Reasons to be Motivated for the Route des Etalons

[Wandering Eyes]

Friday will be a day of milestones in the life of this scribe, with the first day of Normandy's Route des Etalons set to coincide with the one-year anniversary of my first day as a member of team TDN. And boy, what a year it's been.

One of the highlights from 12 months spent in the job came in August when I had the opportunity to sample the delights of Deauville for the first time. Equally, one of the low points then came in December when poor organisation on my part caused me to miss a return trip due to a soon-to-be expired passport.

Unfortunately, the shuttle crossing that was already paid for was non-refundable, but the saving grace was that it was possible to change the dates. And voila, after some quick thinking on the part of TDN colleague and 'Route' veteran Emma Berry, the plan was hatched for yours truly to embark on what I'm assured is one of the most enjoyable trips in the calendar for racing, breeding and fine cuisine enthusiasts alike.

The new passport has been safely stowed away ever since I returned from Ireland last weekend. If I've learned anything from my experience of participating in the ITM Irish Stallion Trail, it's that poor organisation simply won't do if you're wanting to get the best out of the trip. Careful planning is essential, and it would be wise to take to the road equipped with a clear idea of the stallions that you most want to see and the studs that you most want to visit, whilst taking some time to join the dots on the map to make sure that it's all possible, logistically, within the available time.

What that list of must-see stallions looks like will be different for every individual, but for me it's often split into two very different camps. In the one corner you have the newcomers to the stallion ranks, the fresh-faced adolescents only recently off the track. And in the other you have the elder statesman who strutted their stuff back in this 30-something's youth, all of us having developed a few more grey hairs since we last crossed paths.

 

Take the latest edition of the Irish Stallion Trail as an example. Whilst three of the Coolmore farms were forced to reschedule their visiting hours for this coming Saturday due to the adverse weather conditions, I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at the three newcomers now in situ at their main Fethard base this past weekend, including the last two Derby winners in Auguste Rodin (Ire) and City Of Troy.

City Of Troy, emerging from the box once occupied by the great Danehill, is without doubt the most exciting young stallion to retire to stud for 2025, but then for me there was just as much enjoyment to be found during another pit stop, around 30 miles east of Coolmore, at Capital Stud. It was there that I was reunited with another winner of the Epsom Classic in Authorized (Ire), the 2007 hero who I hadn't set eyes on in the flesh since he also won that year's Juddmonte International at York. Has it really been over 17 years?

It's for similar reasons that a visit to Anthony Baudouin's Haras du Hoguenet is high up on my list of priorities for this weekend's Route des Etalons, an event which debuted back in 2011.

Somehow, it will be 20 years ago in June that another son of Montjeu (Ire) ran away with the Derby as the Michael Bell-trained Motivator (GB) slammed a certain Walk In The Park (Ire) by five lengths. The winner of the first Derby I can remember watching on TV is also now the second-oldest surviving winner of the Classic, after the 1999 victor Oath (Ire) who, as far as online records show, still resides in India after being pensioned from stud duties there in 2021. Fingers crossed, the 23-year-old Motivator might still have a few good years left in him–he covered 80 mares in 2024–but I'm taking nothing for granted and will be grabbing this opportunity to see him for the first time with both hands.

Though not nearly as far into the veteran stage as Motivator, The Grey Gatsby (Ire) also comes into the category of old favourites I'm eager to see, surely more white now than the dappled grey who won the Prix du Jockey Club and Irish Champion Stakes back in 2014. A resident of Haras du Petit Tellier, The Grey Gatsby will be one of five winners of the Prix du Jockey Club available to view on the Route des Etalons, along with Intello (Ger) and Ace Impact (Ire) at Haras de Beaumont, Mishriff (Ire) at Sumbe's Haras de Montfort et Preaux, and Vadeni (Fr) at Haras de Bonneval.

A visit to Haras de Bonneval has to be a bucket list item for any bloodstock enthusiast, especially with France's leading stallion, Siyouni (Fr), headlining the roster, while both Beaumont and Montfort et Preaux promise to welcome huge crowds of their own, each having taken in one of those all-important newcomers in recent months.

Last year's Prix Jean Prat hero Puchkine (Fr) is the new man in town at the Chehboub family's Haras de Beaumont, while Sumbe's Charyn (Ire) needs no introduction as the outstanding miler of 2024 following victories in the Queen Anne Stakes, Prix Jacques le Marois and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. Both stallions had been due a visit in December before my passport mishap, but at least this weekend allows the opportunity to right that wrong.

The 2023 winner of the QEII, Big Rock (Fr), is one of two new stallions at Haras de Grandcamp, alongside the Grosser Preis von Baden scorer Zagrey (Fr), while the three winners of the Poule d'Essai des Poulains on show at Haras d'Etreham include Metropolitan (Fr), who made the breakthrough at the top level in last year's Classic and was later best of the best behind Charyn in the Jacques le Marois.

Elsewhere, Haras de Bouquetot welcomes the 2022 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano hero Al Hakeem (GB), Haras de la Hetraie has taken charge of the 2023 winner of the Grand Prix de Paris in Feed The Flame (GB), and Haras de la Huderie is the new home of the 2023 Coventry Stakes scorer River Tiber (Ire). When you also throw into the mix the smart hurdler Nietzsche Has (Fr), a new addition to the powerful National Hunt ranks at Haras de Montaigu, then it's fair to say that there's something for everyone among those new names.

A comprehensive of all 91 stallions, old and new, who will be paraded during this year's Route des Etalons is available on this excellent website compiled by the French TBA, with 20 farms scheduled to open their doors for the two-day event.

Other than that, I can only remind you to plan carefully, be prepared to eat well, and enjoy!

I know I will–here's to year two with TDN.

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