Manchester City owner spends big in historic deal for horse racing facility | OneFootball

Rumours that Sheikh Mansour is keen to make his mark on European horseracing have gathered pace with the news the Manchester City owner has invested more than £23m on one of the world’s most successful horse training and breeding farms.

The City owner, reportedly worth an estimated £17bn even after a £2.5bn investment into the eight-time Premier League champions, has splashed out the huge sum on the Haras De Fresnay Le Buffard farm in Normandy, France according to the Daily Mail.

The vice president of the United Arab Emirates purchased one of Europe’s most historic stud farms from the Niarchos family who put the property on the market in February 2023.

The Niarchos family had owned the farm since 1979 in which time the winners of 45 European Classic winners were bred there, plus seven winners of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and seven Breeders’ Cup winners.

The champions produced by the Niarchos family have included Miesque, Kingmambo, Sulamani, Hernando and Six Perfections.

The 600-acre property includes a 16-room chateau, two large secondary residences, 200 horse stalls and a training track, while the estate features extensive equestrian facilities, including a foaling barn, a covering/breeding shed and a training track.

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan is married to the eldest daughter of Sheikh Mohammed, owner of global thoroughbred breeding and racing operation Godolpin, and already has a stud farm in Abu Dhabi with his involvement in racing to date centred on purebred Arabian horses.

However, in buying Haras de Fresnay-le Buffard, Sheikh Mansour clearly intends to move into the world of European bloodstock given the facility is proven to produce equine stars of the future.