Group 1-winning champion Bay Of Biscay will return home to Alabar to begin his stud career, with the $1.9 million earner set to stand his first season in 2026.
Bred by Alabar, Bay Of Biscay is Somebeachsomewhere’s richest Southern Hemisphere-bred son and brings an outstanding racetrack record to the breeding barn, highlighted by Group 1 victories in the TAB Eureka and Chariots Of Fire, a career-best 1:49.1 and the title of Australian 3YO Pacing Colt of the Year.
For Alabar’s Brett Coffey, welcoming Bay Of Biscay home to the farm where his story began is particularly special.
“To be able to offer breeders a stallion of the ilk of Bay Of Biscay is very exciting for us,” Coffey said.
“He was an exceptional racehorse with a unique blend of speed and stamina, combined with a flawless gait.
“Physically, he is outstanding. His movement is so fluid and he has a real presence.
“He is a very special horse for Alabar. By Somebeachsomewhere and out of the Group 1-winning mare Nike Franco, to have bred a horse that has achieved what he has and now stand him back at Alabar is the pinnacle of what we do.”
That journey began with Bay Of Biscay’s dam, Nike Franco, an outstanding racemare who earned more than $900,000 during an international career spanning Australasia and North America.
Following her racing career, Alabar purchased the Group 1-winning mare and brought her back to Australia to join its broodmare band. Mated with Somebeachsomewhere, she produced Bay Of Biscay as her first foal.
His pedigree runs particularly deep through the female family, with second dam Nearea Franco also a Group 1 winner and twice crowned New Zealand Pacing Mare of the Year.
Bay Of Biscay quickly lived up to that pedigree on the racetrack.
A stakes performer at two, he developed into one of the leading three-year-olds of his generation, winning the Nutrien Sales Classic and finishing runner-up in the Group 1 NSW Derby, Queensland Derby, Breeders Crown 3YO Colts & Geldings Final and TAB Eureka.
Taking on the older horses in the 2024 TAB Eureka, Bay Of Biscay produced a powerful finish to run second behind subsequent Inter Dominion and Miracle Mile winner Don Hugo, before being crowned Australian 3YO Pacing Colt of the Year.
At four, he took his career to another level, recording a career-best 1:49.1 to win the Group 1 Chariots Of Fire over the Menangle mile before returning six months later to go one better in the Group 1 TAB Eureka.
Trainer Emma Stewart said the stable had held Bay Of Biscay in the highest regard from the moment he arrived.
“We thought so much of Bay Of Biscay from the first day he walked into the stable. Clayton called him the ‘Golden Child’, and we always had a really high opinion of him,” Stewart said.
“He’s a big, strong horse with plenty of speed, a very clean gait and a terrific attitude. He’s also very intelligent and just kept getting better as he matured.
“He’s tough, has a high cruising speed and has always been a pleasure to train. We’ve always thought he was a special horse, and I think those qualities give him every chance of making an excellent stallion.”
Leading driver Cam Hart echoed Stewart’s assessment.
“Bay Of Biscay had it all – strength, speed, looks and attitude. He was super easy to work with on the track and a real pleasure to drive,” Hart said.
“He raced at the highest level throughout his whole career, but his four-year-old season really stands out to me with how dominant he was winning the Chariots Of Fire and the Eureka, two of the biggest races in the sport.”
Now back where his story began, Bay Of Biscay will take his place on the Alabar stallion roster as he begins the next chapter of his career.
Bay Of Biscay will stand his first season at Alabar for a fee of $3,960 AUD (incl. GST) in Australia and $3,500 NZD (plus GST) in New Zealand.
Alabar welcomes booking and mating enquiries. Please contact our team for more information.