Mounting evidence that this highly qualified jumps sire is going to be the next big thing in France

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On this occasion, Martin Stevens takes a closer National Hunt sire Nirvana Du Berlais who is enjoying a hot-run of form – subscribers can get more great insight every Monday to Friday.

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What a run for young, up-and-coming French National Hunt sire Nirvana Du Berlais.

The Haras de la Hetraie resident, whose oldest crop of foals are aged only four, supplied Leader Sport, an impressive winner of the Grade 1 Prix Maurice Gillois over fences at Auteuil on Sunday for trainer Daniela Mele and joint-owner Walter Connors, and Nirvalla, who defied odds of 101-1 to finish third in the same race for Mickael Seror.

Nirvana Du Berlais' well-touted son Lulamba, who had already put his sire’s name up in lights by scoring in the Punchestown Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle after finishing second in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham last season for Nicky Henderson, then coasted to victory on his chasing debut in a beginners’ event at Exeter on Monday.

To put an exclamation mark on it, Manganese, a three-year-old from the sire’s second crop, overcame significant interference from a loose horse to score easily in a fillies’ juvenile maiden hurdle at Leicester for Max Comley on the same afternoon.

Nirvana Du Berlais’ hot streak didn’t come out of the blue, either. There is supporting evidence to suggest that it is the start of a successful stallion career. 

His debut four-year-olds, of which there are 79, also include Semper Fortis, who took a Listed handicap hurdle at Auteuil last month for Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm, and Victory Valley, who finished second in a Listed chase at the same track in April for Arnaud Chaille-Chaille and Francois Pamart, along with 14 other winners and 11 placed performers under rules. 

Grade 1 winner Nirvana Du Berlais is a son of MartalineCredit: Auctav

His second generation of three-year-olds, which totals 100, has meanwhile already yielded five other winners besides Manganese. Among those are Nicos Invicta, who struck in an Auteuil hurdle in April and wasn’t beaten far into fifth in a Listed event at the track in September for Francois Nicolle, and Juste Prix, who scored by three lengths over hurdles at Senonnes in August for Isabelle Pacault.

If Nirvana Du Berlais does take his place in the hallowed ranks of elite French National Hunt sires alongside the likes of Doctor Dino, No Risk At All and Cokoriko, as it looks increasingly like he will, it won’t be the biggest surprise. He has always had an awful lot going for him, after all.

First, he has a terrific French jumps pedigree. He is by Martaline, Haras de Montaigu’s much-missed son of Linamix who is the source of numerous stars on either side of the Channel and another big-race winner in Marble Sands at Cheltenham on Sunday. 

Martaline’s other sons at stud include Beaumec De Houelle, who is one crop ahead of Nirvana Du Berlais but hasn’t made nearly as explosive a start, although it does look like he has a good one on his hands in Letos, the brave winner of the Brown Lad Handicap Hurdle at Naas this month for Tony Mullins.

Nirvana Du Berlais is, furthermore, out of Katioucha, a daughter of Mansonnien who finished third in the Listed Prix Finot hurdle at Auteuil for newcomers and is now developing into a real blue hen for her owner Haras du Berlais and partners.

She is the dam of five other winners, including Toscana Du Berlais, a son of Shantou who struck by six lengths in the Grade 1 Prix la Haye Jousselin at Auteuil on Sunday; Triana Du Berlais, a daughter of Presenting who scored at Grade 3 level over hurdles and fences at Auteuil; and Aubusson, a son of Ballingarry who was saddled by Nick Williams to take a Grade 3 handicap hurdle at Haydock and to finish a nose second behind Thousand Stars in the Grade 1 Grand Prix d'Automne at Auteuil.

Leo-Paul Brechet and Leader Sport return after winning the G1 Prix Maurice Gillois

Nice To Meet You, a placed full-sister to Nirvana Du Berlais, has meanwhile produced dual Auteuil Listed chase winner and Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris fourth Niko Has (by Great Pretender) and last season’s young French hurdling ace Nietzsche Has (Zarak), who showed his prowess to British racegoers when he bolted up by eight lengths in the Grade 2 Finale Juvenile Hurdle at Chepstow last December.

Nietzsche Has received an enthusiastic reception in his first season at Montaigu this year, covering 102 mares in total, and his supporters will no doubt be delighted to see his ‘uncle’ Nirvana Du Berlais showing it to be a sire-producing family.

There is quality all the way down this page, too. Katioucha is a half-sister to high-class French exports Ma Filleule and Mon Parrain out of Kadaina, a daughter of Kadalko who won a Listed hurdle at Auteuil. 

Kadiana was in turn one of five black type-winning jumpers out of the Lyfko mare Kogina, along with Katoune, Klark, Madame Stella and Samson. Madame Stella is the dam of Waitnsee, who won the Imperial Call Chase at Cork four years ago.

Nirvana Du Berlais then lived up to that outstanding breeding in his seven outings for Chaille-Chaille, all over hurdles at Auteuil at three. He won twice, in the Grade 3 Prix Aguado and Grade 1 Prix Cambaceres, on the latter occasion surging 14 lengths clear of the classy pair Kool Has and For Fun.

Nirvana Du Berlais has the good looks to match, being a powerful sort standing 16.2½ hands, although he’s somehow overcome being born chestnut, a towering obstacle to siring talented jumpers in Britain and Ireland. Apparently. 

Stormy Island: was covered by Nirvana Du Berlais this yearCredit: Patrick McCann

It is no surprise, then, that he has always received strong support from breeders. He covered books numbering 125 and 131 mares in his first two seasons, and word must have spread about the appearance of his early foals as he was sent 185 mares in his third year, 189 in his fourth and 160 in his fifth.

With Lulamba having dropped a big clue in the winter that Nirvana Du Berlais’ progeny have the ability to match their looks, the sire covered a bumper book of 211 mares in his sixth season this year, including quite a few notable names in British or Irish ownership such as Maria’s Benefit, Stormy Ireland and The Glancing Queen.

This year’s Weatherbys Return of Mares also features nine foals by him registered in Britain or Ireland in 2025. Take a bow, the breeders of those horses, for being so ahead of the game: Elms Bloodstock; Scarlett Knipe; Longner Bloodstock and Peel Bloodstock; JP King and Patrick Turley; Phil and Jan Mathias; Olney Bloodstock; Scandinavian Equine Services; and Evergreen Bloodstock – twice, so that outfit must be doubly shrewd.

King and Turley have already received their reward, selling their Nirvana Du Berlais colt foal out of the Grade 2-placed Helissio mare Our Dot’s Baby to Dick Frisby for €68,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale this month.

Knipe is selling her colt out of Lucie Du Berlais, a Saint Des Saints mare from another black-type-packed Berlais family, in the unusual arena of the Tattersalls December Foal Sale in Newmarket next Wednesday. Such a well-bred offering is unlikely to be missed among the Flat bluebloods, though.

The Glancing Queen was among Nirvana Du Berlais' book of mares this yearCredit: Edward Whitaker

Several of the other British and Irish-bred Nirvana Du Berlais foals feature among the eight lots by the sire set to be presented at the Goffs December National Hunt Sale next month, alongside the inevitable French pinhooks. They will no doubt be even more closely examined by traders and end users after the exploits of Leader Sport, Lulamba and co.

Pinhookers certainly seemed keen to lay their hands on Nirvana Du Berlais yearlings at the Arqana Autumn Sale in Deauville yesterday, with Carrigeen Bloodstock paying €30,000 for one colt and Brown Island Stables giving €16,000 for another. 

It might prove wise to have bred to the sire before now, with his 2026 covering fee still to be announced but sure to go up, and to buy his stock before everyone else jumps on the bandwagon.

It is still early days for Nirvana Du Berlais, but he looks like the real deal to me.

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Pedigree pick

Something out of leftfield today. Sanah, who makes her debut for Anastasia Wattel in the 11-furlong maiden at Amiens today (4.32 local time, 3.32 GMT), is a rare runner in Europe by Australian sire sensation The Autumn Sun. 

The three-year-old filly was bred by the Aga Khan Studs, who also bred the five-time Australian Group 1 winner The Autumn Sun in partnership with Arrowfield Stud. She is out of Sananda, an unraced Anabaa half-sister to brilliant middle-distance racemare Sarafina who has also produced multiple Australian winners Garmish and Vitesse, both by Snitzel – like The Autumn Sun, a son of Redoute’s Choice.

Sanah was sold by the Aga Khan Studs for €4,500 at the Arqana February Sale this year, and she will carry the colours of Richard Wilmot-Smith.

The Autumn Sun has come to the fore recently as the source of Caulfield Guineas hero Autumn Boy and Golden Eagle winner Autumn Glow, and was said to be highly popular this southern-hemisphere covering season.

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