Vermeille History: The Ladies Arc

September, ParisLongchamp

QATAR PRIX VERMEILLE

Group 1 - Fillies & Mares aged 3 and up, 2,400m/1m4f, €360,000

Created in 1897

Last winner: TARNAWA (f3, Ire by Shamardal ex Tarana, by Cape Cross), owned by Aga Khan, bred by Aga Khan, trained by Dermot Weld, ridden by Christophe Soumillon.

Record-time: 2’26’’, Pearly Shells (2002)

The race is run in 2021 for the 118^th time.

The 2020 edition

Sunday, September 13, 2020, ParisLongchamp. - For her debut in France, the 4-year-old filly Tarnawa (Shamardal) easily defeated the French favourite Raabihah (Sea the Stars) and became the 117th winner of the Qatar Prix Vermeille (Gr1). It was a 7th success in the French Classic for her breeder-owner, the Aga Khan, which places him at the same level as the record-holder Marcel Boussac.

The winning rider Christophe Soumillon, for his part, recorded a fifth success in the event. With a time of 2'26'42, Tarnawa is 42/100th of a second behind the race record set by Pearly Shells in 2002 at 2'26''00, a record Zarkava has since tied.

Starting slowly, Tarnawa moved to follow Laburnum (Galileo), who was travelling outside the leading group, alongside Dame Malliot (Champs Elysees) and Wonderful Tonight (Le Havre). Raabihah, for her part, was held in the last position for her 1m4f debut. Going into the straight, Tarnawa was able to switch outside and start a long acceleration, taking Raabihah in her wake. She only managed to gain the upper hand over Dame Malliot about one furlong out, leaving Raabihah without reaction for a short while before she recovered and came back to pip Dame Malliot for second place, three lengths behind a supreme Tarnawa ...

Trained in Ireland by Dermot Weld, Tarnawa was racing for only the second time this season. She had just won for her comeback in August in a Group 3 over the same distance at Cork and while winning her fourth Group by then she had failed clearly twice last year at Group 1 level.

It should be noted that she is entered in the Prix de l'Opéra Longines (Gr1), over 1m2f but not in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Gr1).

Tarnawa's dam is a winner over 12.5f at Listed level in Ireland and a very consistent runner around that distance in Listed races.

History

Created in 1897, its conditions were the subject of a major innovation in 2004 when it was opened up to 4-year-old mares, extended from 2006 to females of all ages.

Due to war, the Prix Vermeille was not run from 1914 to 1918 or in 1939 and 1940. In 1943 and 1944, it was run at Tremblay. Up until 1954, an overweight was imposed upon winners of certain races.

In 2004, the Prix Vermeille became an intergenerational race permitting fillies to compete over the Classic distance (a mile and a half) at the highest level (Group I), the only other comparable French event, the Prix de l'Opéra (run three weeks later), being run over the much shorter distance of 1 mile 2 furlongs.

Vermeille, a chestnut female, was born in 1853 at Jules Verry’s stables in Bouze near Beaune in the Côte d'Or. Daughter of The Baron and Fair Helen, she was initially given the name of Merveille. After being renamed Vermeille, she wore the colours of Comte Fernand de Montguyon in the Prix du Jockey Club but finished well down the field. She had to content herself with three modest victories in the provinces: two at Châlons-sur-Marne and another in the Grand Prix de la Ville at Boulogne-sur-Mer, but after being bought for breeding purposes by Henri Delamarre, she later proved to be a remarkable broodmare, first foaling Vermout (Grand Prix de Paris 1864) and Vertugadin (Grand Prix de Baden-Baden 1865), and then later becoming the grandmother of Versigny (Prix de Diane 1880), Verte Bonne (Prix de Diane 1883), Vernet (Grand Critérium 1882), Excuse (Prix du Cadran 1895) and Van Diemen (Grand Prix de Deauville 1897). It is the name of this “pearl” of the Bois Roussel stud farm which was given to this race that, for a long time, allowed the finest 3-year-old fillies to compete in the autumn over the Classic mile and a half distance, some 1 ½ furlongs longer than that of the Prix de Diane.

Sponsorship

The Prix Vermeille’s first commercial partner was the Escada fashion house in 1991. After this 3-year partnership, there was a gap from 1994 to 1999. From 2000 to 2008, the Prix Vermeille benefited from a partnership with the Barrière group. Since 2008, the race has been sponsored, like the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, by the state of Qatar through its equestrian and racing organisation.

The Prix de Diane - Prix Vermeille double

Twenty-seven fillies have managed to win both races: Semendria (1900), La Camargo (1901), Profane (1904), Médéah (1908), Moïa (1913), Quoi ? (1923), Dorina (1926), Commanderie (1930), Pearl Cap (1931), Mistress Ford (1936), Vigilance (1942), Nikellora (1945), Pirette (1946), Corteira (1948), Bagheera (1949), Roselière (1968), Pistol Packer (1971), Allez France (1973), Mrs Penny (1980), Northern Trick (1984), Jolypha (1992), Carling (1995), Daryaba (1999), Aquarelliste (2001), Zarkava (2008), Stacelita (2009) and Trève (2013).

Two fillies who did not contest the Prix de Diane but instead won the Oaks at Epsom also scored in the Prix Vermeille: Bella Paola (1958) and Monade (1962).

14 fillies have finished second in the Prix de Diane and then made up for it by winning the Prix Vermeille: Isola Bella (1924), Merry Girl (1928), Longthanh (1941), La Belle du Canet (1944), La Mirambule (1952), Astaria (1964), Saraca (1969), Highest Hopes (1970), Three Troikas (1979), Magic Night (1991), Volvoreta (2000), Mrs Lindsay (2007), Galikova (2011), Left hand (2016).

The "Triple Crown" for fillies

For a filly, this amounts to the successive exploits of winning the Poule d'Essai (1 mile) in May, the Prix de Diane (1 mile 2 ½ furlongs) in June and the Prix Vermeille (a mile and a half) in September. Only six fillies have pulled it off: Semendria (1900), La Camargo (1901), Pearl Cap (1931), Corteira (1948), Allez France (1973) and Zarkava (2008).

The Prix Vermeille and the Arc de Triomphe

Seven winners of the Prix Vermeille have won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Five in the same year: Pearl Cap (1931), Nikellora (1945), San San (1972), Three Troikas (1979), Zarkava (2008) and Trève (2013, also winner of the 2014 Arc).

Two at the age of 4: Allez France (1974) and All Along (1983). In 2012, Solemia, the future winner of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, only finished third in the Prix Vermeille.

Overseas visitors

11 foreign winners. it was only in the mid-1960s that the Prix Vermeille started to attract foreign runners.

The first victorious visitor was Aunt Edith in 1965, trained by Noel Murless and ridden by Lester Piggott.

Five years later, Highest Hopes – who had been forced to concede defeat to Ireland’s Sweet Mimosa in the Prix de Diane – found compensation in fine style at Longchamp. She was trained by Major William Hern.

1980 brought a third British victory courtesy of Mrs Penny (trained by Ian Balding), who confirmed her success at Chantilly.

In 1987, the natives were overrun by the visitors, led by Bint Pasha, from Paul Cole’s stable.

In 1990, victory was snatched by the champion Salsabil (Thousand Guineas, Oaks, Irish Derby), trained by John Dunlop.

There was a sixth foreign success in 1996 with My Emma (trained by Rae Guest), while 1998 saw another victory for a visitor, this time one of John Dunlop’s charges, Leggera, who outstripped her compatriot Cloud Castle.

An eighth overseas triumph came in 2003 with Mezzo Soprano (trained by Saeed Bin Suroor), who won by a head from the Irish filly Yesterday.

The 9th foreign win came in in 2010 as the 4-year-old Midday, trained by Henry Cecil, came in ahead of her contemporary Plumania (who also finished 2nd in 2009) and Sarafina, the Prix de Diane champion.

Trained in England by John Gosden, Star Catcher won in 2019 after taking the Irish Oaks, followed by the Irish Tarnawa, winner in 2020 for Dermot Weld.

Sires

English sire Dubawi was represented by the first three home in 2017 as Bateel beat Journey and Left Hand, who'd won one year earlier, and also by the 2018 Vermeille winner, Kitesurf ...

Owners

• Marcel Boussac (7 wins): Durban (1921), Merry Girl (1928), La Circé (1933), Corteira (1948), Janiari (1956), Arbencia (1957) & Astola (1961, dead-heat).
• Aga Khan IV (7 wins): Sharaya (1983), Darara (1986), Daryaba (1999), Shawanda (2005), Zarkava (2008), Shareta (2012), Tarnawa (2020). 
• Daniel Wildenstein (5 wins): Allez France (1973), Paulista (1974), All Along (1982), Walensee (1985) & Aquarelliste (2001).
• Rothschild family (5 wins): Stearine (1919), Tonnelle (1937), Haltilala (1966), Paysanne (1972, dead-heat) & Indian Rose (1988).
• Wertheimer family (4 wins): Ivanjica (1975), Dancing Maid (1978), Galikova (2011), Left Hand (2016).

Trainers

• Alain de Royer-Dupré (7 wins): Sharaya (1983), Darara (1986), Daryaba (1999), Shawanda (2005), Mandesha (2006), Zarkava (2008) & Shareta (2012). 
• Frank Carter (5 wins): Dorina (1926), Samphire (1927), Calandria (1929), Pearl Cap (1931) & Mistress Ford (1936).
• François Mathet (4 wins): Bella Paola (1958), Golden Girl (1963), Casaque Grise (1967) & Saraca (1969).
• André Fabre (4 wins): Jolypha (1992), Intrepidity (1993), Baltic Baroness (2014), Kitesurf (2018).
• Alec Head (3 wins): Pistol Packer (1971), Ivanjica (1975) & Dancing Maid (1978).
• François Boutin (3 wins): Lagunette (1976), April Run (1981) & Northern Trick (1984).
• Christiane Head-Maarek (3 wins): Three Troikas (1979) & Trêve (2013, 2015).

Two trainers saddled the first three home in the race, Geoffroy Watson (1964, Astaria, Dreida, La Bamba) & André Fabre (1993, Intrepidity, Wemyss Bight, Bright Moon).

Riders

• Yves Saint-Martin (7 wins): Golden Girl (1963), Casaque Grise (1967), Saraca (1969), Allez France (1973), Paulista (1974), Sharaya (1983) & Darara (1986).
• Christophe Soumillon (4 wins): Pearly Shells (2002), Shawanda (2005), Mandesha (2006), Zarkava (2008), Tarnawa (2020).