Foy History: The old timers' way
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September, ParisLongchamp
QATAR PRIX FOY
Group 2 – 4-year-olds and above, 2,400m/1m4f, €130,000
Created in 1955
Last winner: IRESINE (g7, FRA by Manduro ex Inanga (Oasis Dream), owned by Bertrand Millière, Christian Goutelle, Jean-Paul Gauvin, Marion Gauvin, Fabien Gauvin, Cédric Millière, Jean-Pierre Gauvin, bred by Pierre Joyaux, M.-L. van Dedem, trained by Jean-Pierre Gauvin, ridden by Marie Vélon.
Record-time: 2’26’’9, Ruler of the World (2014)
The race is run in 2025 for the 71st time.
The 2024 edition
Sunday, September 15, 2024, ParisLongchamp Racecourse (Paris). - The Irish raider Continuous (Heart's Cry), last year's St Leger (Gr1) winner and the favourite for the €130,000 Qatar Prix Foy (Gr2), a prep race for the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Gr1) for older horses, led the race until the entrance to the straight ahead of Iresine (Maduro), on his outside, Zarir (Frankel) in his slipstream and Feed the Flame (Kingman), who would be pulled up in the final straight.
However, Continuous could not resist the determined attack of Iresine in the final straight, who overcame his tenacity and then repelled the good final effort of Zarir, who finished 2nd by a short neck, no less than 2.5 lengths from the Irishman.
A gelding, Iresine had won this same race in 2022. The road to the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe was closed, so he switched to the Prix Royal-Oak (Gr1) and the Prix Ganay (Gr1) the following season. Second in the Qatar Prix Foy last year, for his comeback, he went on to win the Prix du Conseil de Paris (Gr2) on his way to the Japan Cup (Gr1).
Absent for six months afterwards, he delayed his comeback to finally win the Prix Bedel (L) with a two-kilo penalty before finishing 4th in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, behind Zarir, who was 2nd that day.
Iresine is the second foal out of Inanga (Oasis Dream), a direct descendant of Riverqueen (Luthier), winner of the Poule d'Essai and Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud for the Head family. Inanga is also the dam of Purple Lady (Joshua Tree), winner of a race sold €90,000 at Arqana in foal to Doctor Dino in July 2023 to Horse Racing Advisory, of a gelding by Chemical Charge who won in Lyon in May when trained by Jean-Pierre Gauvin, of a 2-year-old by Mondialiste also entrusted to the Loire trainer, and a filly by Intello born this season.
History
This race honours the memory of the tenth president of the Société d'Encouragement committee. Initially known as the Prix Henry Foy from 1955 to 1968, it was given its current name in 1969. Held at Longchamp, the Prix Foy was open to 3 year-olds and above until 1966, before being restricted to older horses from 1967 onwards. This was due to 3-year-old runners also enjoying access to a special Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe trial called the Prix de Chantilly, which became the Prix Niel in 1972. From 1972 the two races (Prix Niel and Prix Foy) would be held on the same day, three weeks prior to the Arc de Triomphe. Originally set at a distance of 1 mile 3½ furlongs, the Prix Foy was reduced to 1 mile 3 furlongs from 1961-78 and then brought to its present distance of 1 mile 4 furlongs in 1979.
The Prix Foy was promoted to Group 2 status in 2000.
Henri Foy (1872-1954).
Great-grandson to General Foy, a noted figure from the time of the First Empire, Henri was a Naval Engineer who spent his youth based at Saint-Nazaire in Chantiers de la Loire. He was also a keen horse enthusiast, who wasted little time in following the example of his father Comte Foy, a breeder at the Barbeville stud farm near Bayeux, and that of his uncle, the Comte de Berteux – owner of the Cheffreville stud. A fine horseman, Baron Foy lead the list of flat-racing gentleman-riders in 1901 and 1902 and won the Prix des Lions in 1904 and 1905. He also spent a few years as a horse trainer. With a base at Compiègne, near the Putois hippodrome set up by his father, both Henri Delamarre and the Comte de Berteux placed a number of their animals in his charge. In the event, however, his greatest success came via a horse wearing his own colours (white jersey with sky-blue polka dots, yellow cap), the filly Affection, the 1902 winner of the Omnium at Longchamp. She was ridden by a little-known apprentice rider called Alec Carter, who would go on to become a famous figure within the sport.
Having joined the Société d'Encouragement committee in 1914, Baron Foy would exercise the role of steward from 1928-31. After Hocquart de Turtot’s retirement on 30 January 1951, he was handed the presidency of the Société as the most senior member of the committee, a post he would hold until his death on 9 February 1954.
His lively intelligence and encyclopaedic knowledge of racing history meant that Baron Foy was always on hand to jog the collective memory of the Société’s committee throughout his 40-year involvement with the overseers of French flat racing. While known to have great respect for tradition, he was also not afraid of progress. This fact is backed up by the minutes of the Société’s meetings, which record his countless contributions to the decision-making process. He was the only Société d'Encouragement president to have been a gentleman-rider, trainer, owner and breeder, all at the same time.
Preparing for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The Foy-Arc de Triomphe double has only been achieved in the same year by three horses: Allez France (1974), Sagace (1984) and Waldgeist (2019), who'd also won the Foy in 2018. Another Prix Foy victor, Exbury, also triumphed in the Arc de Triomphe, winning the prestigious race as a 4-year-old in 1963, one year on from his Foy success.
Also worthy of mention are seven Prix Foy winners who finished second or in the frame at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe: Right Royal (1961, 2nd), Misti (1963, 3rd), Sigebert (5 years old, 1966, 2nd), Park Top (1969, 2nd), Trillion (1978, 2nd), El Condor Pasa (1999, 2nd), Orfèvre (2012, 2nd).
Meanwhile, two other runners have finished in the frame at the Prix Foy, only to beat all comers at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe three weeks later: All Along (1983) and Subotica (1992).
Owners
- Wildenstein family (9 wins): Pétrone (1968), Allez France (1974, 1975), Sagace (1984, 1985), Mersey (1986) & Star Lift (1989) for Daniel, Aquarelliste (2002) & Policy Maker (2004) for Wildenstein Family.
- Mohammed Al Maktoum & Godolphin (4 wins): In the Wings (1990), Richard of York (1994), Carnegie (1995) & Swain (1996).
- Khalid Abdullah (3 wins): Ordinance (1987), Zambezi Sun (2008) & Spanish Moon (2009).
Trainers
- André Fabre (11 wins): Ordinance (1987), Star Lift (1989), In the Wings (1990), Richard of York (1994), Carnegie (1995), Swain (1996), Shirocco (2006), Manduro (2007), Waldgeist (2018 & 2019), Place du Carrousel (2023).
- François Boutin (4 wins): Malacate (1977), Pevero (1979), Le Marmot (1980) & April Run (1982).
- Patrick Biancone (3 wins): Sagace (1984, 1985) & Mersey (1986).
Riders
- Yves Saint-Martin (9 wins): Suffren (1960), Acer (1964), Pétrone (1968), Snow Castle (1972), Allez France (1974, 1975), Sagace (1984, 1985) & Mersey (1986).
- Jean Deforge (4 wins): Norman (1955), Blockhaus (1957), Bel Baraka (1959) & Exbury (1962).
- Lester Piggott (4 wins): Park Top (1969), Lorenzaccio (1970), Trillion (1978) & April Run (1982).
- Thierry Jarnet (3 wins): Carnegie (1995), Swain (1996) & Ange Gabriel (2003).
- Christophe Soumillon (3 wins): Shirocco (2006) & Orfèvre (2012, 2013).