Group 1-winning sprinter Golden Horde to kickstart stallion career in France

Golden Horde, an impressive winner of this year's Commonwealth Cup, is to take up stud duties at Nurlan Bizakov's Haras de Montfort & Preaux in Normandy alongside leading sire Le Havre and the Queen's young stallion Recorder. His introductory fee has been set at €10,000.

The announcement brings to an end a period of speculation as to where the Group 1-winning sprinter would stand after connections drew time on his racing days in mid-October.

Golden Horde was trained throughout his ten-race career by Clive Cox, who also oversaw the racing campaign of his sire, Lethal Force. Golden Horde won twice at two, including a decisive victory over Threat and Royal Dornoch in the Group 2 Richmond Stakes.

He again showed high-class form when reaching the placings in two Group 1 contests, namely the Prix Morny and the Middle Park Stakes, beaten just a neck in the latter contest. He returned at three with a blistering performance in the Commonwealth Cup, a race he won by a comfortable length and a half.

He proved a model of consistency thereafter, finishing third in the July Cup, a close fifth in the Prix Maurice de Gheest and third in the Haydock Sprint Cup on what proved to be his swansong.

"He was a very productive two-year-old who showed immense class from the start," said Cox. "After running well at Royal Ascot, he followed up by winning the Richmond Stakes very professionally and competed at Group 1 level in the Morny and the Middle Park.

Clive Cox: 'With every race he ran you were assured a consistent, top-class performance'Credit: Edward Whitaker

"He thrived through the winter and with his first-time-out performance in the Commonwealth Cup he showed he was the best three-year-old sprinter around. He then competed against his elders with great credit in the July Cup and back in France, as well as in his final race in the Haycock Sprint Cup."

Cox added: "With every race he ran you were assured a consistent, top-class performance. He has a wonderful temperament and he has been an absolute joy to deal with on a daily basis."

Golden Horde is out of Entreat, a winning Pivotal half-sister to Topkapi Trophy scorer Producer whose other four winners are headed by Cheveley Park Stud's Pipalong Stakes victress Exhort. Further back it is the active family of the prolific Serena's Song, meaning Group 1 names such as Sophisticat, Honor Code, Zabeel Prince and Rizeena appear in his back pedigree.

Bizakov also owns Hesmonds Stud in East Sussex and stud manager Tony Fry confirmed the cream of the farm's broodmare band would be among Golden Horde's debut book.

Fry said of the new recruit: "He's a smashing-looking horse, very athletic and there's a lot of Pivotal about him. He's got a lovely female line and he's got a great mind as well. I think that shows in his races; he was very tough on the racetrack but a kind horse off it.

"His pedigree makes him an easy horse to mate and we'll be sending at least 12 mares to him, which is around 30 per cent of our broodmare band. We may even buy additional mares at the upcoming sales to support him with.

Qazyna: Listed-winning daughter of Frankel among the Hesmonds Stud mares visiting Golden Horde in 2021Credit: Edward Whitaker

"Among the mares we're sending are Albanka, dam of Altyn Orda, who won the Oh So Sharp Stakes and was Group 1-placed twice; Bee Queen, a half-sister to Sangarius; the Listed-winning Qazyna, a Frankel mare out of First; Totally Devoted, dam of Tomyris; and Thetis and Liber Nauticus's dam Serres.

"We really believe in him and we're going to give him every chance to become a success. We're very excited about him and we'd love Clive to be training some of his produce in the future."

Fry added: "Since Nurlan bought Montfort & Preaux he has always intended to invest in France. France Galop are promoting the two-year-old programme there now so Golden Horde should be a good fit for France at the moment. When the opportunity to get a horse like him comes along, you have to take it."

Montfort & Preaux has also released fees for its two other stallions, with leading light Le Havre, sire of five Group/Grade 1 winners including Prix de Royallieu and British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes heroine Wonderful Tonight, priced at €40,000, down from €50,000 this year.

Wonderful Tonight: one of five Group/Grade 1 winners by Le HavreCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

Recorder, whose first runners will hit the track next year, has also had his fee clipped into €4,000.

Mathieu Alex, manager of Haras de Montfort & Preaux, said: "With present times being difficult for many players within our industry, we want to help breeders as much as possible, which is why we have decided to reduce our fees for 2021."

Alex added of Golden Horde: "We are delighted to welcome this top-class sprinter and would like to thank his owner HH Sheikh Sultan Al Deen bin Mohammed bin Salman Al Khalifa and trainer Clive Cox for giving us this opportunity.

"Golden Horde is a beautiful-looking horse: a great mover with size, scope and a lovely head. With the enhancements of the two-year-old racing programme in France, as well as improved returns on French premiums for juvenile races, this is an opportune moment to stand a stallion who had both precocity and speed.

"We will do our very best to give him the best possible start at stud and will support him with nice mares for sure."