Stallion deal on hold as Mishriff's connections formulate another ambitious plan

Studs and stallion masters have already thrown their hat into the ring in a bid to secure the breeding rights to Mishriff, winner of last week's $20 million Saudi Cup, but racing manager Ted Voute has said that the colt's owner Prince Faisal is content to bide his time before reaching an agreement.

A blue-blooded homebred son of the Prince's dual Group 1 winner Make Believe, Mishriff already rated a highly desirable stallion prospect before his victory in the world's richest race having landed the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club.

The Saudi Cup does not have Group or Graded status, though Mishriff undoubtedly enhanced his profile no end after switching from turf to dirt to see off a strong US contingent, including Grade 1 winners Charlatan and Knicks Go, as well as the high-class Juddemonte homebred Tacitus.

"We've obviously had a few inquiries into his stallion rights but the Prince has put that on the back burner," said Voute. "He wants to enjoy Mishriff's racing career and doesn't want to think about decisions around a stud career just yet. He's got two young sons who he's trying to encourage to get into the sport to continue something that he loves."

Although no decision about where Mishriff will begin his stallion career has been reached, Voute said that his race record meant that they would not be short on options.

"He's so versatile that I could possibly see him standing in America or in Japan," said Voute. "On his race record he could turn out to be another Lope De Vega, a horse who gets runners in Europe, America and Australia. That's what you want, a truly international horse who can sire runners everywhere."

Ted Voute: 'That's what you want, a truly international horse who can sire runners everywhere'Credit: Laura Green

Voute added that Prince Faisal already has designs on a big 2021 campaign that could be set to enhance Mishriff's stallion credentials further.

"From the call this morning I gather the target is to be the world's highest-rated horse by the end of the year," he said shortly after speaking to the Prince.

"You always map out the races you want to go for but I sense the Juddmonte International is what he has his heart set on. A domestic Group 1 needs to be added to his CV from a stallion point of view but I'd say the end of the year will probably focus around the Arc and then hopefully off to stud."

Voute noted that the Prince's plans for Mishriff have thus far yielded big results, although he said that a willingness to break from the programme has also been a defining characteristic of the Prince's four decades as an owner and breeder.

"The French Derby was definitely a Prince Faisal plan during the winter and the Saudi Cup was a Prince Faisal plan too," said Voute. "The most successful people I've worked with have always been on the phone every day and it's part of their life, even if they're running massive businesses they spend time every day thinking about the horses and changing plans, not being rigid in their thinking.

"Prince Faisal will call up one day and suddenly say 'why don't we buy a foal this year?'. That's how we bought Make Believe."

Make Believe at the 2012 Tattersalls December Foal SaleCredit: Tattersalls

Recalling the 2012 expedition to the Tattersalls December Foal Sale, where the son of Makfi was secured from Aston Mullins Stud at a cost of 180,000gns, Voute said: "The Prince said go and find the best-looking colt you can find and so we ended up with a list of ten of them. I think eight of them were either by New Approach or Teofilo, and this was during the days of John Ferguson buying for Godolphin.

"The first one on our list was by New Approach and John Ferguson bought it, and then the second one was by Teofilo and John Ferguson bought it, another one went in and John bought that too!

"The Prince said let's go back to the Green Room and take all of the Darley horses off the list because we're not going to get one of them! So we were left with the Makfi and we duly bought him - that was one of the times that showed you do need a bit of luck."

With a small but select broodmare band comprising some notably well-related mares, including Mishriff's dam Contradict and others hailing from the Eljazzi dynasty, Prince Faisal's sales purchases are relatively few and far between.

However, the Prince still keeps a keen eye on what is being offered at auction, and, as a result, Make Believe is far from the only recent success story he has written when dipping into the public market.

"He goes through absolutely every lot looking at all the videos and pictures at every sale," said Voute. "He'll be sitting at home and ring me to tell me to go and look at something. I was at Deauville and he called and told me to go to the Ballylinch draft because there was a Lawman he'd seen on the videos and really liked.

"I called him back and said 'No, no good sir, he wasn't great in front. But when I was there, there was this Lope De Vega and I really liked him.' He said if I liked him I should go ahead and buy him, so we bought him and that turned out to be Belardo."

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