France was the forerunner of the stallion trail, its La Route des Etalons having been launched in 2010, catching the rising tide of increasingly sought-after stallions in the country following a spell in the doldrums.
This popular weekend feature of late January was, like almost everything else, interrupted for a few years by Covid restrictions, but there is none of that to worry about now as the two days of touring around some of Normandy's most exquisite stud farms gets underway this Saturday morning.
The bright young things of TDN Europe, Alayna Cullen and Brian Sheerin, will bring you plenty of updates via social media and in these pages over the coming days, with Sheerin's attempt of a dry January likely to be sorely tested given the generous hospitality likely to be on offer at the 22 farms taking part this year. These range from the new names of Haras de Beaumont (situated on part of the Haras du Quesnay estate) and Karwin Farm to the more established farms of the French breeding industry, including Haras d'Etreham, Haras du Logis, and the Aga Khan's Haras du Bonneval.
There is something for everyone on the tour, whether you are a hobby jumps breeder with one mare or a top-of-the-range Flat breeder with Siyouni (Fr) in your sights. One farm which caters for both breeding disciplines is Haras de Montaigu, which celebrates its 120th birthday this year, all that time having been carefully nurtured under the ownership of the same family. Established by Gabriel Guerlain in 1903, the farm, whose notable graduates include the Derby winner Wings Of Eagles (Fr), is now run on a more commercial footing by his great grand-daughter Aliette Forien and her husband Gilles along with their daughter Sybille Gibson, who represents the fifth generation of the family to take the helm.
Eight stallions will be on show there this weekend, including one of the real buzz horses of the National Hunt scene, No Risk At All (Fr), the sire of Champion Hurdle winner Epatante (Fr) and multiple Grade 1-winning chaser Allaho (Fr).
“No Risk At All does so well year after year,” says Gibson of the son of My Risk (Fr), himself a grandson of the late Highest Honor (Fr), one of the stalwarts of the French stallion ranks in the latter years of the 20th century.
“He has produced the champions Epatante and Allaho, who have won 11 Grade 1 races between them, as well as the Grade 1 winners Esprit Du Large (Fr) and Gannat (Fr). He's been fully booked each year since he entered stud. Breeders from France, Ireland and England are all mad about him.”
While No Risk At All is now an established name, one stallion whom Gibson will be hoping will become so, even if those outside France might struggle to pronounce that name, is Beaumec De Houelle (Fr). He is a rare beast among the ranks of the National Hunt stallions in that the eight-year-old actually boasts jumping form himself, though this is less unusual in France than it is in Britain and Ireland.
Akin to a Flat sire retiring to stud after winning the Dewhurst, Beaumec de De Houelle was a top-class hurdler who beat Pic d'Orhy (Fr) when winning the G1 Prix Camabaceres at Auteuil as a three-year-old. His retirement to Haras de Montaigu is of particular resonance to the team there as his sire, the Juddmonte-bred Martaline (GB), was such a successful stallion for the farm until his death in 2019.
Gibson says, “Beaumec De Houelle is a proper stunner and when we look at him we see the great Martaline, who again this year is champion [National Hunt] sire for the fifth time in France.”
The six-time winner is certainly a young sire for the notebook, with a number of British and Irish breeders starting to catch on by sending mares to France.
She adds, “His progeny did very well at the sales and we are looking forward to see his first 3-year-olds on the track this year.”
Two new arrivals have been welcomed to Haras de Montaigu ahead of this covering season, though they are not newcomers to the stallion ranks. Both Dabirsim (Ger) and Shamalgan (Fr) have moved from Haras de Grandcamp, which is ceasing to stand stallions. Last year Dschingis Secret (Ger), a Group 1-winning son of Germany's darling, Soldier Hollow (GB), also joined the team, transferring from Haras de Saint Arnoult.
“Dabirsim was second behind Siyouni in 2022 according to the number of races won,” Gibson says. “He has already had five winners this year and he had two unbeaten two-year-olds in Horizon Doré (Fr) and Over Wins (Fr) that we are very interested to follow this year.
“Shamalgan, as he did in his racing career, does better and better at stud, and he celebrated a Group 1 winner last year with Toskana Belle, who won the German Oaks. Dschingis Secret had his first 2-year-olds on the track in 2022 and he had two winners, which is quite an achievement for a non-precocious horse.”
Another new name at Haras de Montaigu last year was the Juddmonte-bred globetrotter Flintshire (GB), a five-time winner at the highest level in America and Hong Kong, who started his stud career at Kentucky's Hill 'N Dale Farms.
“We are confident that he will find the right mares here in France, all turf mares,” Gibson says of the son of Dansili (GB) who covered 72 mares in his first season in Europe. “This year, thoroughbred jump mares will be accepted and this could really open his book as we know that the National Hunt breeders are very keen to use him.”
The former Godolphin representative Jimmy Two Times (Fr), a treble group winner in France over seven furlongs and a mile, is another interesting member of the stallion barn at Montaigu. The son of Kendargent (Fr) spent two years at stud in Germany before returning to Normandy, where he was bred at Haras de Saint Pair, Jimmy Two Times will have his first French-bred yearlings at the sales this year and he, too, has a more personal connection to the Foriens and Gibson as a grandson of the stud's former resident Kendor (Fr)
“We love that Kendor line so much so we were very happy to receive him,” enthuses Gibson.
Haras de Montaigu will doubtless be teeming with visitors this weekend, and if you have a soft spot for a grey then no fewer than three of the resident stallions, Beaumec De Houelle, Jimmy Two Times, and the G1 Prix Royal Oak winner Technician (Ire), all share that coat colour.
“This weekend is very important for us as we have a lot of breeders visiting year after year,” Gibson says. “It is a great opportunity to have a private chat with each of them and discuss mating plans for their mares, and the breeders love to discover the new stallions and see the changes in the horses who have been here for a few years.”
That is doubtless a sentiment shared by all participants in this popular event. A full list of the stud farms and stallions available for viewing across the weekend can be found on the Route des Etalons website.
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