'Right move for us' - Haras de Fresnay-le Buffard put up for sale by the Niarchos family

One of the world’s most famous and historic stud farms, located in the heart of the prestigious Normandy breeding and horseracing region, has been placed on the market by the Niarchos family.

Haras de Fresnay-le Buffard has been under the stewardship of the family for the past 43 years since its purchase in 1979 by the late Stavros Niarchos from internationally renowned owner and breeder Marcel Boussac. 

The asking price has not been revealed, but it is anticipated that the sale will generate strong interest from across the international racing community. The family remains fully committed to its global racing and breeding operation, which encompasses Europe, the USA, Australia, South Africa and Japan. 

Commenting on the decision to sell, Alan Cooper, longstanding racing manager to the Niarchos family, said: “It is emotional for the family to say goodbye to Fresnay, but, as our racing and breeding interests have evolved over the years, we now have horses in a variety of international locations, which makes this the right move for us at this time.”

The success of horses which have passed through Fresnay-le-Buffard spans generations, with champions and Classic winners including Miesque, Kingmambo, Sulamani, Hernando and Six Perfections bearing the celebrated dark blue, light blue cross belts and white cap racing colours. 

The farm’s reputation was initially established by French industrialist Marcel Boussac and was quickly cemented by the Niarchos family as it built on the tradition of breeding Classic winners on the famous lands of Fresnay-le-Buffard - 45 European Classics, seven Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and seven Breeders’ Cup victories feature in the rich history of this historic property. 

The main farm extends to 205 hectares/506 acres of pasture as well, as 12 ha/30 acres of park land. There are also 65 ha/160 acres of pasture, 26 ha/64 acres of woodland and 1.8ha/4.5 acres of gardens at the adjacent Haute Cote. The size and configuration of the site offers the possibility of further development. 

Over the past 43 years, the stud farm has expanded to include additional lands, barns and a pre-training track. The paddocks of the entire farm were recently reseeded to the highest quality after consultation with international agronomists and are maintained by a rotation of sheep and cattle. The paddocks are supported with carefully planned barns and stable yards which provide approximately 200 boxes throughout the main property. These are complemented by a 14-stall isolation barn at the Haute Cote annex. 

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