Son of More Than Ready to Stand in France

Storm Belt, a well-bred son of More Than Ready , is starting his stallion career at Haras de la Bareliere near Poitiers in France in 2020.

He becomes a rare European-based stallion by his outstanding sire, a son of Southern Halo who has excelled while shuttling between both hemispheres and is the source of 24 group/grade 1 winners.

Darley-bred Storm Belt has a fine maternal pedigree too, as he is out of the unraced Thunder Gulch mare Mari's Thunder, a half sister to multiple grade 1 scorer Congaree  and to the dam of top-class racemare Wedding Toast.

He added more black type to the family when he won the listed Entisar Stakes Sponsored by Al Tayer Motors at Meydan in 2016, while he also ran second to California Chrome  in a handicap at the track that year.

Storm Belt is standing in France at a fee of €2,000 (US$2,234) on behalf of owner Sultan Saeed Harib, who bought the horse at an Emirates Racing Authority Sale in September.

"Storm Belt ran every year from the age of 2 until 9 and earned almost £200,000 in prize-money," Harib said. "I bought him to cover my private mares but I realized his CV and pedigree were so special and that he could be the only son of More Than Ready standing in Europe; being from the Halo sire-line means he should be an effective outcross in France.

"He is a similar type to his father, while his dam is by a potent broodmare sire in Thunder Gulch from the family of Congaree and Wedding Toast. He's a very big stallion—around 16.3 hands—and very powerfully built and correct with a calm and focused mind; he's very easy to handle. We'll take him to the stallion show in Lion d'Angers Jan. 11."

Harib has bought another classy performer to stand in Europe in Grendisar, the winner of five black-type races on the all-weather for Marco Botti including the Coral Winter Derby Stakes (G3) at Lingfield.

The 9-year-old son of Invincible Spirit, who hails from the famous Meon Valley Stud dynasty of Reprocolor, will stand at Bellinga Hästcenter in Sweden.

"In Sweden you need a stallion who has form on the turf and all-weather and I think Grendisar is the ideal type for the country," Harib said. "He achieved a peak rating of 115 and he showed excellent acceleration on the all-weather.

"He's from a strong family, being closely related to Colorspin and her group 1-winning offspring Zee Zee Top, Opera House, and Kayf Tara, and he's by the important sire of sires Invincible Spirit. I think we made the right call to buy him."