By Emma Berry
The recently published Répertoire des Etalons includes covering statistics for the 344 active stallions in France. The popularity of French-bred National Hunt horses and continuing demand from Britain and Ireland ensures a high number of jumps stallions spread about the country and of the 29 sires to have covered 100 or more mares this year, only 13 would be considered Flat stallions.
The busiest sire for the last two years has been Haras de Cercy's rising National Hunt representative Cokoriko (Fr), who heads the list for 2019 with 211 mares, down from 234 the previous year. The 10-year-old son of Robin Des Champs (Fr) is the only stallion in the last two years to have covered more than 200 mares—in 2016 Siyouni (Fr) was top of the tree with 224, while Dabirsim knocked him off the top spot 12 months later with 200 in the book he covered after his first 2-year-olds took to the track.
With 150 mares this year, Siyouni is in third place of the Flat sires behind the Haras de Bouquetot duo of Shalaa (Ire) and Olympic Glory (Ire). Shalaa has had strong support since his first season in 2017, when he covered 158 mares, a figure which dropped only slightly in 2018 to 151. However, the reception given to his first crop of foals doubtless played a part when breeders were deciding on their 2019 matings as his book grew to 170, but that was only seven ahead of his stablemate Olympic Glory, who is another to have been consistently into three-figure territory since his retirement to stud in 2015.
Le Havre (Ire), who from next year will benefit from extra support from Haras de Montfort & Préaux's new owner Nurlan Bizakov, retains plenty of appeal with 149 mares covered, while Haras du Quesnay's Anodin (Ire) saw demand for his services rise to 141 following some good results on the racecourse for his first runners in 2018.
Wootton Bassett (GB) stands alongside his champion son Almanzor (Fr) at Haras d'Etreham, which welcomed 126 mares for the former, while Almanzor's second book ran to 108 after he covered 140 in his debut season.
Dream Ahead moved to France's Haras de Grandcamp in 2017, attracting 70 in his first season abroad, then 122, but only 57 this year. His Group 1-winning son Al Wukair (Ire) has been popular in his first two seasons on the Bouquetot roster, with 116 mares last year and 120 this time around. Dream Ahead will be joined in France by another of his sons this year, the G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint winner Donjuan Triumphant (Ire), who retires to Haras de la Barbottiere along with fellow Group 1 winner Robin Of Navan (Fr). The dual-purpose stud not far from Le Mans also stands France's second-busiest jumps stallion, the G1 Deutsches Derby winner Nicaron (Ger), who was sent 160 mares. Another resident is Dabirsim's Invincible Spirit (Ire) half-brother Shaiban (Fr).
The Aga Khan Studs' Zarak (Fr), whose illustrious parents are Dubawi (Ire) and Zarkava (Fr), retired the same year as Al Wukair and he too has had back-to-back three-figure books, with 119 mares to his credit this year. His stud-mate Dariyan (Fr), who has his first runners in 2020, saw an increase in his book for 2019, from 70 to 96.
Haras du Logis bade farewell to Authorized (Ire) at the end of the year as he left for Turkey—a sad departure considering the 15-year-old Derby winner covered 87 mares this year and retains appeal for Flat and National Hunt breeders alike, the latter particularly through his dual Grand National-winning son Tiger Roll (Ire). Earlier in the year, the team at Logis had welcomed the well-bred dual Arc-placed and six-time group winner Cloth Of Stars (Ire), and the son of Sea The Stars (Ire) duly became the busiest stallion at the farm, with 120 mares in his first book.
From topping the list with 200 in 2017, Dabirsim's book dropped to 107, and it will be interesting to see if there is a resurgence in his popularity after the 2020 Flat season as some of the members of his biggest and, in theory, best book start their racing careers.
Born To Sea (Ire), the half-brother to Sea The Stars (Ire) and Galileo (Ire), made his French debut at Haras des Faunes this year and, with 100 mares covered—a figure which doubtless includes a number of the farm's often speedily-bred mares—the 10-year-old could yet fare well in pastures new.
The only other stallion to cover a three-figure book was Haras de la Haie Neuve resident Seahenge. The G2 Champagne S. winner is one of two sons of Scat Daddy to have retired to stud in France last season. He was sent 104 mares while the other, Seabhac, who is at Haras de Saint Arnoult, covered 80.
Irish Champion S. and Prix du Jockey Club winner The Grey Gatsby (Ire) has been at Haras du Petit Tellier for two seasons, where his books and have numbered 99 and 97, while Birchwood (Ire), the sole son of Dark Angel (Ire) standing in France, has been similarly busy in his first two seasons at Haras de la Huderie, with 93 and 94 mares respectively.
Towards the lower end of the table there has been a disappointing lack of support for the dual Classic winner Brametot (Ire), who lasted just two seasons at Haras de Bouquetot, where he covered 60 mares in 2018 and only 23 last year. The fact that his dam is a half-sister to Monsun (Ger) has perhaps unsurprisingly led to him being relocated to Germany's Gestüt Ebbesloh.
One of the more extraordinary breeding stories in France in recent years has been the prowess from understandably limited numbers of the Haras du Logis teaser Tiberius Caesar (Fr). His first foal and the sole member of his 2012 crop became the treble group winner Tiberian (Fr), who has joined Larissa Kneip's Haras de Saint Arnoult for the 2020 season. The 19-year-old Tiberius Caesar, a Group 3-winning son of Zieten, covered three mares this year and has just 24 registered foals to date.
Honourable mention must also go to his fellow Logis resident Slickly (Fr), who has been a dependable source of winners since joining the French stud ranks in 2003. Having covered just one mare this year, he is now living in retirement in the paddock next to the home of the farm's owner, Julian Ince.
France's busiest Flat stallions in 2019
Shalaa (Ire) 170
Olympic Glory (Ire) 163
Siyouni (Fr) 150
Le Havre (Ire) 149
Anodin (Ire) 141
Wootton Bassett (GB) 126
Al Wukair (Ire) 120
Cloth Of Stars (Ire) 120
Zarak (Fr) 119
Almanzor (Fr) 108
Dabirsim (Fr) 107
Seahenge 104
Born To Sea (Ire) 100
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