'We had known and admired him for a long time' - Gutaifan takes pride of place in Hungarian breeding project

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On this occasion, Tom Peacock learns about the new life being enjoyed by Gutaifan in Hungary – subscribers can get more great insight every Monday to Friday.

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Gutaifan has a change of scenery and an important new mission this year as the star signing for the Babolna National Stud in Hungary.

It had been a bit of a surprise to see the grey was registered in an Auctav sale in late September by Haras des Faunes, the farm where he had spent the previous five seasons after leaving Yeomanstown in Ireland.

However, the opportunity to recruit a stallion who was responsible for the country's top sprinter, Vain Hope, was one that Balazs Horvath, the manager of Babolna's thoroughbred division Diospuszta Stud, was keen not to miss as he signed him for a €30,000 fee.

Gutaifan arrived at his new home just outside Budapest, in a picturesque setting with more than a century's worth of history, on October 14 before passing through a two-week quarantine period.

"He's an intelligent, good-natured stallion, so my colleagues quickly found common ground with him," says Horvath before explaining the rationale behind the purchase.

"Since the close of our breeding season, we have been continuously exploring new opportunities to purchase or lease a new stallion, as the stallions currently standing at our stud have already been proven, and we felt that fresh blood was needed.

Gutaifan, seen as a rather different colour when winning the Flying Childers Stakes in 2015Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

"We held discussions with German, French, English, and Irish studs, horse owners, and agents, followed the auctions closely, and even attempted to place bids – but without success.

"In the end, one of our partners drew our attention to the auction of Gutaifan. We had known and admired the stallion for a long time. We were also aware that he had not been fully utilised in recent years, which likely influenced the decision to offer him for sale.

"However, as we later saw news of Gutaifan’s listing on the Auctav online platform across several international portals, we did not expect the price to be as low as it ultimately was."

Gutaifan, a son of Dark Angel, raced for only his two-year-old season with Richard Hannon but a productive campaign saw him win both the Prix Robert Papin and Flying Childers Stakes as well as finish runner-up in the Prix Morny.

He was launched with some fanfare as a stallion at a €12,500 but failed to live up to expectations. Nevertheless, he is the sire of a top-level performer in Fev Rover, the winner of both the Beverly D Stakes and the E.P. Taylor in North America while the likes of Popmaster and Big Gossey are black-type sprinters.

"The outstanding performances of his many international and domestic progeny show that they are often precocious and fast," Horvath says. "Therefore, we believe that his future offspring will be able to perform very well in the domestic racing scene, and, given their pedigree, may also be attractive to the western market.

Balazs Horvath, manager of Diospuszta Thoroughbred Stud, part of Babolna National Stud Farm Credit: Attila Benedek / BNDK

"Fortunately, his purchase has somewhat energised the domestic breeding community. Many breeders have already shown interest in him, and a growing number are visiting our stud specifically to see the stallion in person with a view to breeding. I am especially pleased that we have already received inquiries from abroad as well.

"With us, he will stand at a fee of €2,000 for the 2026 season. We believe this is the level that breeders in our region are still willing to pay for a covering by a stallion of this category. According to our plans, he will cover 20 to 25 mares in his first season at our stud."

Local champion among new signings

Gutaifan will be part of a six-strong Babolna roster along with Ecrivain, a dual Group winner in France and a son of Lope De Vega. Rose Bowl winner and Gimcrack runner-up Mokarris, Dutch Art stallion Pigeon Catcher and a son of Hungary's gilded sprinter Overdose named Cirfandli are also residents along with another new arrival Geza, who is by Sioux Nation.

"As a state-owned stud, we must keep in mind not only our own breeding objectives but also the needs of domestic breeders," Horvath explains.

"Alongside Gutaifan, our busiest stallion is Ecrivain. His first offspring entered training in 2025 and next season we will surely see several of them competing on both domestic and international racecourses.

"Our other new acquisition will primarily be of interest to domestic breeders. Geza reached his peak as a three-year-old, winning both the National Stakes and the 2,400-metre Hungarian Derby, the first two legs of the Hungarian Triple Crown. His next challenge came in Austria’s Classic, the Donau Derby, which he won in convincing fashion.

"A Hungarian horse last achieved the Derby double in 1981 with Turbo. In the 2026 season, we will base the breeding of our own mares primarily around these three stallions."

The year provided another memorable moment for Babolna when, at Catterick in August, the George Scott-trained Alther Walden became the first Hungarian-bred winner on the Flat in Britain for many decades. He was produced by the farm along with Esti Feny, a winner of both the Listed Gosford Cup and the Mornington Cup in Australia, and Zafirelli, who showed a good level of form in Germany last season.

Horvath says: "We imported Alther Walden’s dam, Alternanthera, in foal through the mediation of Oliver St Lawrence at the Tattersalls sales for 18,000gns. The main reason was that she comes from the famous Alpinista family of Lanwades Stud.

"Alther Walden was born and raised at our stud, where he remained until his ownership was purchased by Billy Jackson-Stops for €34,000 in Germany, through the agency of Gestut Lunzen. His success is a great joy and source of pride for us and our other homebred horses sold abroad increasingly demonstrate that it is indeed possible to breed racehorses in our country that can hold their own in foreign racing jurisdictions as well."

Horvath explains that improving the quality at the stud, which currently has 48 thoroughbred broodmares, has been a priority.

"Building on the legacy of our former stud manager Zsolt Hegedus — who had excellent international connections — we have been continuously working to develop and strengthen our broodmare band," he says. 

"Last year, we took part in several foreign sales. Based on the opinions of both our own and international experts, we can confidently say that thanks to our imported mares, our stock is becoming increasingly strong.

"In recent years, we have produced an average of around 30 foals annually and the number of racehorses in training averages between 35 and 40. Domestically, we have been the reigning breeders’ champion for several years now and a large proportion of the best Hungarian-bred horses come from our stud."

Familiar issues continue

Racing is woven into Hungarian culture and the country remains one of very few outsiders to have bred a Derby winner, courtesy of Kisber's triumph at Epsom back in 1876. Its racecourse Kincsem Park, named after its pioneering conqueror of the 1878 Goodwood Cup and other prizes around Europe, celebrated its centenary last year.

Horvath explains that the current situation has the same problems reflected the world over, for all that he is adamant there is potential for growth.

"From an infrastructure perspective, everything is in place to host high-quality international and domestic race meetings, even with audiences of tens of thousands, whether for Flat racing, harness racing, or greyhound racing," he says.

Kincsem Park is the historic home of Hungarian racing

"At the same time, attendance and public interest remain a challenge. Unfortunately, historical periods in the recent past have eroded the social groups that once formed the driving force behind the sport.

"Traditionally, horse racing has not enjoyed the same level of popularity in Hungary as football or other mass sports. Although there is a dedicated fan base, for the average person it is often pushed into the background. This is reflected, for example, in relatively modest spectator numbers and betting turnover.

"The current economic situation is also unfavourable for participants in the racing industry. A significant gap has emerged between prize money levels and the costs of keeping racehorses. Fortunately, we and many domestic breeders have received assurances from Adam Szotyori Nagy, the CEO of Kincsem Park, of a more substantial support package aimed at assisting Hungarian-bred horses.

"Breeding is the foundation of horse racing itself, as historically the purpose of racing has been to test breeding stock – everything else should follow only after that."

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