The sweet giant Elasos retires to stud near the Mont Saint Michel

Solid, tough and tireless, these are the 3 words to describe Elasos, the new stallion recruited by Andre-Jean Belloir. Set up on 320 acres in the Mont-Saint-Michel bay, Andre-Jean Belloir operates his stud farm with 60 broodmares (!) and his own stallions. He recently took on Crillon,  a stallion who produces winners (sire of Kadyphard, Ranjobaie, Rhode Island, etc...) and who covered Punchestowns' dam in 2010, a mare owned by Gerard Ferte who refused to get in foal for ages.

Elasos (16.3hh) winning the Grand Prix de Bordeaux (Listed)

" I choosed him for his strength, his size, his ability on heavy ground and over 1m4f. He ran 50 times from 2 to 8, a bit everywhere. He was always sound, never had trouble with his legs and even ended up his career with a success. In my opinion, strength is in the genes and all his aspects are assets to cross with AQPS. And he is registered for the breed. I picked Crillon based on the same criterias. So I will do it all over again with Elasos..."

Andre-Jean Belloir with his mares at Elevage de la Baie

Andre-Jean Belloir wants to breed strong horses for Elevage de la Baie. Elasos won 6 times at Nantes, a selective racetrack. He even won the Grand Prix at 4 in 2006, beating Cyr Cry and Varevees. It was one of his 3 victories at listed level along with the Grand Prix de Compiegne at 5 and Bordeaux at 6. He spent all his career with Dominique Sepulchre, and the trainer even drove the horse to the yard with his wife. " They care a lot about Elasos who was the stable's mascot."

Elasos wins the Grand Prix de Compiegne following a tough fight

Also 2nd to Bal de la Rose in the Grand Prix Andre Babouin (Gr.3), Elasos ran for Leonidas Marinopoulos' silks, his greek breeder. His sire, Pythios (Danehill) stands at Marinopoulos' stud in Greece pretty much privately and for a limited book of mares. And he is quite unknown. Pythios had 2 other runners in France...2 winners including Ellinis, winner on her only start at 2 in november 2011 at Machecoul for Dominique Sepulchre.

The sweet giant Elasos offers bloodlines from Danehill and Kris, his dam Shikasta's sire, placed in England for Henry Cecil. She is a sister to Ventiquattrofogli (Persian Bold), Gr.3 winner in Germany and placed few times including in Kingmambo's St James's Palace St. (Gr.1) and the Hong Kong Cup (Gr.1).

In the bay, the mares can enjoy the view of Mont-Saint-Michel

A sister to the Gr.1 winner Reggane among the 60 mares at Elevage de la Baie !

Standing for €1,000, Elasos will spend the 2011 season next to Crillon and Louveteau, while Snow Cap and Pistolero, will stand respectively with Valerie Vatel at Haras de la Croix in Cher and with Guy Lacombe at Haras de la Berthaudrie, also in Cher.

We will just have to wait to find out if he will get to cover the princess of the bay...Indeed, Andre-Jean Belloir is lucky to have among his 60 mares a certain Reine Quest (Rainbow Quest), sister to the Gr.1 winner Reggane ! Bought in 2007 before Reggane became successful in the EP Taylor St (Gr.1) and 2nd in the Coronation St. (Gr.1), Reine Quest foaled a filly by Crillon in 2010, and is in foal to him again for 2011.

Reine Quest, sister to the Gr.1 winner Reggane, one of the mares at Elevage de la Baie