France’s stallion ranks have been bolstered in recent years by the retention in the country of many of its best racehorses.
Stormy River stands at Haras d’Etreham
These new recruits have included Stormy River, a top three-year-old in 2006 when he won the Prix Jean Prat and was placed in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, St. James’s Palace Stakes and Prix du Moulin. The son of Verglas retired to Haras d’Etreham in 2008 and the wisdom of his recruitment is currently being shown by his first crop of three-year-olds.
Stormy River, a beautiful grey horse like his recently-deceased sire Verglas, came up with his first Group winner in June when his three-year-old son Remus De La Tour won the Prix du Lys at Longchamp. This weekend he doubled his tally of Group winners courtesy of the victory of his daughter Leaupartie in the Prix de Psyche at Deauville.
Remus De La Tour had been a particular bargain as a yearling, costing only €5,000, and Leaupartie was well bought too, having been purchased by Sylvain Vidal, racing manager to her owner Gérard Augustin-Normand, for €25,000 at Arqana’s Deauville August Yearling Sale in 2010.
Stormy River’s other three-year-olds include Barbayam, a Listed winner of the Prix Amandine at Maisons-Laffitte earlier this month.
