Haras de la Huderie

Birchwood (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), who won the G2 Superlative S. at two in 2015 and went on to listed success at three in the Godolphin blue, sired his first winner at Marseille Pont De Vivaux on Friday when Oulalah (Fr) took a 950 metre claiming race for trainer Jerome Reynier. The colt, in fact, led home an exacta for Birchwood, with the filly Madame Babette (Fr) filling second. Birchwood has stood his first four seasons at Haras de la Huderie for €5,000.

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...