An invitation to visit Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard has always been a memorable experience for a bloodstock enthusiast, considering few nurseries worldwide can claim to have produced as many champions, both on the track and in the breeding shed. French champion sires Asterus (Teddy), Tourbillon (Ksar), Pharis (Pharos), Goya II (Tourbillon) and Djebel (Tourbillon) under the Boussac era, then Arc winner Bago (Nashwan) and Breeders' Cup winners Miesque (Nureyev), Spinning World (Nureyev), Domedriver (Indian Ridge), Six Perfections (Celtic Swing), Karakontie (Bernstein) to name only a few of the Niarchos family's best. Yet walking through the historic gates and watching yearlings gallop playfully in the lush paddocks brings extra special emotion today, as the farm is celebrating its renaissance after over a decade of dormancy. Wathba Stables and Yas Horse Racing general manager Gerard Larrieu, along with stud manager Mathieu Legars, seem duly thrilled to welcome the press to the 'new' Fresnay-le-Buffard. A lot of work has been done since Abu Dhabi Vice-President, and Sheikh Mohamed's son-in-law, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan purchased the farm from the Niarchos family in late 2024, and caterpillars are still working hard close to the barn where we are gathering. For those who were lucky to have visited the 'old' Fresnay-le-Buffard, what strikes first is the replacement of most of the historical concrete fences by (much safer) wooden and synthetic fencing. The barns look immaculate, and surprisingly modern, although most of them were built in the early twentieth century under Marcel Boussac. “Boussac was a true visionary,” says Legars. “He was the first breeder to design airy barns with natural light coming through a glass ceiling, at a time when most elite farms were built around a yard. He also used cattle – cows and sheep – to keep the land healthy. We are still reaping the benefits of his vision. For instance, the retired broodmares that we have kept from the Niarchos family only require one deworming jab every year. And the fact that the barns are scattered around the farm, rather than grouped around the castle, is a fantastic asset for biosecurity purposes.” Two hundred cows and as many sheep, which are accommodated as part as gentlemen's agreements with local farmers, can still be seen over the 330 hectares covered by the farm – five hectares were recently added to create a quarantine facility. But the real excitement is the thirty purebred Arabian yearlings that landed from Abu Dhabi in March this year, having never seen a blade of grass. It has been twelve years since the farm was last grazed by young stock.Larrieu has few equals when it comes to telling a good story, and his account of how the farm ended up in Sheikh Mansour's ownership is no exception. “Sheikh Mansour is a very passionate person, a visionary and a competitor,” he says. “Passionate about horses, as exemplified by his experience in endurance races, and anyone can imagine that riding in the desert over a hundred kilometres is no mean feat. A competitor, which can be seen through the fact that there are all sorts of races in Abu Dhabi – horses, camels, cars, motorbikes etc. – and of course through his ownership of several football clubs, led by Manchester City. And he is someone who always thinks ahead. When he tells you something that seems a little radical in the first place, you always find out later on that he was right.” Yearlings being brought in at Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard | Christophe Taniere Sheikh Mansour, the 55-year-old owner of Manchester City FC, first bought Haras de Clairfeuille, not far from Fresnay, some 20 years ago to accommodate his endurance horses. Now renamed Wathba Farm, the stud has become a leading station of Arabian stallions. Haras de Ginai, also in the Orne region, was added to the portfolio in 2024. Fresnay-le-Buffard is Sheikh Mansour's first venture into thoroughbred breeding.Larrieu explains, “Back in 2024, Sheikh Mansour sent me to visit a thoroughbred stud farm, and I didn't like it. I told the Sheikh, 'I want to show you a farm that is very special, because it has something that money cannot buy'. I asked Didier Genin, who managed the farm at the time, if he would let me make photos and videos of Fresnay-le-Buffard. He took me around the farm, and I took time to film each of the century-old trees of rare species that Marcel Boussac imported from every corner of the world. I thought that this was invaluable. I stopped at a services area as soon as I had strong enough signal to send all images to the Sheikh's personal secretary through Whatsapp. By the time I arrived home in Chantilly, I received this message: 'Buy it immediately'. I later found out that Sheikh Mansour holds a passion for trees and has created a fabulous arboretum in Abu Dhabi.”Although Sheikh Mansour is still to pay an inaugural visit to his property, his plan for Fresnay is a long-term one. Larrieu continues. “Fresnay-le-Buffard is very much the Sheikh's baby. Last year, Mathieu and I pitched a two-tier proposal to him. The first step was to welcome thoroughbreds back to the farm. The second was to create a broodmare band and stand stallions. So far, we have received approval for the first stage. The castle and its surroundings will remain Sheikh Mansour's private area, and we hope that he will come as often as possible to enjoy it with his family and entourage. But he also intends to open part of the farm to the general public with a museum, a riding school and a guest house. Embedding Fresnay into the local economic fabric and generating opportunities for the local community is very important to him. He is also very keen to support French racing. He has been a long-time supporter of Arabian racing, and we are proud to announce today that Wathba Farm will sponsor the G1 Prix Jean Prat raceday for the next three years. Sheikh Mansoor insisted that the sponsorship be used to increase prize-money in the Jean Prat, but also to boost the undercard.” The barns have been restored to their former glory | Christophe Taniere Mathieu Legars, who joined the operation in early 2025 after several years as a valuable member of Arqana's bloodstock team, went into more details about the farm's renovation. “A lot of work has been carried out in the barns and on the farm and we could start taking clients' mares in the coming weeks,” he says. “We are not only trying to refurbish the existing facilities but to modernise them and make them safe and functional with state-of-the-art technology. Over 12 kilometres of fences have been replaced with Horserail fencing. All paddock gates were changed to accommodate modern tractors. Foaling stables are now equipped with cameras and the Novostable technology which uses AI to detect foaling and notify staff. We have been very lucky to keep the staff, some of which have been working at Fresnay for years, sometimes for two generations even. As the Irish say: 'You can't buy experience'.” In the slowly receding heatwave, there is something incredibly refreshing in watching yearlings graze the Fresnay paddocks. The iconic farm is alive again. The post Fresnay-ssance: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan’s Grand Plans for Rejuvenated Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.