Latest News

The outstanding dual Group 1 winner will stand in Newmarket as the UK roster moves for the 2024 breeding season.

Shadwell announce today that Mostahdaf, the joint-second best racehorse in the world, will retire to Beech House Stud after a final start in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf, as part of a move which will see all Shadwell’s UK stallions move permanently to Newmarket.

Mostahdaf’s 2023 season is headlined by triumphs in two of Europe’s premier races, the Prince of Wales’s Stakes by an emphatic four-lengths and the Juddmonte International Stakes in a faster time than his sire Frankel. He readily defeated many of the sport’s leading lights including multiple Group 1 winners Paddington, Nashwa, Luxembourg and Adayar as well as other Group 1 winners. The son of Frankel became the first horse in 15 years to win both contests in the same season.

Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Mostahdaf won 10 of his 16 starts including 8 Stakes races to date, earning £2,345,277 in prize money. He holds an Official Rating of 128 and a Timeform rating of 129, making him one of the elite talents in world racing.

A Shadwell homebred, Mostahdaf’s pedigree matches the ability he had on the track, being from an exceptional family of leading milers and sprinters. By champion sire Frankel, out of Dubawi mare Handassa, herself a Stakes victor over a mile, Mostahdaf is a half-brother to dual Group 1 winning miler Nazeef, whilst his pedigree also contains two Group 1 winning sprinters, Pastoral Pursuits and Goodricke.

Stephen Collins, European Bloodstock Manager: “Shadwell are delighted that Mostahdaf will retire to the newly refurbished Beech House stallion complex in Newmarket. He has all the attributes to become a successful stallion.

Mostahdaf was an outstanding winner of both the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes, the highest-rated winner of the race since Dubai Millennium in 2000, and the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes at York in the same year. A truly remarkable historic double achieved by only two horses in the last 50 years.

He possesses a pedigree packed with natural speed being closely related to two Champion Group 1 winning sprinters. Mostahdaf demonstrated his incredible turn of foot by winning over seven-furlongs on debut and winning three races at a mile at three before being stepped up in trip.

A quality, well balanced, imposing individual, with an athletic walk, he should prove very popular with breeders.”

Angus Gold, Racing Manager: Mostahdaf has been a top-class horse for the last three seasons, from showing his speed when winning five of his six races as a three-year-old between 7 furlongs and a mile; he then displayed his clear versatility and ability over further.

Since winning the Neom Turf Cup in Saudi Arabia by 7-lengths earlier this year, he has come from behind to beat the best 10-furlong horses in Europe at Royal Ascot, and then made all in the Juddmonte International. At York he highlighted both his speed and class by running 6 of the last 8 furlongs under 12 seconds.

Mostahdaf never missed a day’s training and was a thorough professional throughout his career; his enthusiasm for his work, together with his outstanding physique and speed, should make him a very attractive prospect for breeders.”

John Gosden, Trainer: “Mostahdaf has always been a pleasure to train. Sound and always positive and generous in his work. His action is superb and fluent with a high cruising speed and electric acceleration. A horse who has been very consistent throughout his career.”

After the Breeders’ Cup, he will move to the recently refurbished Beech House Stud to stand alongside the UK stallion roster for the 2024 breeding season, following in the footsteps of Nearco, one of the most influential sires in the thoroughbred breed who stood at Beech House Stud between 1939 to 1957.

Nunnery Stud will remain the private base for the foaling of all of Shadwell’s mares visiting UK based stallions.

A fee will be announced shortly. For nomination enquiries please contact Will Wright: wwright@shadwellstud.co.uk or call +44 (0) 7787 422901