Young gun throwing 'top-notch' offspring among the exciting sires lined up in Sumbe's blue-chip mating plans

Sumbe is once again throwing its weight behind its roster of young sires by sending them a stack of blue-chip mares.

Nurlan Bizakov’s Normandy based operation is supporting its champion miler Charyn in his second season as a stallion with some particularly dazzling names.

For the second year in succession, the son of Dark Angel will cover Bee Queen, a Makfi mare who is the dam of Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere hero and Sumbe studmate Belbek; Providenciales, an unraced Australia half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Saffron Beach; and Yukata, a Listed-placed daughter of Galileo.

He will also receive Alseyoob, a dual-winning daughter of Lope De Vega related to New Approach who was sent to Siyouni in 2025; Ithaque, a Listed-placed daughter of Oasis Dream bought in foal to Zarak for €160,000 at Arqana in December; and Qazyna, a Listed-winning daughter of Frankel who has just foaled a Lope De Vega filly.

“We have 16 mares in foal to Charyn and we’ll send him a similar number this year,” reported Sumbe general manager Tony Fry. “He has a few first foals on the ground and everyone seems very pleased with them. The reports we're hearing are good.”

Belbek, whose oldest crop are yearlings, stands at a much lower fee than Charyn – €5,000 versus €35,000 – but he is also receiving strong home support

The son of Showcasing’s concubines this year include the proven mares Luzia, a daughter of Cape Cross who is the dam of Sun Chariot Stakes victress Fonteyn and is in foal to Belbek; and Raushan, a winning Dalakhani sister to Group 1 scorer Chinese White who has produced stakes winners Ramadan and Rasima, and went to Zarak last year. 

Also lined up for him are Provocateuse, a three-time winner by Pride Of Dubai who was bought from the Niarchos draft at Goffs in 2023 for €600,000, and is in foal to Mishriff; and Salta Angel, a Dark Angel sister to Group 3 winner and Group 1 third Sacred Angel who was unraced due to injury and is new to stud.

“We’ve got some really nice Belbek yearlings in the field,” said Fry. “They’re strong, they’re a good colour and they move well – they’re just top-notch. We’ve probably got around 40 yearlings here around the farms and if you were scoring them, four or five of the Belbeks would be in the top ten.”

Mishriff, the brilliant son of Make Believe whose debut crop are also yearlings, is available on the Sumbe roster at Haras de Montfort et Preaux at €12,500.

His custodians are backing him this year with High Chieftess, a winning daughter of Galileo and Tiggy Wiggy; and Zandy, a winning Frankel mare from the top Juddmonte family of Byword and Proviso. Both were covered by the sire last season, and Zandy has recently foaled a “lovely” filly by him, prompting her return.

Mishriff will also cover Rasima, the Listed-winning Iffraaj half-sister to Ramadan who is in foal to Charyn.

Angel Bleu, a son of Dark Angel who notched a Group 1 double in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and Criterium International at two and struck in the Celebration Mile at four, is Sumbe’s third stallion whose oldest crop are yearlings. His fee is €6,000.

Sumbe’s contribution to his book this year includes Melilot – an Elusive City mare who is the dam of Poule d’Essai des Pouliches third Mageva and is in foal to Belbek – and Kalka, her unraced daughter by Sioux Nation, who is making a repeat trip.

“Everyone who's seen the stallions this year has been very complimentary about them,” said Fry. “Mishriff and Belbek are that lovely deep bay colour, and always pose nicely, while Charyn has let down beautifully and struts around like he’s the alpha male of the yard. Angel Bleu is different, he’s a sweet horse.

“We’ll be actively pursuing the yearlings by our own sires, and the foals by Charyn, at the sales this year. If we like them and they fall into our valuations, we’ll bid on them. We looked at the foals at Arqana in December and followed them through the ring, and had a go at buying a few.”

Sumbe is also sending some of its elite mares to proven, outside sires.

Altyn Orda, a daughter of Kyllachy who won the Oh So Sharp Stakes and found only Alpha Centauri too good in the Falmouth Stakes, is booked into Britain and Ireland’s reigning champion sire Night Of Thunder. She is in foal to Charyn.

Shinara, a once-raced Dark Angel sister to Charyn bought for 850,000gns as a yearling, has had Frankel selected as her first cover. The resultant foal will be bred on the same cross as high-class fillies Bedtime Story and Red Letter.

“Obvious choices that speak for themselves,” said Fry succinctly.

Hot Darling, a Listed-winning daughter of Too Darn Hot bought in an online sale for 460,000gns, is bound for Sea The Stars for her debut mating.

“She’s a smallish mare so the hope is that we get something with a bit of size,” said Fry. “I’m hoping that we get a filly, as Sea The Stars’ daughters are doing really well as broodmares, and I don’t think we have enough of them on the farm. The ones we do have are producing some very nice offspring.”

Kingman is receiving three Sumbe mares: Lastochka, a winning daughter of Australia who is the dam of star sprinter Lazzat and went to Siyouni last year; Berehynia, a New Approach half-sister to Belbek who is in foal to Charyn; and Spring Lantern, a winning Frankel half-sister to unbeaten Rose Of Honour and in foal to Pinatubo.

Nausha, a daughter of Kingman who carried Bizakov’s silks to victory in the Musidora Stakes and is the dam of highly rated three-time winner Nizam, will be covered by Blue Point after giving birth to a Charyn foal.

Nausha’s dam Nazym, an unraced Galileo three-parts sister to Group 1 winners Listen and Sequoyah who has also produced the smart pair Nagano and Narkez, is heading to Kingman’s son Palace Pier. She too was covered by Charyn last season.

Siyouni, the leading French sire in whom Sumbe owns shares, will receive a number of mares, including It’s Showtime Baby, a Group 3-placed Showcasing sister to dual Listed winner Super Sox whose first foal, a Mishriff yearling filly, is “really, really nice,” said Fry; and Allucination, a winning daughter of Lope De Vega who clicked with more established Sumbe sire Golden Horde to produce the useful Alem.

Both It’s Showtime Baby and Allucination are also in foal to Charyn.

A number of younger, up-and-coming sires are also making their debut on Sumbe’s mating plans. 

Starman will receive Vegetale, a winning daughter of Lope De Vega bought from breeders the Wertheimer brothers for €110,000 at Arqana in December; Sands Of Mali will cover Tomyris, a Group 3. winning daughter of Invincible Spirit; and Phoenix Of Spain has been chosen to cover Gleefully, a well. bred daughter of New Approach. Racing Post 09/02/26