TDN Weekend

to a deserved resurgence in the French breeding industry. That has been buoyed further still by the regeneration of Haras de Bouquetot since its purchase in 2012 by Sheikh Joaan Al Thani. In 2014, the Clarbec farm stood its first two stallions, Style Vendome and Planteur, who were shown to visitors out- side the lunge ring as work started on a new stallion yard. Fast-for- ward to 2017 and that lavish new yard now houses Europe's most expensive new stallion Shalaa, who is standing at €27,500 and will cover super- star mare Treve in his first season, while Olympic Glory and The Wow Signal com- plete the Al Shaqab roster in France. In many ways it's a case of job done for the team behind La Route des Etalons, but its existence as a stallion-marketing ploy only really tells half the story. When it comes to stallions, it's all about looking forward: to a horse's first crop, his first runners, first winner, etc. The charm of spending a weekend on 'La Route' lies re- ally in looking back. In this respect, a great starting point is at Haras de Victot, which has the honour of being the oldest stud farm in France. The original parts of its moat-lined cha- teau date back to 1574 and, while its cur- rent stallion line-up is of more interest to those of a National Hunt persuasion, the stud's relatively recent history includes a stint as home to the bloodstock of Dan- iel Wildenstein. On a wall in the beauti- ful beamed stableyard is row upon row of plaques dedicated to the good horses bred at the farm, including the Wilden- steins' 1974 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Allez France. Stepping farther back into the history of the French Clas- sics, Victot homebreds feature via the 1845 Prix du Jockey Club winner Fitz Emi- lius, while ten years later the same race was claimed by Monarque, who would go on to make his name as one of the coun- try's best stallions, siring among his prog- eny Gladiateur, the first French winner of the Derby at Epsom in 1865. If French breeding history is your thing, then no trip to Normandy is complete Haras de Victot 10

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