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Prix Gontaut-Biron - Hong Kong Jockey Club. Deauville. (4-year-olds and over, 1 mile 2 furlongs, Group III, 80,000 Euros).

This race was first run in 1919 to honour the memory of an eminent member of the committee of the Société d’Encouragement. Originally open to 3-year-olds and their elders, it was reserved only for 4 year-olds and over from 1958. The distance, which was a mile in 1919, was increased to a mile and a half between 1920 and 1954 and extended to a mile 5 furlongs in 1955. Reduced to 10 furlongs in 1956 and 1957, it was put back to a mile and a half  from 1958 to 1963 before being restored to 10 furlongs from 1964. Not run in 1940 due to war, the race was transferred to Maisons-Laffitte during Deauville’s closure in 1941, 1942, 1943 and 1945, and to Auteuil in 1944. In 2012, the Prix Gontaut-Biron will be run for the 93^rd time.  The race has been associated with the Hong Long Jockey Club since 2009.

Comte Antoine de Gontaut-Biron (deceased in 1917).
The descendant of an old family that owned the Château de Biron (near Monpazier in the Dordogne), Comte Antoine de Gontaut-Biron occupied a key place in the world of racing. He raced several horses under his own colours (yellow jersey & sleeves and black cap) and was appointed to the Société d’Encouragement committee in 1884. He was also a race steward from 1890 to 1896, accomplishing the same duties from 1885 within the Deauville Société des Courses, of which he was also a committee member, as he was of the Société de Sport de France. In Deauville, there is a street named after him.

A brief history.
The Prix Gontaut-Biron's honours list features some very good horses, such as Grillemont (1922), Cerfeuil (1925), Aethelstan (1926), Hotweed (1930), Astronomer (1934), Ping Pong (1935), Kilette (1950), Lacaduv (1951), Vamos (1952), Montaval (1956), Etwild (1959), Sheshoon (1960), Hautain (1961), Frontin (1964), Sigebert (1966), Caldarello (1967), Frontal (1968), Grandier (1969), Iron Duke (1977), Gairloch (1978), Rusticaro (1979), General Holme (1983), Urban Sea (1993), Hernando (1994, 1995), Carling (1996), Lord of Men (1997),  Dream Well (1999), Vision d'Etat (2010) and Cirrus des Aigles (2011).

Numerous foreign horses have come to take part in the Prix Gontaut-Biron. And as the following list shows, their efforts have often born fruit: Liberty Truck (1962), Shoemaker (1970), Boreen (1972), Ksar (1974), Record Run (1975), Gairloch (1978), Bedtime (1984), Arc (1987), Emmson (1989), Corrupt (1992), Lord of Men (1997), Running Stag (1998), Carnival Dancer (2003) and Echo of Light (2007).

Owners.
The record of three victories is held jointly by Ralph-Beaver Strassburger: Berthe (1948), Montaval (1956), Rumesnil (1957); and Mahmoud Fustok: Nemr (1981), Great Substence (1982), Over the Ocean (1986).

Next come:

2 Jean Stern: Saint Souplet (1919) and Hautain (1961).
2 Baron Edouard de Rothschild: Nephthys (1921) and Paix des Dames (1937).
2 Alexandre Aumont: Cerfeuil (1925) and Minestrone (1933).
2 Georges Wildenstein: Grock (1929) and Bièvres (1932).
2 Henri Coulon: Folio (1931) and Samovar (1936).
2 Mme Léon Volterra: Vamos (1952) and Cariellor (1985).
2 Mme Jean Stern: Frontin (1964) and Sigebert (1966).
2 Sir Robin McAlpine: Jefferson (1971) and Ruffle (1988).
2 Khaled Abdullah: General Holme (1983) and Cross Harbour (2009).
2 Stavros Niarchos*: Hernando (1994, 1995).

*The victory obtained by the Niarchos Family with Dream Well (1999) could also be attributed to him.

Trainers.
The record of four wins is jointly held by Alec Head: Kilette (1950), Frère Georges II (1953), Sheshhoon (1960) and Folkestone (1973); and André Fabre: Cariellor (1985), Agol Lack (2000), Slew the Red (2001) and Cross Harbour (2009).

Next come:

3 Max Bonaventure: Hautain (1961), Frontin (1964) and Sigebert (1966).
2 George Newton: Saint Souplet (1919) and Aethelstan (1926).
2 Lucien Robert: Keror (1923) and Paix des Dames (1937).
2 Elijah Cunnington: Cerfeuil (1925) and Palais Cardinal (1939).
2 Roch Filippi: Grock (1929) and Bièvres (1932).
2 Frank Carter: Hotweed (1930) and Astronomer (1934).
2 Henry Count: Ping Pong (1935) and Lacaduv (1951).
2 Georges Bridgland: Montaval (1956) and Rumesnil (1957).
2 John Cunnington junior: Caldarello (1967) and Grandier (1969).
2 Mitri Saliba: Nemr (1981) and Great Substence (1982).
2 William-Richard Hern: Bedtime (1984) and Emmson (1989).
2 François Boutin: Muroto (1991) and Hernando (1994).
2 John-Edward Hammond: Hernando (1995) and Sweet Stream (2005).
2 Pascal Bary: Dream Well (1999) and Wellbeing (2002).

Only one lady trainer has saddled a winner in the race: Corine Barande-Barbe with Cirrus des Aigles (2011).

Jockeys.
The record of four wins is held jointly by Roger Brethès: Rabican (1927), Ping Pong (1935), Samovar (1936), Morosini (1941); Alfred Gibert: Jefferson (1971), Nemr (1981), Great Substence (1982), Arc (1987); and Olivier Peslier: Agol Lack (2000), Slew the Red (2001), Carnival Dancer (2003) and Vision d’Etat (2010).  

Next come:
3 Albert Sharpe: Saint Souplet (1919), Almaviva (1924) and Cerfeuil (1925).
3 Guy Duforez: Folio (1931), Minestrone (1933) and Chateauroux (1943).
3 Jean Laumain: Palais Cardinal (1939), Capielluca (1947) and Fleury (1949).
3 Léon Flavien: Hautain (1961), Frontin (1964) and Sigebert (1966).
3 Maurice Philipperon: Caldarello (1967), Grandier (1969) and Ruffle (1988).
3 Bryan Taylor: Record Run (1975), Gairloch (1978) and Bedtime (1984).
3 Yves Saint-Martin: Larkhill (1976), Rusticaro (1979) and Armistice Day (1980).
3 Cash Asmussen: Urban Sea (1993) and Hernando (1994, 1995).
3 Thierry Thulliez: Carling (1996) and Wellbeing (1922) and Atlantic Air (2006).
3 Olivier Peslier: Agol Lack (2000), Slew the Red (2001) and Carnival Dancer (2003).
2 Guy Garner: Grillemont (1922) and Hotweed (1930).
2 André Dupuit: Bièvres (1932) and Ker Flobert (1938).
2 Charles Bouillon: Légende (1942) and Sabran (1944).
2 Jean Massard: Kilette (1950) and Vamos (1952).
2 Jacques Fabre: Rosati (1955) and Liberty Truck (1962).
2 Louis Heurteur: Montaval (1956) and Frontal (1968).
2 Freddy Head: Folkestone (1973) and General Holme (1983).
2 Willie Carson: Ksar (1974) and Emmson (1989).
2 Lanfranco Dettori: Corrupt (1992) et Echo of Light (2007).
2 Sylvain Guillot: Lord of Men (1997) and Dream Well (1999).
2 Dominique Boeuf: Special Kaldoun (2004) and Boris de Deauville (2008).
2 Stéphane Pasquier: Sweet Stream (2005) and Cross Harbour (2009).