Mishriff has it all [EBN]

The most durable of racehorses, Mishriff (Make Believe) has prevailed in the face of adversity before on the racetrack, taking on multiple champions on every surface and across a variety of continents. Forced to surpass it once again upon retirement, the earner of £11.8m had his stud career temporarily put on hold for a season when an unfortunate incident almost on the eve of embarking on his first season at stud led to the delay of his second career for a year.

Fickle are the minds that follow this sport, not through their own fault but as new champions retire to the breeding shed each year, it becomes increasingly difficult to remind the bloodstock world just how good your champion was two, three or even four years prior. With that in mind, now seemed as good a time as ever to speak to Mario Gussago, Nominations and Racing manager at Sumbe, who eagerly awaits the debut crop of yearlings by Mishriff to sell at Arqana from tomorrow. If ever patience deserved to pay off it is in the case of this brilliant horse, whose courageous campaigning by his trainer and subsequently co-trainers John and Thady Gosden delivered an enviable race record that comes close to perfection, leaving next to nothing left to accomplish by the time he set foot in Sumbe’s Haras de Montfort et Préaux back in 2023.

From the first crop of the Gr.1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains winner Make Believe, he emulated his sire in carrying his racing owner Prince A A Faisal’s colours to victory in a French Classic, taking the Gr.1 Prix du Jockey Club in striking style, one of three victories in his three-year-old campaign. He was also second in the Saudi Derby on dirt en route to the first of his three Gr.1 victories, an experience that stood to him in the future when returning 12 months later to win the Saudi Cup before switching back to turf and taking the Gr.1 Sheema Classic. Those early spring international successes preceded arguably his most important win on home soil, as he later took the Gr.1 Juddmonte International Stakes by a remarkable six lengths. Rewinding right back to Mishriff’s training career, Gussago fondly reminisces: “I was in Newmarket when he was in training and watching him every morning on Warren Hill, so I have loved thehorse for a while. It is difficult to find a racing fan who doesn’t love him. He is a beautiful horse, very well-balanced, very well made. His record speaks for itself really. He is a Classic winner in France and then as a four-year-old he won three Gr.1s, won on dirt and then back on turf in Dubai and finally the Juddmonte International, which is one of the pinnacles of a future stallion’s career. He was an incredible racehorse.”

That he was, but being a brilliant racehorse is no guarantee of success at stud. Alas, Gussago has the punchy facts on hand and draws comparison with one of this year’s leading first-crop sires, already the sire of an unbeaten dual Classic winner: “Mishriff was rated 127, the same as St Mark’s Basilica, who also won the Prix du Jockey Club,” he states. An important commonality and indeed worth pointing out that said glittering first-crop star filly Diamond Necklace was purchased in this very arena two years ago. That’s not to suggest Mishriff has yearlings out of the likes of Prudenzia (Dansili) to sell this week, but the thoughtfully assembled bunch have enough pedigree behind them to represent their sire well. “We are excited that he has eight yearlings selling at Arqana, seven in The August Sale and one in v.2, all carefully selected yearlings. Sire power is important so it’s a very good achievement for Mishriff to have seven in the main catalogue. I worked for Arqana so I know what is required and how high the standard is for a yearling to get a place in the catalogue. Speaking to some of my former colleagues, they were really happy with them. The breeders are delighted to bring them as well.”

Rightly so when delving into the pedigrees. To name one, there is a half-sister to the Gr.3-winning two-year-old and Gr.1-placed Daylight (Earthlight; Lot 61) out of the Listed Criterium du Languedoc winner and Gr.3 Prix de la Grotte third Latita (Silver Frost). “That is a great pedigree to have for his first crop in this sale,” Gussago says proudly. “The catalogue has the likes of Prudenzia’s Siyouni colt [Lot 128] in it, so by those standards they are not blockbuster families but they are all out of young mares with potential and with class on the page. Lot 54 is another, a colt and the second foal out of an unraced half-sister to Kameko.”

Accounting for Mishriff’s delayed start to proceedings at stud, Gussago is pleased with the selection and has no fears for his future: “Yes it is unfortunate he had a little setback in his first season but he loves his job and his fertility is around 90 per cent. Of course his numbers in his first and second season were affected by his delayed start but the numbers were still strong. Last year was a bit disappointing but after breeders saw his foals, the support was strong again this year. I think the price at €12,500 was very reasonable and attracted just shy of 100 mares. I was pleased and now I want to fast forward to next year to see them run!”

In terms of what we might expect to see, though Mishriff was an emphatic ten-length winner of his maiden as a juvenile, he progressed markedly from two to three and held his form all the way to his five-year-old career. As for early action, Gussago is realistic, though points to the presence of two immensely

influential precocity and speed influences in his immediate family, both successful sires: “You never know,” he warns. “He has had some young mares with more speedy pedigrees too, so he has had some help there and has Kodiac and Invincible Spirit in his pedigree, so of course it is not impossible. But breeders didn’t use Mishriff looking to breed an Ascot two-year-old. We hope that he can do that as well but it’s not the main target.”

Mishriff is not alone in facing the first major test of his second career at Sumbe: “It’s a big year for us. We have Angel Bleu [Dark Angel] and Belbek’s [Showcasing] first crops of yearlings selling this year too in v.2 and plenty in Osarus as well,” Gussago says with anticipation. “They both have lovely yearlings on the ground, good, well-balanced types. Mishriff was a winner at two but you don’t expect to see 5f juveniles by him next year. But Angel Bleu and Belbek were winners in April and May respectively at two, so we can hope for some early action from them if they can pass on their precocity. The first Charyn foals are on the ground too, breeders are very happy and we also couldn’t be happier with what we have on the stud. He is passing on his temperament and his physical. They are all strong, well-built individuals. The next three years in Sumbe are going to be very important. We look forward to seeing what the stallions can do.”

A final word from Gussago on the eve of a pivotal weekend: “There is not much more to say.” Keeping it brief. “I loved Mishriff when he was running and I am very privileged to work with him now. I think Europe is very lucky that Mr Bizakov managed to strike a deal with Prince Faisal to keep him in Europe and not let him go somewhere else, where an offer may have come.” As Gussago said. himself, how could you not admire the horse and agree? EBN 14/08/26