Haras de Montaigu

The Darley stallions Victor Ludorum (GB) and Cloth Of Stars (Ire) will be standing at Haras d'Etreham and Haras de Montaigu respectively from 2025. Darley's French-based sires have long stood at Julian Ince's Haras du Logis in Louvieres in Auge, Normandy, but Ince has decided to concentrate his business on his own broodmare band and boarding mares for clients after more than a quarter of a century in the stallion game. He said, "Firstly, I would like to thank Sheikh Mohammed and the Darley team for all the help and...

Filippo Ezri and Jean-Pierre Djian's Une Pointure (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}--Whipcorse {Fr}, by Whipper), a Marcel Rolland trainee, backed up a debut third at Saint-Cloud last month with an impressive seven-length tally over six furlongs in Tuesday's Prix de la Verrerie at Chantilly. 3rd-Chantilly, €30,000, Mdn, 7-2, 2yo, f, 6fT, 1:11.57, g/s. UNE POINTURE (FR) (f, 2, Dabirsim {Fr}--Whipcorse {Fr}, by Whipper), who hit the board going seven furlongs at Saint-Cloud in her June 4 debut last time, broke in mid division and moved forward to stalk the leaders in third...

Unbeaten French hurdler Nietzsche Has (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}--Nice To Meet You {Fr}, by Martaline {GB}) will stand as a National Hunt stallion in 2025 at Haras de Montaigu, it was announced on Monday. Bred by Scea Hamel Stud, the three-year-old Nietzsche Has carries the colours of Edward James, having been bought by bloodstock agent Guy Petit for €240,000 at last year's Arqana Deauville Summer Mixed Sale. Last seen making it three from three over hurdles in the G3 Prix Aguado at Auteuil in May, he is set to be tested...

Godolphin's Ottoman Fleet (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}--Innevera {Fr}, by Motivator {GB}) had won one of five overseas starts since annexing last term's G3 bet365 Earl Of Sefton S. at Newmarket and made a winning European return with back-to-back victories in Wednesday's latest renewal of the nine-furlong test. The gelded 5-year-old backed up last term's success with a win in Belmont's GII Fort Marcy S. before hitting the board in June's GI Manhattan S. back in New York. He then returned off a sabbatical to place in Meydan's G2 Al...

The first reported Thunder Moon (Ire) foal was born at Haras de Montaigu during Stallion Route weekend with three additional fillies making an appearance during the last week, announced standing stud Haras de Bouquetot via press release on Sunday. The first, a colt out of Eterea (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr})--herself a winning half-sister to multiple Group-placed Munsef (GB) (Zafonic) and Italian stakes runner Danzaya (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB})--hailing from the extended family of multiple Group 1-placed Hamish McGonagall (GB) (Namid {GB}), brought praise from Haras de Montaigu's Erwan de Chambord. "We...

Star jumps sire No Risk At All (Fr) will cover a limited book at Haras de Montaigu in 2024, the stud announced on Thursday. His €20,000 live foal fee, an increase of €2,000 from 2023, leads the five-strong roster. Standing alongside the perennially successful sire are Beaumec De Houelle (Fr) and Flintshire (GB), each at €6,000. The latter is available to mares under both codes. Group Flat sire Dabirsim (Fr), whose Horizon Dore (Fr) ran third in the G1 Champion S., and  Dschingis Secret (13) will both command €4,000. The...

Leading National Hunt sire No Risk At All (Fr) (My Risk {Fr}) will miss the remainder of the 2023 covering season after suffering an accident in a paddock at Haras de Montaigu in France. According to the farm, the 16-year-old stallion, whose produce include G1 Aintree Hurdle and two-time G1 Christmas Hurdle winner Epatante, will be on box rest for a month and the farm hopes to have him in full readiness to resume his career in 2024.

Irish-born Ciara O'Connor will be leaving Haras de Montaigu on Friday after 20 years as a hugely popular and key member of the team at the French farm. "Ciara's charming accent, unwavering smile, and good humour in all circumstances will be greatly missed by all of us at the stud," said Montaigu owner Sybille Gibson. "She knew how to make herself unanimously appreciated by all the members of staff as well as by each of our clients, to whom she always listened attentively and effectively. "With Ciara there is never...

Erwan De Chambord has joined Haras de Montaigu in the capacity of commercial development and client relations. He will serve as the point of contact for new sales in addition to advising on breeding and stallion matings. Launching EDC Agency two years ago, De Chambord has also served with Arqana and bloodstock agent Nicolas de Watrigant, in addition to holding the post of assistant under U.S.-based trainer Christophe Clement. Representing Haras de Montaigu at the track, at French sales and international racing venues, De Chambord will work alongside Aliette Forien...

Group 1 winner Technician (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}--Arosa, by Sadler's Wells) was represented by his first foal, born at Haras de Cisai Jan. 23. Bred by D&C Bloodstock, the filly is out of Sans Regret (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}). During his career, Technician won five off 11 careers starts, including the G1 Prix Royal-Oak, G2 Prix Chaudenay and G3 Geoffrey Freer S. The 7-year-old stallion currently stands for €3,000 Live Foal at Haras de Montaigu. "She is very correct," said Sybille Gibson at Montaigu. "The stallion added some class to this mare...

Is it just me or should France be known as the bloodstock land of opportunity? This is the country that saw Wootton Bassett (GB) and Walk In The Park (Ire) pull themselves up by the bootstraps after entering the stud book at relatively modest sums. There are few serious racing nations that provide as much of a chance for a stallion to flourish than France does. Take Kauto Star (Fr), the greatest staying chaser of the modern era, as an example. He hailed from the largely unheralded Village Star (Fr)...

France was the forerunner of the stallion trail, its La Route des Etalons having been launched in 2010, catching the rising tide of increasingly sought-after stallions in the country following a spell in the doldrums.  This popular weekend feature of late January was, like almost everything else, interrupted for a few years by Covid restrictions, but there is none of that to worry about now as the two days of touring around some of Normandy's most exquisite stud farms gets underway this Saturday morning.  The bright young things of TDN...