Haras du Quesnay

It was 11 years ago that Xtension (Ire) (Xaar {GB}) became only the second group winner for his trainer Clive Cox when landing the G2 Veuve Clicquot Vintage S. under Adam Kirby. In the intervening years, Cox and Kirby have become a force to be reckoned with, particularly in the major sprint contests and often with horses bought relatively inexpensively by the trainer. Xtension was himself a €15,000 yearling purchase from his breeder Paul McCartan of Ballyphilip Stud, and he was later sold on as a 3-year-old to race in...

Serving notice that he was above average when winning the Listed Grand Criterium de Bordeaux in October, the Wertheimers' Pao Alto (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) boosted his stock when powering to an authoritative success in Thursday's G3 Prix la Force at ParisLongchamp. Settled fourth early by Maxime Guyon, the 12-5 favourite rushed to the front passing the two-furlong pole en route to a comfortable 1 1/2-length success from TDN Rising Star Ocean Atlantique (American Pharoah), with Chachnak (Fr) (Kingman {GB}) three lengths away in third. "He was ready for this--he had...

Melting frost drips uniformly from the thatch at Haras de la Huderie. The January sun is a penetrating golden disc above the historic timbers of Haras du Quesnay. A broodmare rolls in one of Haras de Colleville's open green spaces. Normandy's tree-lined lanes bask in the generous light. Haras de Bonneval's undulating pastures grace the eye, picture perfect. It is La Route des Etalons once again in all its glory, blessed by a rare weekend-long respite from winter's most ruinous elements. The centrepiece of it, the stallion himself, struts his...

MG1SW Recoletos (Fr) (Whipper) sired his first foal, a filly, at Haras de Saint Isidro on Wednesday, Haras de Quesnay announced via Twitter. Bred by Dario Hinojosa's Darpat France, who also bred and raced Recoletos, the filly is out of Next Life (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and was one of a dozen mares sent by Hinojosa to support his young stallion. Next Life is out of G2 Ribblesdale S. heroine Silkwood (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}).