7 minute read
His own boss
Jocelyn de Moubray chats with Guillaume Vitse, who has set up Normandie Breeding and is keen to put a lifetime of experience to good use.
At Arqana August, the Normandie Breeding draft includes the Holy Roman Emperor full-sister to Roman Turbo, this July’s winner of the Group 3 Anglesey Stakes
WHEN HE TURNED 45 Guillaume Vitse and his wife Camille decided that if they didn’t set up their own business soon they would probably never do so.
And so in 2018, after 11 years working with Guy Pariente at the Haras de Colleville, Vitse took over the Haras du Lieu Calice, near Beauvron-en-Auge.
He presented his first draft at the Arqana V2 Sale under the name Normandie Breeding and went on the prepare drafts for Osarus, and the Arqana yearling and breeding stock sales.
After his first full breeding season keeping mares for clients from Britain and Germany, Vitse will start off the new yearling season with four lots catalogued at Arqana in August, two in the main sale and two in the V2.
This year’s Arqana August Sale is down in numbers and there are 12 fewer horses catalogued for the weekend select sessions.
Of the 345 lots in the sale more than a third will be presented by the four biggest consignors – Haras des Capucines, Ecurie des Monceaux, La Motteraye and the Haras d’Etreham.
“There are not many high-class yearlings available to consign for August,” reasons Vitse, “and if I want to have a bigger draft I realise I am a newcomer and will have to prove myself with the work I do.”
Work and the need to “prove yourself” are two concepts which come up frequently in conversation with Vitse.
He was born and brought up in the breeding world and is as aware as anybody that it is never straightforward to find and maintain a place in such a competitive environment.
Vitse’s father Jean Patrick Vitse was the manager of the Haras de la Verrerie when it was owned by Elie de Brignac, a prominent breeder in France from the late 1960s and one of the founders of the Agence Française, the forerunner to Arqana.
De Brignac died suddenly in 1985 and only a few months later his colt from the first crop of Golden Fleece, a half-brother to the Prix de Diane winner Dunette, was sold at Deauville
for the new record price of 9 million francs. This is the equivalent of more than £2 million in today’s money and was not topped at Deauville until Melikah, the half-sister to Galileo, made 10 million francs in 1998.
After de la Verrerie, Vitse Snr moved to the Haras de la Bois Roussel where he was the assistant to the manager Louis Champion.
Bois Roussel belonged to the Comtesse Batthyany and the horses raised on the farm at the time included the half-siblings Galetto and Gabina, both Group 1 winners.
“Gabina was a top filly,” Vitse Jnr remembers, “she would have won more than just the Prix de la Forêt but she was born at a difficult time and had to race against the likes of Miesque, Soviet Star and Indian Skimmer.’
After finishing school, Vitse set out to gain international experience working in England, Ireland and Kentucky.
His first stop was at Plantation Stud, then owned by Lord Howard de Walden and the home of Derby winner Slip Anchor.
“Slip Anchor was already beginning to look a little disappointing,” recalls Vitse. “For my second breeding season I was sent to work at Thornton Stud in Yorkshire where Kris was based.
“All the mares due to visit Kris were boarded on the stud and they were, of course, a fabulous collection.”
Did he ever meet Lord Howard de Walden? “He came once during my time,” Vitse replies, “and we were told to stand up straight and say ‘Good morning, mi Lord!’”
Vitse moved on to spend a breeding season at Coolmore and some time breaking in yearlings at Kildangan Stud, then run by Michael Osborne. “I was already too big to ride,” he says, “and it was there I learnt how to work young horses in long reins.”
Afterwards it was Kentucky and Lane’s End. Vitse has an old photo which shows him in shorts with a large grin holding A.P. Indy, and a yearling he looked after who turned out to be Lemon Drop Kid, a Classic winner and multiple Grade 1 winner.
On his return to France, Vitse initially struggled to find the right position, but spent time working for Henri Devin at the Haras du Mesnil and doing yearling seasons at the Haras du Montaigu and the Haras d’Ommeel before meeting Guy Pariente and taking on the task of building the Haras de Colleville.
Pariente and Vitse are both strong characters and their working relationship lasted 11 years.
During this time the Haras de Colleville was transformed from a rundown cattle farm into one of the leading stud farms in France and Europe.
Kendargent was transformed from an obscure sire standing at €1,000 to one with an international reputation covering large books of mares at €22,000.
The stud sold a Kendargent full-sister to Restiadargent for 525,000gns at the Tattersalls October Book 1 Sale, and in 2016 a Frankel colt out of Restiadargent herself for €520,000 in Deauville.
The yearlings sold also included the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains winner Style Vendome and the multiple Group winner Morando.
The stud bred, raised and raced three Group 1 performers at Royal Ascot in Restiadargent, Kenhope and Goken – in 2012 Restiadargent came within a head and neck of beating Black Caviar and Moonlight Cloud as a three-year-old in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes, one of the best races run at the Royal meeting in recent years.
His trip to Ascot to watch Restidargent run at Royal Ascot is one of Vitse’s best memories of his Colleville years.
“Monsieur Pariente took us in a private plane and we were back on the farm by early evening,” he remembers. “And what a run, she was only three and was even a little unlucky when caught behind the winner.
“She gave everything that day and was never anywhere near as good again.”
Mare and foal boarding with Normandie Breeding
Vitse picked up an idea of Pariente’s determination early on when Colleville’s owner decided to bring Kendargent back from the US – the son of Kendor had won at Hollywood Park – and stand him as a stallion.
“When Monsieur Pariente announced the news to me I was not even sure you were allowed to stand a stallion in France who hadn’t won a Group race!” Vitse remembers. “He told me then that Kendargent was going to be the best stallion in France and you have to admire Monsieur Pariente’s determination and the way he managed the horse.
“He gave us the means to work to this end and for six or seven years until the results came he wouldn’t be swayed from his objective. Kendargent may not be a very top stallion, but he is a very good one and I am sure he will be an excellent broodmare sire too. He is by Kendor out of a mare by Linamix, two stallions who were outstanding broodmare sires.”
If Pariente has vision and determination he also taught Vitse the importance of communication.
“We spoke nearly every day,” Vitse says, “and Monsieur Pariente spent a lot of time on the farm.
When asked what he regretted the most on leaving Colleville, Vitse is quick to reply: “Galiway! When Monsieur Pariente asked me the same question close to the end of my time there I gave him the same answer.”
Galiway is a son of Galileo and the Danehill mare Danzigaway, and he has stood at the Haras de Colleville since 2016.
His first foals are two-year-olds and have made a promising start with the two useful winners Kenway and Galiciana, both out of Kendargent mares, from his first five runners.
“We were looking for a new stallion,” says Vitse, “but were in no hurry as we wanted to find one who would suit Colleville’s Kendargent mares.
“We were standing together in the paddock at Longchamp before Prestige Vendome ran in the Group 3 Prix de Fontainebleau when we first really noticed Galiway.
“Galiway had speed, and is by Galileo out of a fast Danehill mare, and he was then, and still is, a magnificent individual.”
Galiway was trained by André Fabre for the Wertheimer brothers and had finished second in a Group 3 at Newbury as a two-year-old.
He disappointed after finishing third in the Fontainebleau in both the Poule d’Essai and the Prix du Jockey-Club before coming back at the end of the year to win a Listed race.
Then next time Vitse happened to ask about Galiway he was told the colt was due to be gelded!
“Pierre Yves Bureau had assumed we were no longer interested in him as a stallion as he hadn’t won a Group race. I told him we were even more interested as the price was going to be lower now!” Vitse laughs.
Vitse himself is joint breeder of a twoyear-old Galiway colt By The Way, who was a promising third on his debut in June.
Normandie Breeding is for the time being concentrating on looking after its clients’ mares during the breeding season and preparing yearlings for Arqana August and October as well as the Osarus September sale.
“It is the same with the yearlings. The plan is to remain at a reasonable size so we can do the work properly and walk them by hand. If you get too big staff quickly becomes an issue.”
Normandie Breeding’s select four in August include a Dariyan filly (Lot 244), half-sister to this year’s stakes performer Queendara, and a Holy Roman Emperor filly (Lot 26) out of Swish, a full-sister to Shirocco.
Her juvenile full-brother Roman Turbo trained by Michael Halford won the Anglesey Stakes (G3) in July.
The two for the V2 include a Rajsaman (Lot 353) half-sister to Olendon, a stakes-winning Group 1 performer this year for Gerard Augustin Normand and Pascal Bary who is now in training in the US.
“I want,” he summarises, “to be known for my work. If people say Vitse he is not straightforward or he is difficult, but he does a good job, I will be happy with that.”
