'Good-looking' Fighting Irish retired to stand at Haras d’Annebault

Fighting Irish, Camelot's first Group winner and the sire's only Group-race winner over six furlongs, will stand at Niccolo and Vita Riva’s Haras d’Annebault near Deauville this year.

Trained for the majority of his career by Harry Dunlop, Fighting Irish broke his maiden on his third start at two in 2017 and followed up an emphatic Yarmouth success with a win in the Group 2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte that October.

Fighting Irish, who went on to finish third in the German 2,000 Guineas at three, is the fourth foal out of the Pivotal mare Quixotic, a sister to Lockinge winner Virtual and a three-parts sister to Coventry victor Iceman.

Racing Post Bloodstock reported earlier this month that his racing owners Daniel Macauliffe and Anoj Don were looking for a farm at which to place their star and the Normandy operation has answered the call, with Annebault standing him in partnership.

They will be offering a €50,000 bonus to the breeder of the first Group winner from Fighting Irish's first crop in Britain, Ireland or France.

Fighting Irish after success in the Criterium de Maisons-LaffitteCredit: Racing Post / Scott Burton

Dunlop said: "Fighting Irish is a very good-looking, strong and precocious type who always showed a lot of speed and ability from day one.

"As Camelot’s only Group-winning sprinter out of a Pivotal mare, I've no doubt that he has all the credentials to succeed at stud.”

Niccolo Riva added: "We were very keen to stand such a fast son of Camelot and regard Fighting Irish as an excellent addition to our stallion roster. He's a wonderful specimen and we and our clients will be supporting him with a strong team of broodmares.”

The six-year-old will stand for a fee of €3,000 and will join a roster that includes Spanish Moon - the sire of Cheltenham Festival heroine and Grade 1 winner Laurina - and the German Derby winner Waldpark.

Annebault has other new recruits for this season in the shape of Hot Streak, who joined from Tweenhills, and former Elwick Stud resident Mondialiste.

Riva and Matt Coleman of Stroud Coleman Bloodstock will be managing Fighting Irish's stallion career.

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