Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud History: A Summer coronation

June-July, Saint-Cloud

 

GRAND PRIX DE SAINT-CLOUD

 

Group 1, 4-year-olds and up, 2,400m/12f, €400,000

 

Created in 1904 (as the Prix du Président de la République)

Last winner: Alpinista (f5 GB by Frankel ex Alwilda, by Kingmambo), owned by Kirsten Rausing, bred by Kirsten Rausing, trained by Mark Prescott, ridden by Luke Morris.

 

Record-time:  2'26"15, Alpinista in 2022

In 2023, the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud will be run for the 115th time.

 

The 2022 edition

 

July 3, 2022, Saint-Cloud Racecourse (Hauts-de-Seine). – The 114th edition of the €400,000 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (Gr1) could very well have been run in Britain or Germany, and Alpinista (Frankel) made the most of the unusual fast pace on the French contest to beat a 35-year-old record in 2'26''15, beating Moon Madness' 2'26''5 in the 1987 Grand Prix! Sir Marl Prescott's charge hadn't had a run for 238 days and yet, the Kirsten Rausing homebred 5-years-old mare won her 6th straight victory, her 4th Gr1 too on a turf rated as Good to soft by French standards.

Steered by Luke Morris, the mlare was still at the rear entering the final turn, along with Bubble Gift (Nathaniel) and Sweet Lady (Lope de Vega) behind a tight field led form the word go by High Definition (Galileo) and Lone Eagle (Gamlielo), shadowed by Baratti (Frankel) -the 1-draw- and the French favourite Mare Australis (Australia). The odds-on favourite was the 2021 Derby 3rd Hurricane Lane (Frankel), also the winner of the Irish Derby and the Grand Prix de Paris. With his 9-draw, he had to make do with his outside position, without cover, and the leaders were going so fast that the Godolphin champ had no option but to pray for a breather.

High Definition ran the first 7 and 8 furlongs in 1’26’’51 and 1’38’’65, which is an Epsom Derby timing, or even a soft Gr1 mile's. It is anyway 2 seconds better than Mare Australis (Australia) in the Grand Prix de Chantilly (Gr2), or Simca Mille in the Prix du Lys Longines (Gr2) two weeks ago on a vast turf at Chantilly. Getting into the final straight, however, Mare Australis still looked as if he had his chance but he simply faded, not in an unusual fashion when things don't go his way. As for Hurricane Lane, he simply vanished without ever giving any hope to his backers. Alpinista, on the other hand, kept going to the wire and ran the last 3 furlongs in less than 35’’, beating a brave Baratti by a good length while Bubble Gift finished well, beaten by a neck for second place. Sweet Lady (Lope de Vega) also finished well 4th at 3 lengths.

Alpinista had already come twice to France at 2 and 3. 4th at 2 in the Prix d’Aumale (Gr3) won by Savarin in 2019, she came back for her seasonal return, again in July, at Vichy when 4th again in the Prix Madame Jean Couturié (L). Second later in the Yorkshire Oaks (Gr1) won by Love, she's now unbeaten since her 2021 return and her Listed win at Goodwood. Since then, she took the Lancashire Oaks (Gr2), the Grosser Preis von Berlin (Gr1), the Grosser Preis von Europa (Gr1) in Cologne, and the the Grosser Preis von Bayern (Gr1) in Münich.

Bred in Great-Britain by Kirsten Rausing, Alpinista is out of Alwilda (Hernando), a Listed-winner in Germany, sister to Algometer (Archipenko), who was placed in a Prix Maurice de Nieuil (Gr2). They are all out of Albanova (Alzao), a triple Group 1 winner in Germany, a full sister to Alborada (Alzao), a Champion Stakes (Gr1) winner.

 

History

The race was first run in 1904 at Maisons-Laffitte as the Prix du Président de la République. The name would eventually be changed after the fall of the 3rd French Republic in 1941; becoming the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, for 3 year-olds and upwards. Until 1986, the race was run over a mile 4 ½ furlongs. Between 1904 and 1914 the venue was switched to Maisons-Laffitte, and again in 1943 and 1945; it was run at Longchamp in 1941 and 1942 and at Tremblay in 1944. The race was postponed from 1915 to 1918 and again in 1940 due to war.

For 90 years this race was foremost among all those organised by the Société Sportive d'Encouragement at Maisons-Laffitte, Saint-Cloud and Enghien. Founded in 1887, the Société Sportive d'Encouragement eventually merged with the other Parisian horseracing associations at the end of 1994 to form “France Galop, Société d'Encouragement pour l'amélioration des races de chevaux en France".

Though many horses have tried, only five have won the race twice: Nino (1926, 1927), Tanerko (1957, 1958), Rheingold (1972, 1973), Helissio (1996, 1997) and Ange Gabriel (2002, 2003).

Originally, the race organisers sought to create an international race in which 3-year-olds could confront their elders. For 3-year-olds having run in the Prix du Jockey Club over 12 furlongs at Chantilly, then the Grand Prix de Paris over a mile 7 furlongs at Longchamp, it was a tall order to rise to the challenge just a week later. Nevertheless, the first 3 winners of the race were all 3-year-olds.

A considerable edge for the race was that unlike most Classics, where horses must be entered before they are born or as yearlings, it was possible to enter just two months beforehand. The prize-money of 100,000 F to the winner placed the Prix du Président de la République as the fifth richest in France.

From 1904 to 1939 (32 races), the vast majority of runners were 3 year-olds, but in recent years, fewer and fewer 3 year-olds have gone to post. This continued absence of 3 year-olds led the organisers of the race programme to restrict the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud to older horses from 2005. In another change, it is now run a week earlier, no longer on the first Sunday of July but on the last Sunday in June, which was left vacant when the Grand Prix de Paris was switched to 14 July.

Six winners of the Grand Prix de Paris which have then lined up at the start of the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud have done the double: Finasseur (1905), Verdun (1909), Sardanapale (1914), Barneveldt (1931), Exceller (aged 4, in 1977) and Méandre (aged 4 in 2012). Almost twice. Twice as many Prix du Jockey Club winners have made it a double at Saint-Cloud: Finasseur (1905), Maintenon (1906), Sea Sick (1908), Sardanapale (1914), Pot au Feu (1924), Mon Talisman (aged 4, 1928), Ardan (aged 4, 1945), Coaraze (aged 4, 1946), Herbager (1959) and Montjeu (aged 4, 2000). As the above statistics show, only two horses have achieved the Jockey Club-Grand Prix de Paris-Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud treble, Finasseur (1905) and Sardanapale (1914).

The Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud honours list includes the names of three heroes from the English Derby, Relko (aged 4, 1964), Sea Bird (1965) and Teenoso (aged 4, 1983), as well as four second-place finishers, Dicta Drake (1961), Gyr (1970), Rheingold (at 3 and 4, 1972, 1973) and Glint of Gold (aged 4, 1982).

Fillies

The “ladies” have only won the race 12 times: Corrida as a 4-year-old (1936), Banassa as a 4-year-old (1954), Dahlia as a 4-year-old (1974), Riverqueen as a 3-year-old (1976), Dunette as a 4-year-old (1980), User Friendly as a 4-year-old (1993), Pride as a 6-year-old (2006), Plumania as a 4-year-old (2010), Sarafina as a 4-year-old (2011), Treve as a 5-year-old (2015), Coronet as a 5-year-old (2019) and Alpinista, also as a 5-year-old (2022).

Only two Prix de Diane Longines winners have also been first past the post in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud: Dunette, as a 4-year-old in 1980, who finished in a dead-heat with the 3-year-old Shakapour; and Sarafina, who won as a 4-year-old in 2011. before Sarafina's victory in 2011, the last two Chantilly heroines to run at Saint-Cloud were Carling, a 4-year-old who finished out of the frame in 1996 and Egyptband, a 4-year-old who finished 3rd in 2001.

The Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe

In 1925, Cadum became the first Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner to go on to win the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. After a stewards’ enquiry, however, he was disqualified for interfering with Priori and placed second. Since then only 11 horses have triumphed in both races: Mon Talisman (1927 as a 3-year-old in the Arc and the GPSC in 1928), Corrida (1936, both as a 4-year-old and the Arc again as a 5-year-old), Djebel (1942, both races as a 5-year-old), Ardan (1944 as a 3-year-old in the Arc and the GPSC in 1945), Exbury (both as a 4-year-old in 1963), Sea Bird (both as a 3-year-old in 1965), Rheingold (The GSSC as a 3-year-old in 1972 and both as a 4-year-old), Carnegie (in 1994 as a 3-year-old in the Arc and 1995 in the GPSC), Helissio (both as a 3-year-old in 1996 and the GPSC again in 1997), Montjeu (in 1999 as a 3-year-old in the Arc and in 2000 as a 4-year-old in the GPSC) and Treve (in 2015 as a 5-year-old, having won the Arc in 2013 and 2014).

Foreign runners 

22 foreigners have won the GPSC, all since the end of the First World War, although. Mushroom only lost by a neck to Ossian in 1911. The first foreign victory came in 1921 when Pomme de Terre (English – despite the name) triumphed, followed by the Belgian entry, Prince Rose, in 1932. The third foreign win came in 1968 when a record 20 horses went to post and Queen Elizabeth’s horse Hopeful Venture, a 4 year-old trained at Newmarket by Noël Murless was first past the post – beating Minamoto by a neck, while the favourite Vaguely Noble (7/10) left it too late, finishing 2 lengths back in third. Another English horse, Rheingold, won in 1972 and 1973, when he also won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Three more back-to-back British wins came in 1982, 1983 and 1984: brothers Glint of Gold (82) and Diamond Shoal (83) both wearing Paul Mellon’s colours (as did their champion sire Mill Reef) and Teenoso in 84, ridden by Lester Piggott, who steered his mount home by a neck. The ninth foreign win came in 1986 in the shape of German champion, Acatenango, ridden by top American jockey Steve Cauthen, who was riding in Europe at the time. The Duchess of Norfolk’s horses won in 1987 and 1989 when brothers Moon Madness and then Sheriff's Star triumphed. User Friendly, trained at Newmarket by Clive Britain became the 12th foreign winner in 1993, after finishing second in the Arc the year before behind Subotica. The thirteenth foreign winner was the 4-year-old Japanese entry, El Condor Pasa who edged out the German horse Tiger Hill in 1999. El Condor Pasa would go on to finish second in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe behind Montjeu. The eight most recent foreign victories are those secured in 2004 by the English Gamut, trained by Sir Michael Stoute and ridden by Kieren Fallon; another English horse, Alkaased, in 2005, trained by Luca Cumani and ridden by another star jockey, Lanfranco Dettori. In 2007 the laurels were taken by another Sir Michael Stoute charge, Mountain High, again ridden by Kieren Fallon; in 2008 by Youmzain, trained by Mick Channon and ridden by Richard Hughes; in 2009 by yet another Sir Michael Stoute horse, Spanish Moon, ridden by Ryan-L. Moore; in 2013 by German-trained 4-year-old Novellist (a prelude to his late-July victory at Ascot in King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes), again ridden by Ryan-L. Moore. In 2014, Lady Cecil saddled Noble Mission and in 2019, the English mare Coronet won for trainer John Gosden. Broome followed for Ireland in 2021 and Alpinista in 2022 for Newmarket in Britain, namely Sir Mark Prescott. Knights do well in this race!

Though El Condor Pasa was indeed trained in the Land of the Rising Sun, he was in fact bred in  Kentucky at Kihachiro Watanabe stables. Technically speaking, therefore, no Asian runner has yet bagged the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. A horse from Oceania, however, Strawberry Road, bred in Australia and trained in France, won the race in 1985.

Sires

Five have sired at least 3 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winners.

• Clarissimus sire of Nino (1926, 1927) and Feb (1930).
• Tourbillon sire of Djebel (1942), Coaraze (1946) and Magnific (1953).
• Tantième sire of Tanerko (1957, 1958) and Match (1962).
• Vaguely Noble sire of Dahlia (1974), Exceller (1977) and Gay Mecene (1979).
• Sadler's Wells sire of In the Wings (1990), Carnegie (1995) and Montjeu (2000).

 

Saint-Cloud racecourse

Saint-Cloud racecourse celebrated its 100th birthday on 15 March 2001. It was founded by the owner-breeder Edmond Blanc who wanted to run out his horses on a grass track on private ground within easy distance of Paris.

After establishing the Jardy stud farm in 1891, near Versailles, Edmond Blanc’s next purchase, in 1898, was the Domaine de la Fouilleuse, a model farm during the Second Empire put on sale by the State and located between Rueil, Saint-Cloud, Suresnes and Garches communes. It was with this parcel of land, along with a further 83 hectares acquired later that Edmond Blanc built a racecourse and training stables around a luxury personal residence. The architect Léon Berthault, known for his Anglo-Norman style,  was entrusted with the job and the racecourse opened to the public two and a half years later.

Whilst still using the stables and the various tracks to run out his horses, Edmond Blanc signed a 50-year lease with the Société d'encouragement pour l'amélioration du cheval français de demi-sang (Authorities for half-breed horses), for horseracing. The later had stopped organising races at Neuilly-Levallois and were expecting to forego Vincennes racecourse which was being claimed by the army.

Saint-Cloud – the name the course was given – differed from the other Parisian courses in that it was surrounded by elegant houses rather than greenery. The huge grandstand stood opposite the Mont Valérien, and racegoers could reach the course by the tramway running from Porte Maillot to Val d'Or. Many believed it the most modern racecourse in Europe at the time, and not the least elegant. When, in April 1905, Edouard VII, King of England visited the course and the Fouilleuse training centre, Edmond Blanc pointed out the typically English style of the architecture. "Yes, it’s English, said the King with a smile, but with good measures of French taste.

Jumpers and flat horses would both enjoy the facilities which first opened its doors to the public on Friday 15 March 1901 under rainy skies. The first race – over the flat – the Prix d'Ouverture, over the flat, was won by Vestris, owned by Count Gérard de Ganay. Other first-day winners included: Fraisier, Junipérus, Joujou III, Ibiscus and Robo. On 11 May the trotters had their first outing and on 3 June the Prix du Président de la République was moved to Saint-Cloud from Vincennes – and was won by Diomède.

Each morning Edmond Blanc’s thoroughbreds ran out under trainer Robert Denman, and in the afternoon jumpers and flat horses shared the course. Famous horses that ran in Edmond Blanc’s colours include Quo Vadis, Ajax, Gouvernant, Val d'Or, Jardy and Dagor. Such was life at Saint-Cloud until 1914 when War broke out. During the hostilities, the racecourse served as a Canadian army barracks, and afterwards, the Société du Demi-Sang, decided to modernise Vincennes and give up the lease on Saint-Cloud to the Société Sportive d'Encouragement. Saint-Cloud did retain a Prix du Président de la République, however, a flat race that had been run at Maisons-Laffitte since 1904.

Upon the death of Edmond Blanc in 1920, his widow began running the Fouilleuse stables and champion horses like Ksar, double Arc de Triomphe winner in 1921 and 1922. Another famous date in Saint Cloud history is 19 May 1924 when Epinard, owned by Pierre Wertheimer, took on Sir Gallahad for a 20,000 F cup over 1,300 metres. The former only lost by a neck, despite giving up 10lbs to the latter.

The course closed between 1939 and 1945, and in 1952 became the property of Marcel Boussac, as did the stud farm at Jardy. The Société Sportive renewed the lease and decided to give the course a facelift. In the space of six months between July 1954 and February 1955, all the buildings were knocked down and more functional replacements were put up. Luckily the splendid Fouilleuse stables escaped the bulldozers – and we can still appreciate these installations today in their new form as the very swish Paris Country Club. The old riding school has become auction rooms and offices for Goffs France while since 1990, the ground has been closed to the public and become a private golf club.

The racecourse was sold by Marcel Boussac in 1974 to the Société Sportive d'Encouragement, today France Galop.

The great Saint-Cloud ground, on the top of the Suresnes hill, is also a guarantee for horses to run on proper turf early and late in the season.

 

Owners

• Rothschild Family (11 wins): Prédicateur (1913), Cadum (1925), Bubbles (1929), Genièvre (1939) for Edouard, 3 for Maurice (Verdun in 1909, Ossian in 1911 & Sardanapale in 1914), 3 for Guy (Ocarina in 1950, Violoncelle in 1951 & Exbury in 1963), the one for the family colours, Méandre, winner in 2012.
• Marcel Boussac (5 wins): Corrida (1936), Djebel (1942), Ardan (1945), Coaraze (1946), Goyama (1948).
• Aga Khan IV (5 wins): Sheshoon (1960), Shakapour (1980), Akarad (1981), Sarafina (2011), Zarak (2017).
• François Dupré (4 wins): Tanerko (1957, 1958), Match (1962), Relko (1964).
• Daniel Wildenstein (4 wins): Felicio (1969), Strawberry Road (1985), Epervier Bleu (1991), Pistolet Bleu (1992).

Trainers

• André Fabre (8 wins): Village Star (1988), In the Wings (1990), Apple Tree (1994), Carnegie (1995), Fragrant Mix (1998), Plumania (2010), Méandre (2012), Waldgeist (2018).  
• François Mathet (7 wins): Tanerko (1957, 1958), Match (1962), Relko (1964), Exceller (1977), Shakapour (1980) & Akarad (1981).

Riders

• Yves Saint-Martin (7 wins): Relko (1964), Rheingold (1972, 1973), Dahlia (1974), Shakapour (1980), Akarad (1981), Strawberry Road (1985).
• Thierry Jarnet (5 wins): Apple Tree (1994), Carnegie (1995), Ange Gabriel (2002, 2003), Trève (2015) ;
• Cash Asmussen (4 wins): Village Star (1988), In the Wings (1990), Helissio (1997), Montjeu (2000).