17 July 2021
Photo scoopdyga.com
July, Chantilly
DARLEY PRIX ROBERT PAPIN
Group 2, 2-year-olds, 1 200 mètres, €130,000
Created in 1892 (Omnium de 2ans)
Last winner: Ventura Tormenta (c2, IRE by Acclamation ex Midnight Oasis, by Oasis Dream), owned by Middleham Park Racing, bred by Kevin Blake, trained by Richard Hannon Jr, ridden by Christophe Soumillon.
Record-time: 1’03’’16 by Tis Marvellous in 2016 (1 100m at Maisons-Laffitte)
The Darley Prix Robert Papin will be run in 2021 for the 126th time
The 2020 edition
Sunday, July 19, 2020, Chantilly. - A long indecisive fight between two English raiders and a French filly punctuated the 2020 Darley Prix Robert Papin (Gr2), the first stage of the Darley Series before the Darley Prix de Cabourg (Gr3) and the Darley Prix Morny (Gr1) also run over 6 furlongs but in August at Deauville.
Ventura Tormenta (Acclamation) started very well with Axdavali (Goken), who gave up 2 out. The favourite The Lir Jet (Price of Lir) went ahead passing the stands and the fight started with his compatriot, but soon the unbeaten Marseilles-trained filly Tiger Tanaka (Clodovil) unexpectedly joined the fray and looked like a prospect winner too.
On the wire, Ventura Tormenta kept a short head on The Lir Jet, himself a neck in front of the filly owned by Miguel Castro Megias, ridden by Jessica Marcialis, the partner of trainer Charley Rossi.
Trained by Richard Hannon Jr in England, where he was bought for £ 95,000 as a yearling, Ventura Tormenta started with a sixth place over 5 furlongs in the Norfolk Stakes (Gr2) won by The Lir Jet, whom he was facing again here. He won immediately afterwards over 6 furlongs at Yarmouth and then failed in the Superlative Stakes (Gr2) over 7 furlongs at Newmarket. Back on a shorter trip here, he never gave up, like a very hardened colt.
This is the seventh consecutive English victory in the race, the third overall for Richard Hannon Jr after those of Kool Kompany in 2014 and Gutaifan in 2015, the fourth for his family since his father also saddled the winner of the 1995 edition with Lucky Lionel. It is, finally, a third success in the "Papin" for the winning rider Christophe Soumillon, winner in 2005 with New Girlfriend, and in 2010 with Irish Field ...
History
The “Papin” was first run in 1892 at Maisons-Laffitte as the “Omnium de Deux Ans” before the name changed in 1928 in homage to the former Société Sportive d'Encouragement president. 2013 will mark the 118th running of the race. Due to the war effort, no race was staged between 1915 and 1918. In 1940 the race was run on 26 October over 7 furlongs at Auteuil – though so late in the season it obviously didn’t attract any precocious 2 year-olds. The race was moved from Maisons-Laffitte on 2 other occasions: to Longchamp in 1944 (over 5 furlongs) and to Evry in 1977. The distance was increased to 6 furlongs between 1903 and 1906, between 1929 and 1941 and between 1946 and 1962. The fastest ever “Papin” was, 1' 03'' 20/100 in 2007 (Natagora). Vific went even faster in 1977 with a time of 1' 03'' 50/100 when the race was run at Evry. A record 21 horses went to post in 1904 and 1906 and 19 in 1897 and 1964. Since 1988, no more than 9 horses have gone to post. The Prix Robert Papin qualified as a Group I race in 1971 when pattern-races were introduced in France before being demoted to Group 2 in 1988.
From its first running in 1906, the Omnium de Deux Ans was always staged on the first Sunday in August. The field was usually a large one because at the time no two-year-old race could be run before 1 August. From 1907, however, two-year-olds could race as of the last week in June. This meant the field for the Omnium de Deux ans was smaller, having shed those runners who didn’t fulfil their potential early in the season. With prize-money of 50,000 F in 1911, it was the richest two-year-old race in France until 1914, the Prix Morny and the Grand Critérium only paying out 40,000 F to the winner.
Up until 1901, no Omnium de Deux Ans winner had ever gone on to win a Classic. Amongst the non-successful runners were: Roitelet 2nd in 1894 (Prix Hocquart, 3rd in Prix du Jockey Club), Holocauste unplaced in 1898 (Prix Lupin) and Jacobite unplaced in 1900 (Grand Prix de Deauville, Prix Royal Oak). In 1901, however, the winner, Ophelia went on to win the Prix Vermeille, while Fer, unplaced, later triumphed in the Prix Royal Oak. Finasseur, who won nothing in 1904 as a 2-year-old, would do a Jockey-Club-Grand Prix de Paris-Prix du Président de la République triple as a 3-year-old. The 1905 winner, Prestige, would go on to record an incredible 16 wins – he was never beaten! Sauge Pourprée (1907) and Lord Burgoyne (1910) both went on to win the Poule d'Essai. Four classic winners in the making dominated the period between the wars: Château Bouscaut (1929), Pearl Cap (1930), Brantôme (1933) and Mistress Ford (1935), while Ardan (1943), Coronation (1948) and Auriban (1951) also later won a Classic. But since then no “Papin” winner has ever achieved anything over 10 furlongs. It has become a race for sprinters and early developers. Famous winners over the last 50 years include Cordova (1953), Taboun (1958), Sly Pola (1959), Kashmir II (1965), Zeddaan (1967), Amber Rama (1969), My Swallow (1970), Lianga (1973), Vitiges (1975), Blushing Groom (1976), Ma Biche (1982), Masarika (1983), Baiser Volé (1985), Balbonella (1986), Danseuse du Soir (1990), Arazi (1991) and Zipping (2001). There have been two notable exceptions: in 2004, with the victory of Divine Proportions who, at the age of 3, victoriously covered the 1 mile 2 ¼ furlongs of the Prix de Diane at Chantilly; and in 2007, courtesy of the victory in record time by Natagora who, at 3 years old, then lifted the One Thousand Guineas at Newmarket, and came third in the Prix du Jockey Club (10 ½ furlongs).
In 2019, the race had to be moved to Deauville because the straight course of Maisons-Laffitte was water-logged. The following year, it took place at Chantilly, and extended to 6 furlongs since Maisons-Laffitte was closed permanently.
Robert Papin (1848-1926)
Robert Papin (1848-1926) wrote for various horse magazines from 1870 onwards, using the nom de plume Robert de Lizy, a name he maintained when he became a racehorse owner (light blue silks and cap). In 1887, He was one of the three founding members of the Société Sportive d'Encouragement with Alfred de Rollepot and Eugène Adam. The latter would become the president and Robert Papin his right hand man. He became president himself on Eugène Adam’s death in 1904, a position he held until his own death in November 1926. Papin steered the Société Sportive on a course of expansion during the first 3 decades of the 20th century.
Fillies
57 fillies and 68 colts and geldings won the race.
Foreign legion
The first foreign winner came from Britain with Double Jump, trained by Jeremy Tree in 1964. In 1968, two British fillies, Folle Rousse and Hopiana, prevailed. In 1970, a great duel between two great visitors My Swallow and Mill Reef, the former beating his rival by a short head, although Mill Reef went on to become one of the best thoroughbreds ever to run in Britain and France. Another British 1-2 the next year when Sun Prince beat Deep Diver. After a long drought, Ozone Friendly (1989) resumed the British order, that was about to set in in 1994. Since then, the French won 9 times (Zipping in 2001, Much Faster in 2003, Six Perfections in 2004, New Girlfriend in 2005, Natagora in 2007, Special Duty in 2009, Family One in 2011, Vorda in 2013) while 14 raiders from England (General Monash in 1994, Lucky Lionel in 1995, Ocean Ridge in 1996, Greenlander in 1997, Black Amber in 1998, Never A Doubt in 2002, Reckless Abandon in 2012, Kool Kompany in 2014, Gutaifan in 2015, Tis Marvellous in 2016, Unfortunately in 2017, Signora Cabello in 2018, A'Ali in 2019, Ventura Tormenta in 2020, one from Ireland (Rossini in 1999), two from Italy (Rolly Polly in 2000 & Lui Rei in 2008), one from Germany (Boccassini in 2006) and one from Spain (Irish Field en 2010) took home the Papin.
Owners
- Marcel Boussac (8 wins): Ardan (1943), Nirgal (1945), Coronation (1948), Emperor (1949), Pharsale (1950), Auriban (1951), Pharel (1952), Cordova (1953).
- Edmond Blanc (6 wins): Commandeur (1892), Cazabat (1897), Fils du Vent (1908), Marsa (1909), Lord Burgoyne (1910), Mousse de Mer (1913) ;
- Edouard de Rothschild (6 wins): Le Gros Morne (1923), Coque de Noix (1932), Brantôme (1933), Stratosphère (1934), Minaudière (1936), Bulle de Savon (1938).
Trainers
- Charles Semblat (9 wins): Ardan (1943), Nirgal (1945), Coronation (1948), Emperor (1949), Pharsale (1950), Auriban (1951), Pharel (1952), Cordova (1953), Fière (1955).
- Lucien Robert (6 wins): Château Bouscaut (1929), Coque de Noix (1932), Brantôme (1933), Stratosphère (1934), Minaudière (1936), Bulle de Savon (1938).
- Christiane Head (6 wins): Ma Biche (1982), Baiser Volé (1985), Balawaki (1987), Didyme (1992), Psychobabble (1993), Special Duty (2009).
- Robert Denman (5 wins): Fils du Vent (1908), Marsa (1909), Lord Burgoyne (1910), Mousse de Mer (1913), Guerrière II (1920).
Riders
- Roger Poincelet (7 wins): Chesterfield (1946), Coronation (1948), Emperor (1949), Fière (1955), Neptune II (1957), Sly Pola (1959), High Bulk (1960).
- Charles Bouillon (6 wins): Coque de Noix (1932), Brantôme (1933), Stratosphère (1934), Minaudière (1936), Bulle de Savon (1938), Ardan (1943).
- George Stern (5 wins): Fils du Vent (1908), Marsa (1909), Lord Burgoyne (1910), Mousse de Mer (1913), Deauville (1925).
- Yves Saint-Martin (5 wins): Zeddaan (1967), Amber Rama (1969), Lianga (1973), Masarika (1983), Balbonella (1986).
- Gérald Mossé (3 wins): Arazi (1991), Didyme (1992), Reckless Abdanon (2012).
- Lanfranco Dettori (3 wins): Gutaifan (2015), Signora Cabello (2018), A'Ali (2019).
- Christophe Soumillon (3 wins): New Girlfriend (2005), irish Field (2010), Ventura Tormenta (2020).