French stallions

It's currently stallion trail season and, following the inaugural National Hunt showcase in Britain and last weekend's Irish Stallion Trail, over the next two days it is the turn of the original. Twenty-one studs across the north-west of France will open their doors on Friday and Saturday for La Route des Etalons, allowing access to 84 stallions from both codes. This is the 17th year of this popular promotional event which is now firmly etched in the diaries of many breeders each year. From Haras d'Etreham close to Bayeux down...

   Zelzal, who will stand for an unchanged fee of €10,000, anchors Al Shaqab Racing's Haras de Bouquetot roster next year. Jour de Galop first reported the news. The 12-year-old son of Sea The Stars has sired 11 stakes winners to date and has a trio of Group/Grade 3 winners to his credit in Dolce Zel, Short Final and Ouraika. Wooded, who sired G1 Prix Jean Prat hero Woodshauna this season, will also stand for his 2025 price at €7,000. Priced at €5,000 in his first year at stud, Al...

Group 1 winners Marhaba Ya Sanafi and Tribalist, both new to stud next year, will retire to Haras de Castillon's new stallion operation, Castillon Stallions for 2026. Fees for the duo will be announced at a later date. "Launching our own stallion station marks the realisation of a long-held ambition," said Benoit Jeffroy, who founded Haras de Castillon with Annabelle Aime in 2015. "I hope we can meet breeders' expectations with the stallion roster we're putting together. I want to sincerely thank all our partners for their trust and commitment....

Sumbe stallions Angel Bleu (Fr), Mishriff (Ire), and Belbek (Fr) all sired their first reported foals this past week. Three foals by globetrotting multiple Group 1 winner Mishriff arrived this week, two fillies and a colt. The latter is out of Elisabeth Fabre's Argentinian Classic-placed Nuwara Eliya (Arg) (Fortify). By Make Believe (GB), Mishriff stands for €16,000 in 2025. The Angel Bleu filly is out of Zahaa (GB) (Kingman {GB}) from the family of Classic winner Taghrooda (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). She was born at Giulia Gariboldi's Haras de...

The 2025 edition of La Route des Etalons will last from Friday, Jan. 17 through Saturday, Jan. 18. A total of 20 stud farms will open their doors to the public with at least 90 stallions set to parade. La Route is a unique opportunity to discover many of the best stallions and studs in France, as well as to meet many racing and breeding professionals in a very friendly atmosphere. "We would like to sincerely thank the participating stud farms, France Galop (for organising a trip), our partners in...

Camelot (GB), sire of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Bluestocking (GB), is the champion sire in France for 2024 as well as being the leading stallion in Europe. He also had the third home in the Arc, Los Angeles (Ire), who earlier in the season had landed the Irish Derby. Bluestocking's top-level wins in 2024 included the Pretty Polly Stakes and Prix Vermeille, while Camelot's durable son Luxembourg (Ire), who has recently retired to Castle Hyde Stud, added a fourth Group 1 win to his tally in the...

Ten days ago, the Arqana sales company announced the launch of SirePower+, a tailored financing programme which offers breeders the opportunity to have 50% of their 2025 stallion covering fee financed by the Deauville auction house up until the offspring is sold at an Arqana sale. The goal of the programme is to encourage breeders with good mares to reach a little higher to breed to the best French and international stallions, creating more commercially desirable foals. Both French and foreign breeders are invited to participate. The produce will be...

Motivator (GB)'s son Jigme (Ire) will anchor the Haras du Hoguenet roster in 2025, Jour de Galop reported on Wednesday. His fee will remain €8,000, and he covered 126 mares this term. Roster veteran Motivator, rising 23, will stand for €5,000. He has sired 82 black-type Flat horses and 8.8% stakes winners per starter over jumps. He is joined by Penny's Picnic (Ire) at €3,000. The sire of G3 Prix du Petit Couvert heroine Pradaro (Fr) on the Flat, the son of Kheleyf has also sired a pair of NH...

With the stallion fee announcements coming in thick and fast this week, it is worth reflecting on the busiest stallions in France for the 2024 covering season, following our recent round-up of the figures for Britain and Ireland. Firstly, our thanks must go to our esteemed colleague Adrien Cugnasse of Jour de Galop for sharing the figures he painstakingly put together this summer. They show that Haras de Colleville's Galiway (GB) was the busiest boy in the country by some margin with a book of 248 mares - the largest...

Muhaarar (GB) will remain at €14,000 next year, as Haras du Petit Tellier released its 2025 roster and fees on Thursday evening, Jour de Galop reported. The son of Oasis Dream (GB), who was standing his first season at the stud, has a pair of Group 1 winners to his credit including French Classic hero Marhaba Ya Sanafi (Ire). After covering 114 mares this year and siring 11 stakes horses worldwide, he is joined once again on the 2025 roster by group sire The Grey Gatsby (Ire) at €12,000 and...

The 2025 edition of La Route des Etalons, an opportunity to view some of the best stallions and stud farms in France, will be held on Jan. 17-18. In a change from previous editions, it will be on a Friday and a Saturday, instead of the weekend proper. For more information on the French stallions available for viewing and which stud farms will be opening their doors, please visit la Route des Etalons website.

The stallion business, just like many other aspects of life in the racing world, is a cyclical one. Riding the high waves is easy, but arguably of most importance is to keep paddling away below the water line when things are a little flat. Keen observers of the French scene will detect a swell on the horizon. Following the untimely demise of Le Havre (Ire) and the sale to Coolmore of Wootton Bassett (GB), Siyouni (Fr) has been almost a lone head bobbing along in the elite waters, but the...