Strong Interest in Second-Year Stallion River Tiber

In June 2023 River Tiber (IRE) looked to have the world at his feet when justifying an almost religious degree of faith in the Coventry Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot, leaving the likes of Bucanero Fuerte (GB) and Haatem (IRE) in his wake. It was a victory that the gallops-whisperers at Ballydoyle had been predicting since the early spring. Life does not ever quite go in a straight line when it comes to humans or Thoroughbreds and a setback left Aidan O'Brien with a race against time to get his star 2-year-old back in shape for one of the major midsummer juvenile group 1s. The Phoenix Stakes (G1) came and went and O'Brien was open to anyone who would listen when he warned that the son of Wootton Bassett was heading to the Prix Morny (G1) off an extremely rushed preparation. In the circumstances, a close-up third to Vandeek (GB) and Ramatuelle indicated his enormous talent. Fortune continued to hide when it came to River Tiber and big-race targets, but O'Brien's loss opened the door of opportunity to a celebrated and ambitious group of breeders in Normandy, France, convinced that what they had seen at Ascot and Deauville meant he remained an exciting stallion prospect. During last week's Route des Etalons, River Tiber was on the receiving end of a steady stream of visitors at Haras de la Huderie, and those who made the detour to see him will have been impressed as he prepares to embark on his second season covering at the farm. Sebastien Desmontils of Chauvigny Global Equine brokered the deal to bring River Tiber to Normandy, and helped pull together a strong set of shareholders in the horse, all ready to put their shoulder to the wheel in support of their new acquisition. "We've brought together really serious breeders like Guillaume Vitse (Normandie Breeding) and the Garcon family at Haras de la Hotellerie, as well as Haras du Thenney, while I've built up my numbers of flat mares at home from a small number to around 20, with listed and group winners among them," Desmontils said. O'Brien was warm in his praise of River Tiber during a racing career that also included a third behind Vandeek in the Middle Park Stakes (G1) before being a late withdrawal from the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T). He returned at 3 to be placed in the Irish Two Thousand Guineas (G1). If his interrupted career meant River Tiber was "gettable," there was plenty of encouragement to secure the horse from a pedigree point of view. "Of course if he had won the Morny or the Breeders' Cup, we'd have never got him, but it was clear to all those around the horse that he had great energy and great potential," Desmontils said. "He's very 'Wootton' and he made 480,000 guineas as a yearling (at Book 1). He is from a very fast and precocious family and he sells himself on his physique. Obviously we love him as a physical but there have been people who don't know the horse when they come to see him have loved the way he moves. "After that he needs to produce horses that can run, but given the support he is getting from quality breeders, I'm sure they will be bought by the right people and end up with the right trainers." Since leaving Haras de Colleville in 2018 to found Normandie Breeding with wife Camille, Vitse has proved himself adept at breeding 2-year-olds. He has made something of a specialty of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, with Go Athletico (FR) making the trip to Keeneland in 2020, while three years later Unquestionable (FR), another he co-bred, scored for O'Brien under Ryan Moore in the grade 1 at Santa Anita Park. Ironically, Moore was booked to partner River Tiber before the colt's defection just eight hours before post time. Also a son of Wootton Bassett, Unquestionable is now at Rathbarry Stud and standing for almost twice River Tiber's fee of €5,500 (US$6,519, €1=US$1.19), though Vitse can afford to smile about how their second careers turned out on that weekend in California. "Our goal isn't to make money straight away, but to get him covering plenty of mares, make the breeders happy, and get people to come and see him," Vitse said. "He's an outcross and an easy horse to mate, and so if he becomes a good stallion, then we can think about money. "When people come to see him they agree he's a super-looking horse and you ask yourself, 'What are people looking for today?' They want precocity and a quick return on their investment. Breeding a horse that will be good over 2,400 meters as a 4-year-old costs too much for most people. "They want a horse like River Tiber whose yearlings they can take to market and the British and Irish buyers know the horse. "When I look at his articulation, the way he uses himself, I have complete faith in him. His breeder, Ger Morrin of Pier House Stud, told me that the whole family are all wonderful movers. So I have every expectation he will get good horses, and the foals we've seen already are really nice. I've seen a couple at Hotellerie and some videos of foals at Sebastien's place, everyone is very happy. I find it very exciting." Vitse added: "I'm totally convinced by this horse so we'll see what other people make of him. But he has a lot going for him. Wootton Bassett has had two stallion sons so far in Wooded and Almanzor, and they both produced group 1 winners, though neither at 2. "He has a different profile and he's a very easy horse to cross. The people who have supported him so far believe in him and I don't think we'll be proved wrong." Berenger Bussy and the team at Haras de la Huderie are well used to handling stallions who have a profile boasting speed and precocity, though they have never stood a Royal Ascot juvenile winner. Both Vitse and Desmontils have said how much support his committed shareholders will give River Tiber, who covered 134 mares in his first book, while their ambitions for the sire are considerable. Vitse said: "We have brought together a group of ultra-motivated people around this horse and we have sent him plenty of good mares between us including daughters of Galileo and Camelot, and we will support him even more strongly in 2027. "And we'll put together some syndicates to support him at the sales, maybe with a bit of pinhooking, just to keep things turning over." Desmontils added: "Our objective is to make him champion sire. Long is the road but we'll be doing our maximum and there are not many horses like him who have the backing of such a strong group of breeders. "His price is another factor. We've seen a number of stallions come out of France in recent years who have begun at his level and worked their way up the hard way." Long is the road indeed. But if you own a stallion son of Wootton Bassett and you are prepared to back him with quality mares and invite people on board at a competitive price, you never know how far down it you might travel.