Greffulhe History: Between Chantilly and Epsom

Last winner: Baby Rider (c3, by Gleneagles ex Gyrella, by Oasis Dream), owned by Écurie Jean-Louis Bouchard, bred by Aliette & Gilles Forien, trained by Pascal Bary, ridden by Stéphane Pasquier.

Record-time: 2’10’’60 by Ragmar in 1996 (Longchamp).

The race is run in 2022 for the 136th time

The 2021 edition

Saturday, May 1st, 2021, Saint-Cloud Racecourse (Hauts-de-Seine). - Third on April 3rd on this course and distance behind Baby Rider (Gleneagles) for his first test in Paris after a successful stint in the South, Smile Makers (Kendargent) went on to win at Fontainebleau. Only seven days later, in this 135th edition of the Prix Greffulhe (Gr2), he was challenging Baby Rider once again and this time, it looked as if he would be able to repel his rival. Yet he finally obliged and kept a nice 2nd place. The favourite Martial Eagle (Adlerflug) would never be able to challenge the first two after waiting at the rear in a day that would prove mostly favourable to front-runners.

There goes Baby's ride to the Prix du Jockey Club (Gr21). He's also in the Grand Prix de Paris (Gr1). Owned by Jean-Louis Bouchard, trained by Pascal Bary, he's now unbeaten in three runs this term.

Baby Rider was bought for € 220,000 at Arqana by bloodstock agent Gérard Larrieu. Bred by Aliette and Gilles Forien, he's the first foal out of Gyrella (Oasis Dream), a Listed-placed and sister to Epsom Derby winner Wings of Eagles (Pour Moi). After Baby Rider, she foaled an Almanzor colt and then a Cracksman filly.

History

The race was created in 1882 to honour the memory of one of French horse racing’s most prominent administrators. It was one of the five "poules des produits", or stakes, each being restricted to a category of foals, according to their country of birth and their sire's country of origin.

The Prix Greffulhe did not take place from 1915 to 1919 due to the war. Run at Longchamp over 1 mile 2 ½ furlongs, it was switched to Le Tremblay for the same reason for the 3 years from 1943 to 1945), where its distance was raised to 1 mile 2 ¾ furlongs. Since 2005, on account of the restructuring of the classic race card for 3 year-olds, it has been held at Saint-Cloud, a left-hand racecourse, like Epsom.

(*) In 2020, the race is run in June at Lyon-Parilly over 11 furlongs because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Henri Greffulhe (1815-1879).

Henri Greffulhe has been described as "a man of the world, clubs, sport and pleasure, whose vast fortune allowed him to satisfy his diverse tastes without fear of financial ruin."

From a French family that emigrated at the time of the revocation of the Edict of Nantes and the son of a rich banker from the Netherlands, his father (also called Henri) rendered great services to Louis XVIII in 1814. As a result, he was granted French citizenship in 1816, before being made a French peer and given the title of count in 1816.

Admitted on 1 May 1835 – at the same time as Frédéric de Lagrange – to the Jockey Club of which he was for a long time one of the most influential members, Greffulhe was made a deputy member of the board of the Société d'Encouragement in 1850, and then an executive member in 1860. He also served as a race steward from 1858 to 1879 and played a key role during the period of development of the Société d'Encouragement, particularly in the negotiations with the City of Paris concerning the creation of Longchamp Racecourse, which opened in 1857.

His nephew, Henri-Emmanuel Greffulhe (1848-1932), elected MP for Melun in 1889, was one of the founders of the Société de Sport de France and served as its first chairman for fifty years, from 1882 to 1932.

The Prix Greffulhe and the Prix du Jockey Club

The winner of the Prix Greffulhe has also won the Prix du Jockey Club on 23 occasions. The horses concerned are: Gospodar (1894), Palmiste (1897), Belfonds (1925), Tourbillon (1931), Cillas (1938), Le Pacha (1941), Ardan (1944), Prince Chevalier (1946), Scratch (1950), Sicambre (1951), Amber (1957), Herbager (1959), Rheffic (1971), Roi Lear (1973), Youth (1976), Darshaan (1984), Mouktar (1985), Suave Dancer (1991), Ragmar (1996), Peintre Célèbre (1997), Montjeu (1999), Dalakhani (2003) and Study of Man (2018). Also worth noting are Pour Moi’s victories in the Greffulhe and the Epsom Derby in 2011.

Owners

• Rothschild Family (8 wins): Edouard with Flowershop (1920), Tacite (1921), Veloucrème (1930), Bacchus (1939), and Guy with Marly Knowe (1953), Free Ride (1964), Mariacci (1975), Bois de Grâce (1982). 
• Marcel Boussac (7 wins): Astérus (1926), Tourbillon (1931), Cillas (1938), Ardan (1944), Ambiorix (1949), Scratch (1950), Dankaro (1974) ; au prince Karim Aga Khan : Hafiz (1955), Naasiri (1978), Darshaan (1984), Mouktar (1985), Dalakhani (2003), Visindar (2006) et Kesampour (2012). 
• Aga Khan (6 wins): Hafiz (1955), Naasiri (1978), Darshaan (1984), Mouktar (1985), Dalakhani (2003), Visindar (2006). 
• Henri Delamarre (4 wins): Clio (1882), Palamède (1885), Montreuil (1896), Tapis Vert (1899). 
• Daniel Wildenstein (4 wins): Persifleur (1987), Along All (1989), Epervier Bleu (1990), Peintre Célèbre (1997). 
• Jean-Louis Bouchard (3 victoires) : Ragmar (1996), Gold Trip (2020), Baby Rider (2021).

Trainers

• André Fabre (13 wins): Along All (1989), Apple Tree (1992), Hunting Hawk (1993), Diamond Mix (1995), Peintre Célèbre (1997), Visindar (2006), Quest for Honor (2007), Prospect Wells (2008), Cutlass Bay (2099), Pour Moi (2011), Ocovango (2013), Cloth of Stars (2016), Roman Candle (2019).
• John Cunnington (5 wins): Le Pacha (1941), Pensbury (1943), Chesterfield (1947), Major (1954), Whippoorwill (1962).
• Etienne Pollet (5 wins): Silnet (1952), Le Mesnil (1963), Sea Bird (1965), Roi Dagobert (1967), Prince Régent (1969). 
• Pascal Bary (5 wins): Ragmar (1996), Croco Rouge (1998), Ice Blue (2010), Study of Man (2018), Baby Rider (2021).
• Alain de Royer-Dupré (3 wins): Darshaan (1984), Mouktar (1985), Dalakhani (2003).
• Jean-Claude Rouget (3 wins): Rhenium (2000), Maille Pistol (2001), Prince Gibraltar (2014).

Riders

• Roger Poincelet (5 wins): Mistral (1945), Ambiorix (1949), Silnet (1952), Hafiz (1955), Le Mesnil (1963) ;
• Yves Saint-Martin (5 wins): Roi Dagobert (1967), Val d’Aoste (1968), Dom Pasquini (1983), Darshaan (1984), Mouktar (1985) ;
• Cash Asmussen (5 wins): Arokar (1986), Along All (1989), Suave Dancer (1991), Tikkanen (1994), Montjeu (1999) ;
• Stéphane Pasquier (5 wins): Vatori (2005), Ice Blue (2010), Study of Man (2018), Gold Trip (2020), Baby Rider (2021) ;
• George Stern (4 wins): Maximum (1902), Génial (1905), Kenilworth (1908), Union (1909). 
• Thierry Jarnet (4 wins): Apple Tree (1992), Hunting Hawk (1993), Diamond Mix (1995), Rhenium (2000) ;
• Christophe Soumillon (4 wins): Dalakhani (2003), Visindar (2006), Quest for Honor (2007), Prince Gibraltar (2014) ; 
• Charles Semblat (3 wins): Belfonds (1925), Ivanoé (1928), Mansur (1935) ;
• Charles Bouillon (3 wins): Veloucrème (1930), Bacchus (1939), Prince Chevalier (1946) ;
• Jacques Doyasbère (3 wins): Ardan (1944), Chesterfield (1947), Major (1954) ;
• Paul Blanc (3 wins): Rigolo (1948), Sicambre (1951), Marly Knowe (1953) ;
• Jean Deforge (3 wins): Amber (1957), Free Ride (1964), Prince Régent (1969) ;
• Léon Flavien (3 wins): Hautain (1970), Hauban (1966), Magic Hope (1970) ;
• Philippe Paquet (3 wins): Rex Magna (1977), Le Marmot (1979), Providential (1980) ;
• Olivier Peslier (3 wins): Peintre Célèbre (1997), Prospect Wells (2008), Recoletos (2017) ;
• Mickaël Barzalona (3 wins): Pour Moi (2011), Cloth of Stars (2016), Roman Candle (2019).