'When it comes to stallions, Prince Faisal has either bred them or raced them'

Prince Faisal had ten million reasons to celebrate following the Saudi Cup in Riyadh after his homebred star Mishriff added the world's richest race to a record that already included the Prix du Jockey Club and the Prix Guillaume d'Ornano.

The story contained within Mishriff's pedigree encapsulates an approach to racing and breeding that has brought the Prince untold success over the past four decades. The four-year-old hails from his signature family, tracing back to Eljazzi, who was purchased for 92,000gns at the Tattersalls Houghton Sale and has since founded a dynasty.

The daughter of Artaius bred the influential Rafha, winner of the Prix de Diane and dam of Invincible Spirit and Kodiac - both of whom carried the Prince's colours before embarking on highly successful stallion careers. Also among Rafha's 11 winning offspring was Princess Royal Stakes scorer Acts Of Grace, who in turn produced Mishriff's dam Contradict.

While Mishriff's female line has been cultivated with skill and care over four generations, he is from the debut crop of Make Believe, who won the Poule d'Essai des Poulains and Prix de la Foret in the Prince's silks having been bought as a foal for 180,000gns in 2012.

David Egan lifts the Saudi Cup after steering Mishriff to victoryCredit: Francois Nel

Racing manager Ted Voute says the naming of Mishriff bears a special significance, having been named in honour of the man who helped fuel the Prince's early passion for horses.

"Mishriff was a man who was a trainer for the Prince and a mentor in horses," says Voute. "He taught him to ride and trained horses with him, the Prince ended up having a licence himself in Saudi Arabia under the tutelage of Mr Mishriff. Sadly the man Mr Mishriff died and two months later the Prince named the Make Believe colt after him."

The impact that Mishriff's human namesake had on the Prince resonates much deeper than the naming of his current star, however, with Voute explaining how those formative experiences in Saudi Arabia are still reflected in the Prince's approach to breeding to this day.

Ted Voute: 'He's combined a lot of the Bedouin horsemanship with European-style breeding methods'Credit: Laura Green

"He's combined a lot of the Bedouin horsemanship with European-style breeding methods," says Voute. "He's amalgamated the two and a horse like Mishriff is the result. He pretty much does the matings himself and he puts a lot of time into each mare.

"He knows a lot about their temperaments and what they're like, he talks to the trainers almost every day and gets very good feedback, and he rings me once a day at the very least. I think that's a big part of the success; he's on it and he knows everything.

"He loves the sport and he loves the animal. He likes being with the horses; he comes to the farm and we do a yearling parade and he loves to go down to the paddocks. He's really hands on."

Although Mishriff's success in the Saudi Cup, which paid $10 million to the winner, is another high point for a family with a rich history, Voute says the dam, Contradict, has not enjoyed such good fortune in recent years. Happily those days appear to be behind her and the daughter of Raven's Pass, who has also bred the stakes performers Orbaan and Momkin, is set for a replication of the mating that yielded Mishriff.

Make Believe in his paddock at Ballylinch StudCredit: Ballylinch Stud

"Like every good story we've had a bit of bad luck as well because the mare has kept losing her foals on the way to the 42-day scan," he says. "Thankfully we got her in foal last year and she's carrying a colt by Frankel. She's due in the next month.

"We were tempted to do lots of creative things with her, I tried to tempt the Prince into going to Dubawi, but he had already made his mind up that he wanted her to go back to Make Believe."

Make Believe, who is standing his sixth season at Ballylinch Stud, figures prominently among the Prince's mating plans, with four more mares joining Contradict. They include the winning and Group 3-placed Simple Magic, who descends from the Niarchos family's blue hen Coup De Folie, and her recently retired daughter First Kingdom, who is by Frankel.

Another maiden bound for Make Believe is Dafinah, a daughter of the Grade 1 Alcibiades Stakes heroine Spring In The Air and War Front. Although Spring In The Air was bought for $1.65m at Keeneland in 2015, Voute reveals that the Canadian champion has already left the Nawara Stud broodmare band having been gifted to Khalid Abdullah to visit Arrogate.

First Kingdom: daughter of Frankel is among the Prince Faisal mares visiting Make BelieveCredit: John Grossick

The quintet is completed by Redemption. The unraced half-sister to the Listed scorers Solomon's Bay and Tammani by Olden Times - who the Prince keeps at Throckmorton Court Stud - is in foal to Oasis Dream.

"The Prince kept a third of Make Believe so he could keep the organisation going on the income off of the nominations," says Voute. "Ultimately he wants his sons to take over and he doesn't want to leave them an onerous task. Raising and training 35 to 50 horses ends up costing the guts of £1 million each year so you need to raise some money to not make it so costly."

As well as a sizeable interest in Make Believe, the Prince also retains shares in Belardo, Invincible Spirit, Kodiac and Olden Times, all of whom either figure prominently in this year's mating plans or the pedigrees of his mares.

"We're quite lucky now when it comes to choosing stallions as the Prince has either bred them all or we bought them and then raced them," says Voute. "He has breeding rights in Belardo, Make Believe, Kodiac, Invincible Spirit and Olden Times, who we still use occasionally."

Invincible Spirit carrying Prince Faisal's silks in his racing pompCredit: Gerry Cranham

The Listed-placed Savaanah will visit Tally-Ho Stud's Kodiac having delivered a Make Believe filly earlier in the month, while Nameless heads to Belardo for her debut mating.

Sons of the late Shamardal feature prominently in the outside stallions being supported by the Prince, with Magical Rhythms, a daughter of Group 1 winner Nayarra and Pioneerof The Nile, set to visit Pinatubo after delivering a Gleneagles foal, while Moon Mountain, a daughter of Frankel in foal to Kingman, is penciled in to Earthlight.

"The Prince is desperate to get some broodmares with the Shamardal influence in their pedigrees," says Voute. "He's a brilliant broodmare sire and was so tough and resilient himself, but we can't use him anymore so we're sending one each to Earthlight and one to Pinatubo."

Sooda, a six-year-old Street Cry half-sister to Magical Rhythms, is heading across the Channel to one of France's most promising young sires after she delivers a filly foal from the final crop of Pivotal.

Ted Voute: 'The Prince is desperate to get some broodmares with the Shamardal influence in their pedigrees'Credit: Laura Green

"We toyed with going to Wootton Bassett but when the stud fees came out the Prince felt it was a step too far for a young mare," says Voute. "I loved the Almanzor yearlings I saw last year so booked a nomination in August as he probably won't be as cheap as he is now again. Every one I saw had something about them so we're taking a bit of a gamble and sending her to him."

On how the Prince came to have daughters of Pioneerof The Nile, sire of American Pharoah, and Street Cry among a broodmare band that is based at Eydon Hall Stud in Northamptonshire, Voute says: "We sent a few mares over to America a few years ago primarily to get some US blood into the pedigrees.

"If you don't find an outcross there soon becomes fewer and fewer stallions you can breed to so we sent three over there. Unfortunately from the three years we were over there we only got a couple of fillies, the rest were all colts, but that's why we have mares by Pioneerof The Nile and Street Cry from those good families."

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