France's Stallion Riches Increasing

By Emma Berry 
Back in 2010, La Route des Etalons took place for the first time, with around 30 Normandy stallion studs throwing open their doors to breeders over a well-planned and busy weekend. 

It's fair to say that at that time, the list of French sires was lacking in star names. The old guard of Linamix (Fr), Anabaa, Highest Honor (Fr) and Co. had gone, leaving an array of stallions offering great value to breeders but without the pulling power of the likes of Galileo (Ire), Dubawi (Ire), Invincible Spirit (Ire) or Oasis Dream (GB). In just five years, however, the outlook has changed markedly. 

Not many people outside France were familiar with the name Kendargent (Fr), and those visiting him on the first year of 'La Route' would have been shrewd indeed to have signed up to use him at €1,000. His owner, Guy Pariente, never wavered in his belief of the son of Kendor (Fr), however, and has effectively made the stallion himself, with 13 of the 14 black-type horses by Kendargent having been bred by Pariente. Understandably, Pariente's Haras de Colleville, where Kendargent has stood since 2010 having spent his first two years at stud at Haras de la Roserie, is now a popular stop for breeders on La Route des Etalons. 

“He's had plenty of visitors again this year and will cover around 180 mares like last season,” says Haras de Colleville manager Guillaume Vitse, reciting statistics that show Kendargent's book to have grown at an extraordinary rate from his first crop of just 19 foals. 

His €1,000 covering fee has also grown–to €18,000– but this doesn't make him the most expensive stallion in France. That honour is shared, at €20,000, between Le Havre (Ire) and Siyouni (Fr), the leading second and first-crop stallions in the country, respectively, in 2014. With Redoute's Choice (Aus) remaining in Australia after two seasons of shuttling to Bonneval Stud, Siyouni is now the crowd-puller for the Aga Khan's team of stallions in France, which has been augmented this season by the addition of Sheikh Fahad Al Thani's Makfi (GB), who was represented by the listed winner Cornwallville (Ire) in France last year and could well be in for an exciting season ahead. Like Siyouni, Makfi's eldest runners are three this year. 

Le Havre's explosive 2014, which saw his daughter Avenir Certain (Fr) win both the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and G1 Prix de Diane–as well as stakes wins for Auvray (Fr), Orbec (Fr), Queen Bee (Fr), Summer Surprice (Fr) and La Hoguette (Fr)–also led to his syndication. Like Kendargent, he now has a number of major breeders as his shareholders and he too is set to cover around 180 mares, with about 45 of those belonging to English breeders. 
“The interest in him has been phenomenal,” says Mathieu Alex of Haras de la Cauviniere. “He was very quickly full for this year and the same is true for Rajsaman.” 

Apart from the fact that, as a Classic winner, Le Havre had a far greater profile than Kendargent when retiring to stud, the stories of the two young stallions bear similar threads. Le Havre's owner, Gerard Augustin-Normand, repelled attractive offers for his horse from abroad, deciding to stand the son of Noverre himself and bought Haras de Montfort, close to the original base of Haras de la Cauviniere, owned by his racing manager Sylvain Vidal and his wife Elisabeth. The picturesque main yard at Montfort is now the stallion wing of La Cauviniere with three residents, including Air Chief Marshal (Ire), who is represented by his first 3-year-olds this season, and Rajsaman (Fr), who, as a son of Linamix, has been well supported in France and has his first yearlings at the sales this autumn. 

Vidal and Alex have been at the forefront of higher-profile marketing campaigns for French-based stallions and, having both been well trained during their days in Ireland with the Coolmore team, have proved adept in ensuring big books of mares for their three stallions. After spending a tidy sum in buying mares to support Le Havre, La Cauviniere has thus far been rewarded with some notable homebred success for their flagship stallion, particularly with Avenir Certain and G2 Prix Chaudenay winner Auvray, and many of those mares have also now visited Rajsaman. 

An even newer kid on the block is Haras de Bouquetot. While the stud started operating in the 1960s, up until last year it had more recently been used as a training center. Thoroughbred breeding is now very much at its core again, however, since the farm's purchase by Sheikh Joaan Al Thani. Its paddocks will no doubt eventually be graced by the great Treve, but in the meantime there are some pretty well-credentialed mares in residence, such as dual GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner Mizdirection and Group 2 winner Strawberrydaiquiri (GB). Their plush quarters in a spacious and state-of-the-art American barn are bettered only by the stunning new stallion yard, which has been built in the traditional colombage style of Normandy farms. 

A tour by Al Shaqab's nominations and marketing manager Audrey Leyval revealed the extent of the work taking place at Bouquetot, and while there's plenty still to be done, the farm is already markedly different from this time last year. 

The Al Shaqab team is boosted by three new stallions this year, with Toronado (Ire) standing at the National Stud in England, while at Bouquetot, Olympic Glory (Ire) and Boby Di Job (Brz) join Planteur (Ire) and Style Vendome (Fr), both of whom have first foals on the ground this year. 

“We had already announced that Olympic Glory would be joining us and after his win in the [G1] Prix de la Foret on Arc weekend, we were just overwhelmed by breeders wanting to book mares to him,” says stud manager Benoit Jeffroy. “He was full very quickly and will be covering 170 mares.” 

One horse who will need a little more of an introduction to European breeders is Boby Di Job, a 7-year-old son of The Minstrel's grandson Job Di Caroline (Brz), who was a decent performer in Uruguay before being bought for Sheikh Joaan with the G1 Dubai World Cup in mind. After recovering from a career-ending injury at the stud last year, Boby Di Job covered three of the Sheikh's own mares, all of whom are in foal, and he has now officially joined the roster. 
Sheikh Mohammed's Darley operation has long had a significant presence in France via Julian Ince's Haras du Logis, which is now home to G1 Epsom Derby winner Authorized (Ire) along with Alexandros (GB), Rio De La Plata and two sons of Monsun (Ger)–Manduro (Ger) and the regally-bred Masterstroke, who is out of Urban Sea's daughter Melikah (Ire) (Lammtarra). However, top billing must go to Slickly (Fr), who has carved a successful, if largely unheralded, stallion career in France. His snow-white coat does more than hint that he's a son of Jean-Luc Lagardere's great stalwart Linamix and, at 19, he looked better than ever this year as he stood, ears continually pricked, to allow breeders to admire him. 

The only other grey to garner as much attention as Slickly each year at Logis is a giant stable cat who goes by the name of Pompom and assumes that the visitors are there to see him. He puts on quite a show, parading alongside each stallion before going over to the crowd to be fussed. 

Reflecting on a successful weekend, Julian Ince commented, “Pompom did us proud and welcomed all the visitors in his usual way–he appeared to be a happy cat as he tucked into the leftovers at the end of the day. We had between 500 and 600 visitors over the weekend so we're really pleased.” 

Along with almost 100 stallions on view at studs that are every bit as beautiful and varied as the bloodstock housed within, the entertaining Pompom is another of the many reasons to keep going back to Normandy year after year for La Route des Etalons.