French Thoroughbreds

Al Shaqab Racing's Haras de Bouquetot featured heavily among the top lots on the fourth and final day of the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale in Deauville. Both the topper and next dearest lot were mares in foal to Bouquetot residents, and the co-highest-priced foal of the day was also by one of their growing roster of stallions Lot 784, the Frankel (GB) mare Bursa (GB) in foal to G1 Prix Jacques le Marois hero Al Wukair (Fr) from the Bouquetot draft proper, commanded a session-topping €38,000 from Haras du Quesnay....

Fewer than 10 new Flat stallions have been retired to stand in France for this season, a low number compared to recent bumper years. The two Group 1 winners among the intake, Robin Of Navan (Fr) and Donjuan Triumphant (Ire), have both found themselves at the Werle family's Haras de la Barbottiere in the Sarthe region of the Pays de la Loire. To the south of the country's renowned breeding heartland of Normandy, it is nevertheless an area with a rich Thoroughbred history, with Haras du Mesnil perhaps the most...