Amadou Hurdle History : The last step before the Triumph

Amadou 4yo Hurdle Race

Group 2, 4-year-olds, Hurdle race, 3,900m/2m 3½f, €174,000

Created en 1885

Last winner: Kibboutz (g4, FRA by Spanish Moon ex Tire en Touche, by Turgeon), owned by Simon Munir, Haras de Saint-Voir, Isaac Souede, bred by Haras de Saint-Voir & Jean-Paul Lupfer, trained by François Nicolle, ridden by Kevin Nabet.

The race is run in 2025 for the 119th time

The 2024 edition

Saturday, 27 April 2024, Auteuil Racecourse (Paris). — Drama unfolded at the very first hurdle of the €174,000 Amadou 4yo Hurdle Race (Gr2), the final preparatory step towards the Prix Alain du Breil (Gr1) for 4-year-old hurdlers. The hot favourite, Léon du Berlais (Authorized), lost his balance upon landing, just as Sanguido (Mastercraftsman) unexpectedly changed course right before him.

Having dominated in the Prix d’Indy, Léon du Berlais was thus deprived of an ideal prep race before the promotion's hurdling championship. King Conti (Pastorius) found himself leading a diminished field of five, closely followed by Kibboutz (Spanish Moon) and Bon Garçon (Masterstroke), neither of whom let King Conti out of their sight. By the final turn, these three had pulled away, and approaching the penultimate hurdle, Kibboutz challenged the leader, who had broken his two-race winning streak, including a victory in the Prix Virelan. Bon Garçon took up the challenge at the last hurdle but couldn’t quite catch Kibboutz, who powered home to win by a length, leaving King Conti seven lengths adrift in third place.

Representing owners Simon Munir, Isaac Souede, and the Haras de Saint-Voir, Kibboutz now boasts three wins and a second-place finish from four outings. While Léon du Berlais's unexpected exit was unfortunate, Kibboutz’s commanding victory was undeniably impressive.

Kibboutz is the fifth foal out of Tire en Touche (Turgeon), a mare from Saint-Voir who placed three times in six starts, competing in five hurdle races and one steeplechase but never securing a win. At stud, her first foal, Dans la Foulée (Alberto Giacometti), won the Wild Monarch 3yo Fillies Hurdle Race (L) before swiftly moving to steeplechasing, where she consistently placed but never won. Another notable offspring, Joue le Jeu (Ivanhowe), also won on debut in Pau, followed by five runner-up finishes.

Evidently, Kibboutz, with three wins to his name, is the luckiest of the family! Following him, the mare produced Le Nez Creux (No Risk At All), a 3-year-old filly who has yet to race and has been withdrawn from training after being entered for hurdling, Monnaie de Singe (Karaktar), a 2-year-old filly, and Non Conformiste (Telecaster), born in 2023.

Tire en Touche is a full sister to Sept Vérités (Turgeon), another Prix Wild Monarch (L) winner, both being daughters of Sagarade (Nashamaa), who is a full sister to the 4yo Chasing championship winner Turgot. Sagarade and Turgot’s dam was herself a sister to the champion Lute Antique.

History

The first Prix Amadou was held at Auteuil on 8 February 1885, in honour of the memory of the mare Amadou, one of the who excelled over the jumps in the year 1873. A brown bay mare sired by Compiègne and foaled by Jeanne d'Arc (Faugh a Ballagh), Amadou was born in 1866 at Frédéric de Lagrange’s stables. At the age of 7, she amassed winnings of 30,750 F courtesy of fourteen victories obtained at eleven different racetracks: Le Vésinet (2), Porchefontaine, La Marche (2), Versailles, Lyon (2), Abbeville, Caen, Dieppe, Saumur, Cherbourg and Mortagne. Nine of Amadou’s wins came under the colours of Ernest d'Evry (violet-blue jersey, yellow-striped sleeves and red cap), who had acquired her for 3,550 F after success at Le Vésinet in April. Her most important victories were obtained in the Grand Steeple de Lyon (5,500 F) and the Grand Steeple de Dieppe (5,300 F).

It was not until 1948 that the Prix Amadou became a hurdle race reserved for 4 year-olds. Its distance has often varied until 1977, since it is run over 2 miles 3 ½ furlongs.

Over the years, the Prix Amadou has seen its importance grow by attracting top horses. Today, aided by a generous purse, it represents an important stage on the way to the Alain du Breil 4yo Hurle Race (Gr1), also called the Grande Course de Haies d'Eté des 4 Ans. Since the creation of this latter event in 1986, 11 of its winners have first won the Prix Amadou: Marly River (1987), Trebrook (1988), Kadalko (1992), Villez (1996), Grand Souvenir (1997), Vic Toto (2001), Nickname (2003), Rendons Grâce (2009), Tidara Angel (2011), Usual Suspects (2012) and Feu Follet (2019).

The Prix Amadou’s honours list also includes the names of some other high-quality jumpers such as Mont Tremblant (1950, Cheltenham Gold Cup), Orléans (1951, Grand Steeple), El Trianero (1954), Next Time (1969), Pot d'Or (1970, Grand Steeple), Grandak (1981), Le Rheusois (1984, Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil), Gacko (1985), Lute Antique (1989), Saint des Saints (2002), Maia Eria (2004), Bel La Vie (2010), De Bon Cœur (2017).

Owners