The Route And The Revolution

It was a balmy four below as TDN International VP Gary King and I set off for another day driving through the French countryside in search of espresso, baked goods and unpasteurized cheese (and stallions, of course) in the Ford C-Max (with the emphasis on Max).

Haras de Bouquetot is Al Shaqab's outpost in Europe, home to a large, ancient Norman manor house in the process of a major remodel, and a modern stallion complex for their young lineup of sires. The upstart operation will be represented by their first French-sired runners from the farm this year from Style Vendome (Fr) and Planteur (Ire) and the farm's Sebastien Desmontils brims with enthusiasm, particularly at the latter's chances. “Style Vendome was very well received at stud,” said Desmontils. “In his first two crops, he covered more than 70 black-type winners or producers, which is quite amazing for the French market, and so we are very very excited about his first 2-year-olds this year. They were well-received at the sales; we bought the top-priced lot, out of the dam of Covert Love (the G1 Irish Oaks winner) and she is going to Hugo Palmer in Newmarket. She was €200,000, so that was a good return for the breeder.”

Continued Desmontils, “They are in training with various trainers; Hugo Palmer, Richard Fahey, and Andre Fabre in France has the half to Doha Dream (Fr) that we bred. So there's plenty to look forward to. We'll know a bit more in two months' time when trainers are putting more pressure on their horses, but they're all quite keen on them.”

I suggest that a few success ads in the TDN might just do the trick, to which Desmontils replies, “There is no need. They'll advertise themselves. We're not going to give you a penny.”

He's kidding. I hope.

The farm's now-famous dog, Isere, comes out for a photo op to give Style Vendome a good-luck kiss. But of course, the big news at Bouquetot is the arrival of the most expensive sire to retire to Europe this year. Shalaa (Ire) has booked full with 150 mares in his first season, selling out in the first three weeks he was on offer. His first book of mares includes none other than Treve (Fr), due to give birth to her first foal, by Dubawi (Ire), any day now at Bouquetot.

Next out was the farm's Olympic Glory (Ire), the talented top-level racehorse who has been well received in both hemispheres, spending the Southern Hemisphere at Arrowfield Stud in the Hunter Valley. Buyers will get a chance to see his first yearlings in the sales ring in 2017. “You should see them in sales all over Europe this year,” said Desmontils.

We left Bouquetot with the gift of some nifty tactile gloves and lovely Al Shaqab hats. King mentioned how he looked forward to wearing his; I pointed out that most men in the United States would feel somewhat uncomfortable with a giant fuzzy maroon pom-pom on top of their head, but he had no such qualms. Let's hope the upcoming Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed sale is cold enough to allow us all a photo.

The long drive down narrow twisting roadways to our stop, Haras de Montaigu, was an interesting one, with the Ford C Max coming close at times to scraping the bocage on both sides of the road. It suddenly became clear why Hertz pointed out the four dents and scrapes when we rented it. We manage to arrive unscathed.

Marketing head Sybille Gibson discussed with us the challenge of a bias towards smaller-sized sires, particularly as it pertains to the farm's Literato (Fr). “We have used him with a lot of our medium-sized mares, and he produces normal-sized horses,” said Gibson. “They take on the size of their mares, so the belief of people is false; he sires so many good-looking horses who show their heart on the racetrack, like him. They want to win. They have good minds, and they are proper winners, and at €3,000, it's a super-attractive price.” Statistics would seem to bear Gibson out: in 2016, Literato had 26 winners of 42 races from just 50 runners, with 84% in the money.

Gibson said that last year's new attraction, the dual Group 1 winning Prince Gibraltar (Fr), covered 77 mares last year and that they are eagerly awaiting his first foals.

King took over the driving duties so I could write on the way to our next stop, Haras du Logis. He drives faster somehow on the small, twisting departmental roads than he does on the autoroutes, not only frightening his passenger, but also a mother strolling a baby on the side of the road, who gave him a proper glare when he zipped past. Suggesting the woman and child stay off the road, he started to pull into Logis when we found our car swarmed by a mass of people walking back to their tour bus. They turned out to be 43 Czech breeders in Normandy for La Route. I'll have to measure the miles, but I still think the TDN team has traveled farthest to be here.

Once inside, we found a healthy crowd watching the stallion parade, and they were treated to no shortage of superlatives from owner Julian Ince.

“Here is the greatest sire in France,” he said as Manduro (Ger), the sire of six Group 1 winners walked past the crowd. Next out was Sidestep (Aus), who covered his first Northern Hemisphere book of mares last year, by, said Ince, “the greatest sire of 2-year-olds in the world, Exceed And Excel.”

Ince's enthusiasm is infectious, particularly when the star of the show, the magnificent-looking Exosphere (Aus) arrived. A Bill Oppenheim value sire for his first year in France, Exosphere was the right choice for the honor, said Ince.”He stands for 20 grand in Australia and for six grand here,” he said. “As he has only just arrived, I would say that every person who has seen him since his arrival has booked a nomination. I'm not quite sure after this weekend how many people will have booked him, but you just have to explain to people that this was the product of Australian speed on speed the last 30 years. We're up to about 50-odd now, and we'd hope to get 100 to 120 mares to him. So far, so good.”

Just 20 minutes away through some more narrow twisting roads is the lovely Haras du Mezeray, home to Muhtathir (GB) and Myboycharlie (Ire), who has recently returned from another successful stint at Vinery in Australia, where he is known for being the sire of the Ciaron Maher-trained Group 1 winner Jameka (Aus). Farm manager Christine Dutertre said that there had been a steady flow of visitors to see the stallion, “both people who had booked to him already and people who wanted to see him before doing so.” He is booked full at 95 mares.

We stopped inside for a bowl of potage aux legumes frais, some of the best cheese we have had on the trip and a lovely glass of St. Emilion, and talked to owner Charles-Henri de Moussac about ongoing plans to focus on quality mares over quantity; there are currently 80 on the farm. Manager Philippe Brosset's very intelligent children asked me a pointed question when they learned I was American. “How do you feel about Donald Trump?” Let's just say that my politics and theirs were in line.

We saved France's most expensive sire for the last stop of the trip. By this time of day, nearly four o'clock, it was a warm seven degrees above zero when we pulled into the gates at Haras de la Cauviniere to see Le Havre (Ire), where we again met up with Anna Sunstrom, whose mother, Maja, bred him, and the pair offered him for sale now 10 years ago.

First out, though, was France's leading first-crop sire of 2016, Rajsaman (Fr), whose fee has been raised from €6,000 to €8,000 on the strength of that year. With 100 2-year-olds slated to run in 2017, and some good 3-year-olds to fly the flag for him, the farm has high hopes.

Le Havre will book full at €60,000, said Mathieu Alex, who said, “He's getting some very good mares from abroad, which is exciting for the country as well.”

His book this year includes mares like Esoterique (Ire), “and,” said Alex, “as you know, the China Horse Club has bought a share and they look to support him. We have the dam of La Cressoniere (Fr) and plenty of good mares who have been here before and many good breeders from abroad. And what they like about him is that he is an outcross; he produces good horses at a mile, a mile and a quarter and a mile and a half.”

Many breeders have traveled from outside France to see him this year during La Route des Etalons. “This year,” he said, “we had a lot more important breeders from abroad, so, again, this is a fantastic idea; it's working. I think people find it very easy to come see the stallions at any time of the day. They don't have to book an appointment; it's open for two days. It's great.”

But if Le Havre leads the way in France, there are plenty right behind him. Years into the lucrative French premium system, it is clearly working, and that is apparent in the quality of the horses being produced, which are somewhat of a revolution.

“Le Havre, Kendargent, Siyouni, they have all been supported by their stallion owners, so that's a very strong message,” said Alex, who is helping to steer the operation at the forefront of that revolution in La Cauviniere. “We have great premiums, great prize money. Our generation has been abroad, and they speak English, and that helps.”

But in the end, he said, all the promotion and prize money in the world won't help if the horses don't back it up. In France, they are doing just that.

“Only horses can do this,” said Alex. “You can do all the talking in the world, but only the horses can make the change. We had James Wigan here yesterday, which was fantastic. Five or six years ago, these type of guys wouldn't come, but for the right horse they'll come. And I think it's fantastic for the country, fantastic for the breeders. Fantastic for France.”

Vive La Route. Vive La France.