Flat - Prix Vicomtesse Vigier upgraded to Group 1

Following the meeting of the European Pattern Committee on 7 February 2025 at France Galop's headquarters, and an exceptional meeting of the Board of Directors on Friday 14 February 2025, several changes to the Black Type programme were approved.

In 2025, a new Group 1 has been added to the French calendar! Indeed, the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier, previously a Group 2 race, has been upgraded to Group 1 status.  The promotion of this race is part of the European Pattern Committee’s (EPC) strategic plan to support the wider racing programme for staying horses, a plan that was launched in 2016. Thus prize-money for the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier has been boosted from €130 000 to €400 000.

The increase in prize-money of the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier has been entirely financed by the Owner’s fund. As a reminder, in 2024, France Galop changed the entry conditions for Group 1 races by bringing entry dates forward and standardising the percentage of entry fees, which boosted the Owner’s fund. This policy – extended in 2025 to Group 2 and Group 3 races – was a success : by the end of the 2024 financial year, the Owner’s fund had stabilised and was profitable. This has created a virtuous circle that supports and boosts certain Group races.

Strengthening the European programme for staying horses

The Prix Vicomtesse Vigier was upgraded to Group 1 status in response to a request from French racing professionals made at Flat Racing Committee meetings and then at the French Committee for Major Races meeting, where they highlighted the lack of racing opportunities at the highest level before the GR1 Ascot Gold Cup.

The promotion of the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier is hence an opportunity to retain high-class stayers in training in Europe.

Held during the month of May, the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier is a fantastic Group 1 opportunity for owners, breeders and trainers of stayers. The race is ideally situated in the calendar following on from the valuable winter events in the Gulf region like the Red Sea Turf Handicap (Group 3) at the end of February in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) and the Dubai Gold Cup (Group 2) at the end of March at Meydan (Dubaï). The most famous winner of a race in the Gulf region followed by the French showpiece is Vazirabad, who won the Dubai Gold Cup before going on to win the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier upon his return to Europe a few weeks later. He did it not once, but over three consecutive years, in 2016, 2017 and 2018. In 2018, following his victories in the Dubai Gold Cup and the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier, Vazirabad ran in the Ascot Gold Cup where he was only just beaten by the European champion stayer Stradivarius.

Further European promotions relating to the continued focus on stayers

Continuing the focus on the stayers, members of the European Pattern Committee agreed to upgrade the Long Distance Cup, which is run in mid-October at Ascot on British Champions Day, the final meeting of the British racing season, to Group 1 status.  Ireland, too, will feature a new Group 1 race in its programme after the Golden Fleece Stakes that takes place in mid-September at Leopardstown during Irish Champions Weekend was upgraded to Group 1 status. The Golden Fleece Stakes, a race for two-year-olds, will now be run over 1 800 metres and could be used as a stepping stone for the Critérium de Saint-Cloud (Group 1 for 2yo, which is run over 2 000 metres at the end of October).

About the strategic plan for stayers

Thanks to the various adjustments made in 2025, the European Pattern Committee (EPC) continues to highlight the importance of the "Stayers Project". Its aim is to encourage the breeding of stayers, which requires patience, and then to keep them in Europe by offering real opportunities on the continent, thus responding to the strong international interest in stayers, especially from Australia.

Following the implementation of the European strategic plan for stayers, France Galop has endorsed these objectives and various changes by adjusting the stayer’s programme, particularly for 2 and 3-year-olds. They will be provided with more opportunities to run, in particular on tracks with an “educational” dimension. Together with Japan, France is the only country in the world that features a Group 1 race over 2000m for 2-year-olds on its calendar. The Critérium de Saint-Cloud has produced several future middle-distance (2400m) and long-distance (2400m +) champions.

It is worth remembering that the EPC’s strategic plan to support stayers has led to the promotion of the Qatar Prix de Royallieu to Group 1 status in 2019, as well as the Prix Belle de Nuit to Group 3 status in 2018. That same year also saw the creation of the Listed Prix Gold River. Black Type races for stayers are protected by the stayers’ moratorium, currently in place until 2027. These races cannot be downgraded.