All the races
Prix Guillaume d'Ornano. Deauville. (3 year-olds, 1 mile 2 furlongs, Group II, 130, 000 Euros).
First run in 1952 under the name of the Prix de la Côte Normande, this race reserved for 3 year-olds became the Prix Guillaume d'Ornano in 1987 to honour the memory of an important owner and breeder with a special connection to Deauville. Set at 1 mile 7 furlongs that first year, the race’s distance was reduced to 1 mile 2 furlongs in 1953. It has remained unchanged since then, with the exception of 1958 and 1959, when it was increased to a mile and a half. In 1994, a dead heat was recorded between Lassigny and Just Happy. The record for the event is held by Northern Baby, who covered the 1 mile 2 furlongs in 2' 02'' in 1979, a significant improvement on the previous two best times, Crimson Beau’s 2' 02'' 40/100 in 1978 and La Bamba’s 2' 02'' 60/100 in 1964. The race has always been held at the La Touques racetrack, where it will be run for the 59th time in 2010.
Comte Guillaume d'Ornano (1894-1985).
Great-grandson of Marie Walewska, whom General Ornano wed in 1816, Comte Guillaume d'Ornano was attached to the Warsaw embassy after the First World War. On returning to Paris, he became an advisor to the perfumer François Coty and, on the latter’s death, founded the Lancôme perfume house. In 1946, he and his two sons Michel and Hubert created the Jean d'Albret and Orlane perfumes.
Mayor of Moulins-sur-Céphon and general councillor for the Indre region for twenty-five years, Comte Guillaume d'Ornano declared his racing colours in 1934 (red and yellow-striped jersey, yellow sleeves, red cap). Chairman of the Société des Courses de Chateauroux, he was made a member of the Société d'Encouragement in 1964, sitting on the committee until 1983, when he became an honorary member. In the meantime, from 1971 to 1978, he served as chairman of the Société des Courses du Pays d'Auge, the body which ran Clairefontaine-Deauville racecourse.
Renowned for his courteous manner and the hospitality he offered at his “Mirasol” villa in Deauville, Comte Guillaume d'Ornano had a keen interest in historical books – he collected the memoires of famous men from the 18th century – and in horses.
It was during the 1960s that the count’s silks enjoyed their heyday, both with horses bought at the Deauville sales and his own produce. In 1957, he had assembled some brood mares at the Manneville stud farm (founded in 1927 by Henri Coulon) in the Calvados, a property he owned from 1969 until 1982.
It was the brood mare Mist (a grey sired by Tornado in 1953), acquired by the count as a yearling and the dam of seven winners, who provided him with his finest competitor, Misti. This son of Méridien was victorious in eight races and was placed fifteen times between the ages of 2 and 5. As a 2 year-old, he triumphed in the Prix des Chênes and came 3rd in the Grand Critérium. At 3, he added the Prix Henry Delamarre to his growing honours list, finished 2nd in the Grand Prix du Centenaire de Deauville (behind Molvedo) and also 3rd in the Arc de Triomphe (behind Molvedo and Right Royal). At 4, further successes came in the Prix Ganay and the Gran Premio del Jockey Club at Milan, as well as a 3rd place in the Grand Prix de Deauville. At 5, he clinched the Prix Henri Foy, was the runner-up in the Prix du Cadran and also the Ascot Gold Cup, as well as finishing 3rd in the Arc de Triomphe for the second time.
Stationed later at the Manneville stud, Misti proved to be a great breeder. Sire of Roselière (Prix de Diane and dam of Rosebowl), Mistigri (Irish St Leger), Toulon and Ambrellita, he excelled at producing jumpers, becoming champion jumps stallion five times (1976, 1977, 1978, 1980 and 1982) and siring in particular two winners of the Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil, Les Roseaux and Roselier (who also had an excellent career as a sire of jumps horses in Ireland).
Comte Guillaume d'Ornano’s other top performers were Crossen (1959), winner of the Prix Lagrange, who was one of the victims of the mass fall involving seven horses in the English Derby at Epsom; Le Vieux Castel (1959), winner of the Prix de la Concorde and 2nd in the Grand Prix du Printemps; Moderne (1959), winner of the Prix de Menneval, 2nd in the Prix de Guiche and Henry Delamarre, 3rd in the Prix Jean Prat and Grand Prix du Printemps; Firstborn (1961), winner of the Prix Maurice de Nieuil as a 3 year-old; Futur (1962), winner of the Prix Finot at Auteuil; Messire (1963), winner of the Prix Fleuret at Auteuil; and Cabhurst (1965) who was considered the best performer of his 2 year-old crop on account of his victories in the Prix Eclipse and de la Forêt but who, as a 3 year-old, had to content himself with five places, including a 2nd spot in the Prix de Seine-and-Oise, 3rd place in the Prix Maurice de Gheest and 4th in the Poule d'Essai.
Initially trained by Sylvain Laforge, the Comte d'Ornano’s horses were entrusted to Georges Bridgland, while those destined for a career over the jumps were prepared by Joseph Audon.
A brief history
Few fillies have taken part in this race, with the result that only four have obtained victories over the years: Chutney (1963), La Bamba (1964), La Troublerie (1972) and New Bruce (1985).
Foreign visitors have enjoyed particular success in this event, accumulating 15 wins, the first in 1970 for Gold Rod ridden by Lester Piggott. Over the last sixteen years, they have clocked up nine victories courtesy of Just Happy (1994, dead heat), Montjoy (1995), Sasuru (1996), Best of the Bests (2000), Masterful (2001), Highdown (2002), Mister Monet (2004), Multidimensional (2006) and Sri Putra (2009). The British trainer Paul F. Cole has done particularly well, his protégés recording four wins (see below).
The race’s honours list includes such great names as Topyo, whose victory was a prelude to that obtained in the 1967 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, along with those of Tropique (1955), Wallaby (1958), Hautain (1960), La Bamba (1964), La Troublerie (1972), Northern Baby (1979), Al Nasr (1981), Dernier Empereur (1993), Val Royal (1999) and Literato (2007).
Owners
Baron Guy de Rothschild holds the record with six wins: Marly Knowe (1953), Tropique (1955), Tang (1962), Chutney (1963) and La Bamba (1964) and Pinson (2005).
Next come:
3 Sheik Mohammed Al Maktoum: Creator (1989), Antisaar (1990) and Masterful (2001).
2 Paul de Moussac: Gairloch (1977) and Dernier Empereur (1993).
2 Moufid F. Dabaghi: Al Nasr (1981) and Mourjane (1983).
2 Khalid Abdullah: Raft (1984) and Kalabar (2003).
2 Prince Fahd Salman: Broken Hearted (1987) and Great Palm (1992).
2 Maktoum Al Maktoum: Just Happy (1994, dead-heat) and Kabool (1998).
Trainers
André Fabre holds the record with eight wins: Al Nasr (1981), Mourjane (1983), Creator (1989), Antisaar (1990), Dernier Empereur (1993), Lassigny (1994, dead heat) Val Royal (1999) and Russian Cross (2008).
Next come:
5 Geoffroy Watson: Marly Knowe (1953), Tropique (1955), Tang (1962), Chutney (1963) and La Bamba (1964).
4 Paul F. Cole: Crimson Beau (1978), Broken Hearted (1987), Great Palm (1992) and Montjoy (1995).
2 Alec Head: Tribord (1954) and Galant Prince (1971).
2 Percy Carter: Wallaby (1958) and Fatralo (1959).
2 Max Bonaventure: Hautain (1960) and Gag (1969).
2 François Doumen: Double Bed (1986) and Rajpoute (1997).
2 Jean-Claude Rouget: Pinson (2005) and Literato (2007).
Jockeys
The record of 4 wins is jointly held by Jean Deforge: Tiffauges (1961), Tang (1962), Chutney (1963) and La Bamba (1964) and Lanfranco Dettori: Kabool (1998), Best of the Bests (2000), Masterful (2001) and Sri Putra (2009).
Next come:
3 Léon Flavien: Fil d'Argent (1957), Hautain (1960) and Gag (1969).
2 Paul Blanc: Marly Knowe (1953) and Tropique (1955).
2 Jean Massard: Tribord (1954) and Top Dream (1966).
2 Freddy Palmer: Wallaby (1958) and Fatralo (1959).
2 William B. Pyers: Topyo (1967) and Twig (1974).
2 Henri Samani: Sémillant (1968) and Iron Duke (1976).
2 Gérald Mossé: Double Bed (1986) and Rajpoute (1997).
2 Thomas Richard Quinn: Broken Hearted (1987) and Montjoy (1995).
2 Cash Asmussen: Creator (1989) and Antisaar (1990).
2 Christophe-Patrice Lemaire: Multidimensional (2006) and Literato (2007).