How Europe's latest middle-distance marvel French King was bred

French Fifteen's biggest claim to fame outside of France is finishing a neck second to Camelot in the 2,000 Guineas seven years ago, but he could make us all sit up and take notice of him once again as he is the sire of one of the most progressive middle-distance stars in Europe.

His four-year-old son French King is now unbeaten in four starts this year after registering a comfortable length victory over Communique (by Casamento) in the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Berlin at Hoppegarten on Sunday.

The colt, trained by Henri-Alex Pantall for French Fifteen's owner Sheikh Abdulla Bin Khalifa Al Thani, was Listed-placed in the French provinces last year but has gradually risen through the ranks. In February he won the valuable Emir's Trophy in Qatar, and since then has won the Carl Jaspers-Prieis at Cologne and Grosser Hansa Preis at Hamburg, both Group 2s, before recording his first elite victory.

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Paddy Power introduced French King at 33-1 for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, with Danedream the last horse to win the Grosser Preis von Berlin and the Longchamp showpiece in the same season.

French Fifteen, a son of Turtle Bowl who won the Criterium International and Prix Djebel, stands at Haras du Logis Saint-Germain in Normandy, with his fee set at €6,000 this year.

With his first crop aged four, he is also the sire of Group 3-winning sprinter Sestilio Jet and Listed scorer Teckwin, now a useful performer in Hong Kong under the name of Flat Heaven, as well as Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte third French Pegasus and Listed second Wooden.

Intriguingly, he is also the source of Giovanni Change, an impressive wide-margin winner of a Killarney bumper on debut for Emmet Mullins last month.

French Fifteen's accomplishments are more creditable for the fact that his first crop contained only 49 foals and his second crop had 30. His third crop, aged two, comprises just 27 horses but he has 53 yearlings on the ground according to France-Galop.

French King was bred by Sheikh Abdullah Bin Khalifa's Umm Qarn Farms and is the second foal out of the Listed-winning Halling mare Marina Piccola, a half-sister to UAE 2,000 Guineas third Wednaan.

The dam is out of German Group 3 winner Marine Bleue, a Desert Prince half-sister to Listed scorer Mystic Spirit from the family of Group 1 winners Mirio and Nahoodh and Prix Jean Prat runner-up San Marino Grey.

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