ParisTurf: A year ago, Joumba de Guez won the Prix Jag de Bellouet. What state of mind are you in on the eve of competing in the Bilibili Prize?
René Guézille: We are proud and enthusiastic to see our mare among the favorites. His victory in the Prix Jag de Bellouet last winter was a memorable moment for us, especially as Jadrius de Guez also ranked third. Moreover, it should soon make its reappearance. But even though we know the talent and great abilities of Joumba de Guezwe also know that each race has its hazards. We therefore approach this meeting with great humility.
Quoumba de Guez was one of your best racing mares (more than a million euros in earnings and at the start of a Prix d’Amérique). We imagine that his daughter has a special value in your eyes?
Joumba de Guez has a very special place in my heart, in fact, since she reminds me of her mother who remains to this day the best mare we have bred. At 20 years old, Quoumba de Guez is still a valuable broodmare for our breeding. She was unlucky with her first two foals but her subsequent foals all showed quality. His yearling by Face Time Bourbon is breaking in and this year she gave birth to a foal of Booster Winner. She is full ofIdao de Tillard.
How many broodmares make up your squad today. Where are they stationed and how does your breeding work?
The workforce is made up of twenty-five broodmares. They are stationed on the 230 hectares of our Haras de Vautors, in Auvers-le-Hamon, which is located about ten kilometers from Jean-Michel Bazire. It is a place and a strategic choice to facilitate our daily collaboration. We have good land, particularly well suited for livestock farming. Around twenty yearlings and around twenty foals also live on the site. All foaling is done in-house by a team of four employees who play an essential role in the smooth running of the stud. We do not do training or pre-training in order to concentrate all our efforts on the breeding and care of the horses. I am on site very regularly as an organizer and observer, to see what can be improved.
From 1991 to 2013, it was the René Guézille jacket that appeared on the programs (nearly 300 victories) before it was replaced by that of the Ecurie Vautors (nearly 400 victories). What is the explanation?
I started with one or two mares, at the time of Michel Bazire, then I took my colors from my own name, quite logically. But when I wanted to get into breeding and buy land to create a stud farm in particular, it became obvious that I had to become a company. The name of the company and the stable, “Vautors”, is simply the name of the place where our stud is located.
How did your collaboration with the Bazire family come about?
It’s old (laughs)… It all started with a horse called Duo d’Avril. Pierre Forgin, with whom I had a few horses at the time, had a lot of trouble with him and he advised me to offer him to Michel Bazire. “This man can save the day” he told me! He was right… This was the occasion of my first meeting with Michel and his son Jean-Michel. I was traveling internationally a lot at the time and didn’t have much time to devote to horses. I still remember young Jean-Michel who kept telling me that I really didn’t know anything about racing (laughs)! This is how it all began… The basis and success of my current activity was therefore based on the meeting of two men and an exchange of know-how. Michel Bazire had knowledge of horses and I had knowledge of the financial and business world. It was a little over thirty years ago.
Your name has been closely linked to that of Jean-Michel Bazire ever since. How do you react when you see him gradually passing the baton to his son?
Jean-Michel Bazire is a living legend. It is an honor for me to collaborate with him for thirty years. The transition currently taking place with his son is a natural step in any great career and in any transmission of know-how. In general, I think it is essential not to project our expectations or try to compare at all costs. Everyone must take the time to find their way of being and build their journey in their own way. Nicolas is young. You have to let him evolve, learn and grow at his own pace. So I live in the present. I trust Jean-Michel and Nicolas to manage this transition as best as possible. I am sure that it will be a continuation of this great family success.
But could this change lead to changes within your own team?
Any change necessarily leads to adjustments… It is therefore possible that this will have an impact on my stable, in particular depending on Nicolas’s choices and development. Unlike many breeders or owners who work with several trainers, I have been almost “exclusive” with the Bazire stable for decades. This could therefore bring adaptations to the way I operate, but I am ready to adapt if necessary.
Could these adjustments be initiated by your son?
Julien lives a good part of the year at the stud farm. He is much more diligent than me on the racetracks and I am delighted to have passed on the horse bug to him. He has ideas different from mine, such as wanting to sell part of our production, perhaps as early as next year. Thus, from this year, around ten foals no longer carry the label “Guez”, in order to be sold amicably or at public sale as foals or yearlings. For my part, I have always had difficulty selling a horse, for fear that it would be the crack that we are looking for so much (laughs). But I realize that we need to take a more systematic approach to avoid this situation. Julien is very close to Jean-Michel and Nicolas. He will obviously continue the collaboration we have with their team. But I repeat, let’s take the time…
You have been working with Théo Radoux for some time. Tell us about this new association?
Théo Radoux is a 25-year-old young man whom I met at Jean-Michel Bazire’s house. He is a serious boy, very motivated and a hard worker. When Jean-Michel and Nicolas decided to no longer take as many horses, it became obvious to me that Théo was the ideal person to support me in the development of my breeding and to take care of breaking in and qualifying. of some of our horses (Editor’s note: Théo Radoux qualified Wednesday morning in Caen Morpheus de Gueza son of Face Time Bourbon and good Calaska de Guez in 1’17”7). It’s also a way of supporting young talent who is just waiting to progress. Hervé Chopin and Adrien Sourice are also among those who take care of our young horses for breaking in.
We know that you are also an astute observer of the industry. What is your view on the races currently and the fall in the stakes?
The observation is clear. Racing faces two major challenges: the fall in stakes and the drop in attendance at racecourses. It is sad to see racecourses like that of Vincennes completely empty during certain meeting days. It is true that it is easier to follow the races comfortably seated on your sofa in front of Equidia, but this physical desertion deprives our sport of its soul and its excitement, which is damaging in the long term. Each of us must re-mobilize to make people want to live this unique experience on site. We also need to encourage more people to become owners – even partially – of a horse.
As for the issues, the problem comes, in my opinion, from the complexity of horse racing betting, which remains a matter for specialists and connoisseurs, often aging… Meanwhile, the masses play on games of chance such as scratch tickets or sports betting is exploding, which shows that there is an appetite for gambling, but that racing is no longer able to capture this audience. In my opinion, it is urgent to think about a new type of game, more fun and more accessible. Why not organize a major survey which would, for example, offer a million euros reward to anyone who has an innovative idea to raise the stakes and reach those who are not racing specialists? Why not even go as far as a scratch card game?
We see you less in Vincennes now. Will you be there on Sunday?
I admit that I have been going to races less in recent years. It must be said that COVID has broken a lot of things and the years go by… My friends come less too and as we have just said, the atmosphere is no longer the same. But the excitement and passion for racing is still within me. The goal of my activity is always to run these high-level races which tend towards excellence. So yes, I will be present in Vincennes on Sunday. With my friends and loved ones…
Bio express
René Guézille
72 ans
Married to Monique
Two children: Solën (47 years old) and Julien (45 years old)
Retired from administrative and financial management
Residing in Angers (49) and Auvers le Hamon (72)
25 broodmares
20 horses in training
Jean-Michel Bazire: “René was one of my father’s first clients”
“René Guézille is my Breton dad in a way, my friend, and my financial advisor too. And his son, Julien, is my life coach (laughs). The Guézilles and the Bazires are a very long story. He was one of my father’s first customers and is now an integral part of the family of course. We have always had horses together and even if I am going to slow down gradually, our collaboration is not about to end. We speak almost every morning on the phone. René has an atypical life path and leaves nothing to chance. He’s had a lot of success with his horses, but it’s not luck. Everything is very well organized with him.”
