Hard times: does recent shortage of French stars suggest a permanent decline?

The French have a phrase for it: 'une année creuse' or a hollow year. But it might be more than that – there has been a nagging feeling over the last three or four seasons that one of Europe's big three racing nations has been suffering from a shortage of high-quality performers and as a consequence, their domestic Group races are increasingly falling prey to the marauding British and Irish.

So are there fewer top-class horses at the peak of the racing pyramid in France and, if so, why? Moreover if that is the case, should we view it as part of the ebb and flow of international sport, or is there a more worrying trend at play?

What do the statistics say?

How many highly rated horses does France produce?