G&S Haine Bloodstock

15/08/2026

A little bit of bloodstock nostalgia on the racecard at our local track, Pompadour, today. 🐎🇫🇷

Several of today’s runners have close family connections to horses we bought as yearlings in France and subsequently sold on as jumping prospects.

Louness Collonges, who runs in the Prix Docteur Francis Taillandier, comes from the close maternal family of our former yearling purchase Hazard Collonges. Hazard was by Coastal Path out of Prouesse Collonges, bred by GAEC Delorme Frères from their famous Collonges family. It was a pedigree that understandably caught our eye — Prouesse herself was a French chase winner and a half-sister to 2012 Grand National winner Neptune Collonges.

There’s another familiar Collonges name later on the card, with Festin Collonges, also bred by the Delorme family, lining up in the Grand Cross de Pompadour.

But perhaps the most special connection for us today is Exocet Forlonge, who runs in the Prix Président René Parveau.

Exocet is out of Belle du Brizais, making her a maternal half-sister to two horses we bought as yearlings: Beau du Brizais and, of course, Asterion Forlonge.

Asterion was bought by us as a yearling at Arqana and later sold as a three-year-old jumping prospect. He went on to become a Grade 1 winner and enjoyed a remarkable career at the highest level.

And the story hasn’t ended with his retirement from racing this year.

With Clare Ricketts, Asterion has made an extraordinary start to his second career, most recently winning the ITM Racehorse to Riding Horse class at the 2026 Gallagher Dublin Horse Show. Judged by Katie Walsh and Mouse Morris, he took the title ahead of none other than former Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Native River, who finished second. Quite a line-up for two retired racehorses!

One of the great pleasures of the bloodstock business is watching these families develop over the years. You buy a yearling based on the individual in front of you, its pedigree and the potential you hope you can see — but you can never quite know where the story will eventually lead.

Years later, to find close relatives of Hazard Collonges, Beau du Brizais and Asterion Forlonge all appearing on the same racecard, virtually on our doorstep here in France, is rather special.

Needless to say, we’ll have a few extra horses to cheer for at Pompadour today! 🏇🍀

Elevage/Ecurie de la Forlonge Ecurie Fabien Lagarde France Sire Hippodrome de Pompadour

10/08/2026

strikes again! ❤️

There are some horses whose stories you follow long after they’ve left your hands, and Asterion Forlonge has certainly been one of those.

What an absolute joy to see him looking quite magnificent and winning the Racehorse to Riding Horse class at the Dublin Horse Show with — another wonderful chapter in an already extraordinary story.

Bred in France by Pierre and Marie at Elevage/Ecurie de la Forlonge, George bought “Coasty” as a yearling at Arqana in Deauville in 2014, and we had him with us until he was three.

From that young grey yearling, through George preparing him and selling him as a three-year-old at the Derby Sale, to Ireland, point-to-pointing and eventually into the care of for Mrs J Donnelly, what a journey he has had.

A Grade 1 winner, seven victories under Rules and so many wonderful days along the way — and even at the age of 11 he signed off his racing career by finishing second in the Grade 1 Champion Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown.

But perhaps the loveliest photograph of all is the latest one. At 12 years old, retired, looking magnificent and beginning an entirely new chapter. ❤️ And, being Coasty, apparently he wasn’t quite ready to give up winning just yet!

In racing, horses can pass through many hands along the way, and you never know when you first see a foal or yearling quite where the journey will take them. Coasty has given an enormous amount of pleasure to us and to everyone who has been lucky enough to have a part in his life over the past twelve years.

To see him now so beautifully produced, obviously loving his new job and winning at the Dublin Horse Show is very special indeed.

Huge credit to everyone who bred, produced, bought, sold, rode, looked after and loved him along the way — there are too many to tag! And a particularly huge congratulations and thank you to Clare Ricketts and her team for doing such a wonderful job with him.

And most of all, thank you Coasty. What a horse and what a story.

Seeing him looking like this in retirement really is the best result of all. ❤️

Not bad for the old dude!

30/07/2026

04/07/2026

Fantastic facilities 🇹🇷🐎🏇

02/06/2026

30/04/2026

Bravo 🤩 best of luck to the new owners!