International Feature

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

FEBRUARY 4, 2014

La Route continues to gain popularity

by Emma Berry

Back in 2010, the arrival of some 30 new sires in France prompted a new

initiative from the French Racing & Breeding Committee (FRBC) and the country's

stud farmers in an attempt to revitalize the domestic stallion market. Now held

annually on the first weekend of February, La Route des Etalons, which this year

saw 27 farms open their doors to show off 98 stallions in Normandy, has grown in

both stature and popularity.

At its heart it is, of course, a commercial imperative, not only to stem the

flow of French-based mares leaving the country to be covered in Britain and

Ireland, but also to stimulate extra interest from overseas breeders. While many

larger breeders would naturally flock to the big-name sires standing in France's

two major European rival countries, the range of stallions covering in a more

reasonable fee bracket has been a lure for smaller breeders seeking to take

advantage of the lucrative French premiums scheme.

"La Route des Etalons has grown each year and this year we are pleased to

have welcomed breeders from Germany, England, Ireland, Italy and Belgium, as

well as many French breeders," says the event founder and co-organizer Christine

Dutertre of Haras du Mezeray.

Such is the rising profile of the weekend that 250 guests gathered at Arqana

for the now-traditional Saturday night party, while 180 were hosted last year.

"In France, people are now expecting this event so they can confirm their

matings or make their choices, and from a human aspect, people enjoy going from

farm to farm and meeting other breeders along the way," Dutertre continued.

"It's very convivial."

Last year, the French ranks were boosted by the arrival of a big-hitter from

Down Under, Arrowfield Stud's multiple champion sire, Redoute's Choice (Danehill).

The imposing 18-year-old has returned to the Aga Khan's Bonneval Stud to stand

alongside Sinndar (Grand Lodge) and Siyouni (Pivotal) for a second season this

year and, at €60,000, is France's most

expensive stallion.

"We have participated in this weekend from the start and it is particularly

useful when you are introducing a new stallion, as we were with Redoute's Choice

last year," says Aga Khan Studs manager Georges Rimaud. "For us this year,

Siyouni is already full, but we've sold a few nominations to Redoute's Choice

today, so it is worthwhile."

One stud for which La Route des Etalons 2014 was particularly important was

Al Shaqab Racing's Haras de Bouquetot, which is standing its first two

stallions, Planteur (Danehill Dancer) and Style Vendome (Anabaa), this season.

The base of Sheikh Joaan al Thani's burgeoning breeding empire, Bouquetot is

in the throes of a fairly major expansion. Originally a farm for breeding

Thoroughbreds and trotters, it has recently been used as a training center, but

work on a new six-box stallion yard is under way and, if the sheikh's recent

investment in racing is anything to go by, it won't be long before those boxes

are full.

"We were very happy with the weekend," says Bouquetot's manager Benoit

Jeffroy, a former member of Darley's nominations team. "We had around 600

visitors over the two days and, as a new operation in the stallion market, it's

really important to let people know we're here and to show them our team and the

horses."

At seven, the Prix Ganay (Fr-G1) winner Planteur, who was retired after his

final start in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) last year, looks terrific. Along

with Air Chief Marshal (Ire) at Haras de la Cauviniere, he is one of only two

sons of Danehill Dancer at stud in France and will certainly have found favor

with breeders who have seen him in the flesh. His young counterpart Style

Vendome won last season's Poule d'Essai des Poulains (Fr-G1) and, as a son of

the late Anabaa, has big shoes to fill in France.

Jeffroy adds: "Over the last five years there have been some significant new

stallions in France and some new farms too, like Cauviniere, and Haras de

Grandcamp, which now has six stallions. It gives people the opportunity to use

good horses at home -- we all know that plenty of mares go abroad to be covered,

but it is much easier for French breeders to use stallions at home and the

market is improving all the time."

If Haras de Bouquetot is a name of which we'll be hearing plenty more in the

coming years, Haras du Quesnay is one which has been the bedrock of the French

breeding establishment for decades. The Head family's operation remains very

much at the forefront, however, as its production of the outstanding classic and

Arc winner Treve (Motivator) proved last season.

While Treve was born and raised at Quesnay, she will retire eventually to

Bouquetot, having been sold to Sheikh Joaan while in training last year. In the

meantime she remains, understandably, a source of great pride to her trainer

Criquette Head-Maarek, who broke off from her spiel on the Quesnay stallions to

show breeders a recent photo of Treve on her phone, as one might show off a

favorite child.

Head-Maarek's presence at Quesnay during the weekend brings an extra personal

touch to proceedings. Her genuine affection for the stallions on the roster --

whether it be her parents' homebred Dunkerque, a son of the former Quesnay

stalwart Highest Honor, or Treve's sire Motivato r-- is touchingly apparent.

Of immediate interest this season will be the first runners for another

Quesnay resident, Youmzain (Sinndar). As runner-up to Dylan Thomas, Zarkava and

then Sea the Stars in consecutive runnings of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe

(Fr-G1), Youmzain is held in great affection by a number of racing fans and the

dual Group 1 winner has been well supported since his retirement to stud, not

least by his owner, Jaber Abdullah, who has sent him around 20 mares each

season.

In less than a decade, Eric Lhermite's Haras de Grandcamp has become a

well-regarded name on the French circuit and a look at the stallions under his

care gives an immediate clue to the farm's success, with the sextet of Vision

d'Etat, Sunday Break, Evasive, Linda's Lad, Tin Horse, and Zanzibari all

immaculately presented. This is an exciting year for the young stud, which will

welcome first foals for Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner Tin Horse (Sakhee),

and see first runners on the track for four-time Group 1 winner Vision d'Etat (Chichicastenago)

and the beautifully bred Evasive (Elusive Quality).

While for breeders the viewing of stallions is naturally an important

mission, La Route des Etalons offers much more than just the opportunity to

finalize mating plans. For anyone used to seeing Deauville and its surrounds

packed full of Parisiens and bloodstock agents in mid-August, a winter trip amid

the rolling countryside, where horses vie for space with orchards, makes a

refreshing change.

Even a confirmed stallion geek like this writer can admit that every bit as

appealing as the many fine Thoroughbreds on show is the history and the

architecture of the farms on which they live.

Top of the list in this regard is the stunning Haras de Victot, where the

chateau adjacent to the stableyard dates back to 1574, making it the oldest stud

farm in France. An extra incentive for a visit if you're a fan of National Hunt

racing is that on Victot's list of five stallions is found My Risk (Take Risks),

whose son Sire De Grugy is enjoying a spectacular season in Britain.

Those with more purist tastes will appreciate the stud's commemorative

plaques to such champions as Allez France and Lianga while Victot was in the

hands of the Wildenstein family.

As Alec Head asks in his foreword of the recently published and lavishly

produced book Haras de Normandie, "Are there more splendid places than

those built here in honor of the Thoroughbred?"

The answer, simply, is no. One weekend alone allows nowhere near enough time

to visit every farm on "La Route," but that merely offers the perfect excuse to

return year after year.