5 minute read
Heading on up
Sally Ann Grassick reports from Haras du Quesnay, which enjoyed a fine year in 2018 with its young sire Anodin.
Dual Group 1 winner Recoletos is new at the Normandy farm for 2019, while Attendu has his first foals on the ground this year.
If you WERE asked to imagine a typical French stud farm, one place always springs to mind immediately: Haras du Quesnay.
Steeped in history, the Head family’s stud could not fail to make an impression on any visitor with its classical Normandy style architecture and set in picturesque French countryside.
It did just that when I was brought there for the first time as a treat by Criquette Head, while spending a summer working for her as a teenager.
Even now, “Le Quesnay” never fails to take my breath away and hopefully its impact never fades.
My first visit to the stud was during the glory days of Le Quesnay when stallions such as Highest Honor, Bering and, of course, their flagbearer Anabaa occupied the beautiful stallion yard.
The latter’s death, at just 17 years of age, was a huge loss for the stud, but he left behind 15 Group 1 winners including the champion Goldikova, Grand Prix de Saint Cloud (G1) heroine Plumania and the French Poule d’Essaie des Poulains-winning stallion Style Vendome. It is fitting that as Haras du Quesnay is once again making headlines with one of their stallions, and with a son of the great Anabaa – Anodin.
Haras du Quesnay was created at the turn of the 20th century by the wealthy American investor William Kissam Vanderbilt, and was then acquired in 1958 by William Head, with his sons Alec and Peter.
The stud now sits on 280 hectares and is managed for the Head family by Vincent Rimaud.
“Anabaa was our last big stallion and he died far too young after suffering an attack of colic in 2009,” says Rimaud. “So we were very proud when Anodin came to stand here – he is one of Anabaa’s last sons, and it is brilliant to see him having such a high level of success so early in his stallion career.”
He won a Group 3 before finishing placed at Group 1 level in France, England and in the US when trained by Freddy Head for the Wertheimer brothers. Anodin was leading first-season sire in France in 2018 and fifth in Europe, behind No Nay Never, Australia, Charm Spirit and Kingman despite not covering the same quality of mares and starting his career at a fee of just €7,500.
More impressively he also took second place on winners in the overall rankings of leading sires of two-yearolds in France behind Siyouni.
“Anodin’s success to date has been a massive achievement for us. The farm went through a quiet period for a while, but it is great to see the stud returning to the top level again,”says Rimaud.
The Head family’s connection with Anabaa is carrying on throughthe next generation as Freddy Head currently trains Anodin’s best son Anodor, who was bred at Le Quesnay.
Anodor won a Group 3 before finishing third in the Group 1 Prix Jean Luc Lagardère. He is one of the leading hopes for his young sire in 2019.
From his first crop, Anodin had 20 individual winners from 47 runners, aside from Anodor he also got the Listed winner Harmless and Insandi, who finished second to Anodor in the Group 3 Prix des Chenes. There is also Goldino Bello and Julius Limbani in Britain.
“When I talk to trainers, they all say that they are not just two-year-olds, but talented horses in general,” reports Rimaud, who adds: “Those trainers, who had two-year-old winners by him in 2018, such as Freddy, Christophe Ferland and François Rohaut, are all very positive about their horses ahead of the coming season.
“We hope for a good year in 2019 and there are a lot of reasons to think it will happen with many of his two-year-olds making winning debuts in October of last year.
“Although he was a talented miler, I think his progeny will stay further. He will cover our best mares this year and he has been well supported by outside breeders too.
Despite their own successful training careers, Freddy and Criquette Head have always been involved in the running of Quesnay but the family has undergone a notable reduction in the number of their own broodmares and horses in training.
“We will cover 21 broodmares for the Head family in 2019, which is almost half the amount of previous years,” explains Rimaud.
“We also have less horses running in our own colours. That is not to say that it won’t grow again in the future, but we had a lot of older mares from the same families so it was necessary to maintain the quality of our broodmare band.
“We have about 60 broodmares for outside clients as well as those belonging to the Head family, while both Criquette and Freddy have around ten mares of their own.
“We still have the same main goal – to breed racehorses – and I think the arrival of our new stallions shows we have the same drive as in previous years.”
Criquette Head
Recoletos was trained by Criquette Head’s son-in-law Carlos Laffon Parias to win the Group 1 Prix du Moulin and the Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan, and the new recruit is continuing the family connection at the stud.
A five-year-old son of Whipper, who also finished second to Alpha Centauri in the Group 1 Prix Jacques le Marois, he will stand for his first season at a fee of €8,000.
“We are delighted to welcome Recoletos as a new recruit for 2019,” comments Rimaud. “There are very few new stallions retiring to stud this season with as good a race record.
“He was the best older miler in Europe last year, but he was also very good as a three-year-old when he was placed in the Group 1 Prix du Jockey-Club and won at Group 3 level.
“Interestingly, he was second in the Prix Jacques le Marois at four, just like Anodin!
“Recoletos is a very good-looking, correct horse with size and scope and he is also a great mover. I think we will have interest when breeders see him at the Route des Etalons.
“He also brings an interesting bloodline, with Mr. Prospector, Highest Honor and Kenmare, which will cross well with Danzig.
“He will work well with a lot of European broodmares as he is also a true miler so will bring speed to his progeny.
“He has a lot going for him – pedigree, looks and talent on the racetrack.”
Le Quesnay also stands two other stallions: Motivator, the sire of the farm’s champion Treve, and Attendu, a son of Acclamation, who was a Group winner at two, three and four for Laffon-Parias and the Wertheimer brothers.
“Motivator continues to have winners and has started to have success over jumps recently,”says Rimaud. “Attendu will have his first foals this year. We hope he will have the same success as his fellow Wertheimer stallions Anodin and Intello, who stood at Quesnay for two seasons before returning to Cheveley Park Stud last year. He was one of the top second-season sires in 2018.”
It is wonderful to see a resurgence for this beautiful French stud farm. All evidence shows that 2019 could be a great year all round for Haras du Quesnay.
Motivator
