Almanzor

Almanzor (foaled 11 March 2013) is a French Thoroughbred racehorse. As a two-year-old he won his first three races on provincial French tracks but was well-beaten when moved up in class for the Critérium International. In the following year he finished third on his debut but later emerged as the best horse of his generation in Europe with five consecutive victories, taking the Prix de Guiche, Prix du Jockey Club, Prix Guillaume d'Ornano, Irish Champion Stakes and Champion Stakes. He stayed in training as a four-year-old but was affected by a virus and subsequent physical setback and was retired after making an unsuccessful return to racing in August 2017. Background Almanzor is a bay horse with no white markings bred in Normandy by the Haras d'Etreham. In August 2014 the yearling colt was offered for sale at Deauville and bought for €100,000 by the leading French trainer Jean-Claude Rouget. During his racing career he has been trained by Rouget and owned in partnership by Ecurie Antonio Caro and Gerard Augustin-Normand. He was from the first crop of foals sired by Wootton Bassett who won the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère in 2010. Wootton Bassett's other foals have included Wooded and Ausharya. Almanzor's dam Darkova never ran in a race but was a descendant of the French broodmare Darazina, the female-line ancestor of many good winners including Darsi, Darjina and Daryaba (Prix de Diane) Racing career