] and Michel Zerolo [Oceanic Bloodstock] have always said to me, in the €10-15,000 range, there’s not a huge amount of options in France when it comes to proven horses, and hopefully he'll appeal as such," said Gold.

"We haven’t decided the fee but it will be in that sort of range and with any luck he will appeal to the breeders there."

Puerari said the deal had been done at the start of the year, following a raft of good results in the second half of 2022, including Polly Pott's win in the May Hill Stakes and Trevenaunce's Group-race double at Deauville. 

Nor has Muhaarar slowed down in 2023, with Marhaba Ya Sanafi taking out the Poule d'Essai des Poulains, and Israr landing the Princess of Wales's Stakes. 

Eric Puerari of Haras des CapucinesCredit: ZUZANNA LUPA

"The purchase of a half-share in Muhaarar by a syndicate of French breeders is matched by a real interest in the horse," said Puerari. "He'll be supported by the people that have bought shares in him and who have been struck by Muhaarar’s exceptional statistics.

"He throws horses with a lot of courage and vitality, and has that Linamix blood which is so coveted in France."

Puerari added: "The partners are ourselves, the family Dubois and a number of others who might be termed ‘the friends of the Haras des Capucines', while Shadwell have kept half of him. 

"While the announcement is now, we actually moved on the horse at the start of the year. He had an excellent 2022 and we took our chance at the start of 2023. 

"Sheikh Hamdan’s daughter [Sheikha Hissa] recognises this was an important horse to her father and I think that everyone at Shadwell is pleased that France has given Muhaarar a good opportunity to continue to do well."

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