THE Niarchos family has announced it is putting its famous Haras de Fresnay-le Buffard up for sale. Bought in 1979 by the late Stavros Niarchos from Marcel Boussac, the stud in Normandy covers over 500 acres but no asking price has been published.

According to a statement issued this week, the family remains fully committed to its global racing and breeding operation which encompasses Europe, the USA, Australia, South Africa and Japan.

The likes of Miesque, Kingmambo, Sulamani, Hernando and Six Perfections all passed through the stud and sported the famous light and dark blue Niarchos silks on the racecourse.

A total of 45 European classic winners, seven Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winners and seven Breeders’ Cup winners were on the farm at some stage in their lives.

Alan Cooper, racing manager to the Niarchos family, said: “It is emotional for the family to say goodbye to Fresnay but, as our racing and breeding interests have evolved over the years, we now have horses in a variety of international locations, which makes this the right move for us at this time.”