Arc contender Persian King recruited to Haras d'Etreham roster for 2021

Classic winner and Arc challenger Persian King will stand at Haras d'Etreham for 2021, where he will join European champion Almanzor, City Light and fellow new recruit Hello Youmzain.

In a coup for French bloodstock, the stud revealed that the son of Kingman would be added to their roster, becoming the second son of Juddmonte's star stallion to join Europe's sire ranks after Coventry scorer Calyx was sold to Coolmore last year.

Haras d'Etreham's Nicolas de Chambure said: "Persian King won his Group race at two and continued to progress at four. He has everything I like in a horse as he always performs to a high level and is sound, while he is blessed with a lot of class and brings some very interesting bloodlines as well, being out of a granddaughter to Giant's Causeway.

"We actually tried to buy into him at two after he'd won his conditions race, but it was Darley who ended up buying half, so we are really very happy to be able to come to an agreement with everyone now."

He added: "He has a very different profile to Hello Youmzain and that is great because they are two horses that offer something completely different to breeders."

"On the one hand it is a show of confidence on the part of the owners in Etreham and the team here which is great. But just as importantly it is a vote for French breeding and French racing. It is a very strong sign that there is belief in France as a place to launch him as a stallion in preference to Britain or Ireland."

Out of the Dylan Thomas mare Pretty Please, a close relation of Group 1 scorer Planteur, Persian King was off the mark on his second start at two, winning by six lengths at Chantilly, before ending the year with a narrow defeat of subsequent Racing Post Trophy and 2,000 Guineas hero Magna Grecia in the Autumn Stakes at Newmarket.

The Andre Fabre-trained colt began his Classic campaign with an easy win in the Prix de Fontainebleau before overcoming the testing ground with a length defeat of Shaman in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains.

He was then second to Sottsass in the Prix du Jockey Club but subsequent injury meant he sat out the rest of the year.

This season he was a neck second on his return in a Listed contest before wins in the Prix du Muguet and Group 1 Prix d'Ispahan, in which he defeated the globetrotting Stormy Antarctic.

After a below-par fourth in the Prix Jacques le Marois, he returned to winning ways when holding off the fast-finishing Pinatubo in the Prix du Moulin for a third top-level score.

Persian King will step up to a mile and a half for the first time in his career in the Arc on Sunday, while his stud fee will be set at a later date.

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