14 August 2020
Photo scoopdyga.com
August, Deauville
Prix Guillaume d’Ornano-Haras du Logis Saint-Germain
Group 2, 3-year-olds, 2,000m/1m2f, €280,000
Created in 1952 as the Prix de la Côte Normande
Last winner: Mishriff (c3, IRE by Make Believe ex Contradict, by Raven's Pass), owned by Prince Faisal, bred by Nawara Stud, trained by John Gosden, ridden by Lanfranco Dettori.
Record-time: 2’02’’0, Northern Baby (1979)
The race is run in 2021 for the 70th time
The 2020 edition
Saturday, August 15, 2020, Deauville. - A good winner of the Prix du Jockey Club (Gr1) on July 5th at Chantilly, Mishriff (Make Believe) once again made a strong impression in the Prix Guillaume d´Ornano - Haras du Logis Saint-Germain (Gr2).
Trained in England by John Gosden, ridden by Frankie Dettori on a heavy turf course, the Prince Faisal homebred colt had had to bid his time, boxed in the field at Chantilly. This time, however, in a race reduced to four runners after the Irish raider Crossfirehurricane was scratched, he was able took take the lead entering the home stretch. Until then, he had followed The Summit (Wootton Bassett) and then Dream Works (Wootton Bassett), the latter leading the small field to the outside all the way. Mishriff was ridden hard to take over but he finally outclassed his rivals in the final furlong to win easily by four and a half lengths. The gallant The Summit took second place to Victor Ludorum (Shamardal), who had trailed the small field all the way and tried to shadow the eventual winner. Dream Works finished last at twelve lengths.
Mishriff was beaten in his first two races at 2 over 7 and 8 furlongs. He finally won by 10 lengths over 8.5 furlongs, having only run on heavy ground by then. Second in the Saudi Derby in February, he won easily at Newmarket after that and thus confirmed brilliantly, with a burst of speed, in the Prix du Jockey Club (Gr1).
Bred in Ireland, Mishriff is a brother to Momkin (Bated Breath), runner-up in the Craven Stakes in 2019, who is consigned in the upcoming Newmarket mixed sales. Their brother Orbaan (Invincible Spirit), trained in France, won the Prix de Saint-Patrick (L) at Saint-Cloud.
Click here to get the sectional timing of the race.
History
First run in 1952 under the name of the Prix de la Côte Normande, this race reserved for 3 year-olds became the Prix Guillaume d'Ornano in 1987 to honour the memory of an important owner and breeder with a special connection to Deauville. Set at 1 mile 7 furlongs that the first year, the race’s distance was reduced to 1 mile 2 furlongs in 1953. It has remained unchanged since then, with the exception of 1958 and 1959, when it was increased to a mile and a half. In 1994, a dead heat was recorded between Lassigny and Just Happy. The record for the event is held by Northern Baby, who covered the 1 mile 2 furlongs in 2' 02'' in 1979. The race has always been held at the La Touques racecourse.
Few fillies have taken part in this race, with the result that only 5 have obtained victories over the years: Chutney (1963), La Bamba (1964), La Troublerie (1972), New Bruce (1985), Galikova (2011).
Foreign visitors have enjoyed particular success in this event, accumulating 17 wins, the first in 1970 for Gold Rod ridden by Lester Piggott. Crimson Beau (1978), Broken Hearted (1987), Great Palm (1992), Just Happy (1994, dead-heat), Montjoy (1995), Sasuru (1996), Best of the Bests (2000), Masterful (2001), Highdown (2002), Mister Monet (2004), Multidimensional (2006), Sri Putra (2009), Scalo (2010), Eminent (2017), Knight to Behold (2018) & Headman (2019) are the other foreign winners. The British trainer Paul F. Cole has done particularly well with four wins (see below).
Guillaume d'Ornano (1894-1985)
Great-grandson of Marie Walewska, whom General Ornano wed in 1816, Guillaume d'Ornano was attached to the Warsaw embassy after the First World War. On returning to Paris, he became an advisor to the perfumer François Coty and, on the latter’s death, founded the Lancôme perfume house. In 1946, he and his two sons Michel and Hubert created the Jean d'Albret and Orlane perfumes.
Mayor of Moulins-sur-Céphon and general councillor for the Indre region for twenty-five years, Comte Guillaume d'Ornano declared his racing colours in 1934 (red and yellow-striped jersey, yellow sleeves, red cap). Chairman of the Société des Courses de Chateauroux, he was made a member of the Société d'Encouragement in 1964, sitting on the committee until 1983, when he became an honorary member. In the meantime, from 1971 to 1978, he served as chairman of the Société des Courses du Pays d'Auge, the body which ran Clairefontaine-Deauville racecourse.
Renowned for his courteous manner and the hospitality he offered at his “Mirasol” villa in Deauville, Comte Guillaume d'Ornano had a keen interest in historical books – he collected the memoirs of famous men from the 18th century – and in horses.
It was during the 1960s that the count’s silks enjoyed their heyday, both with horses bought at the Deauville sales and his own produce. In 1957, he had assembled some broodmares at the Manneville stud farm (founded in 1927 by Henri Coulon) in the Calvados, a property he owned from 1969 until 1982.
It was the broodmare Mist (a grey sired by Tornado in 1953), acquired by the owner as a yearling and the dam of seven winners, who provided him with his finest runner, Misti. This son of Méridien was victorious in eight races and was placed fifteen times between the ages of 2 and 5. As a 2-year-old, he triumphed in the Prix des Chênes and came 3rd in the Grand Critérium. At 3, he added the Prix Henry Delamarre to his growing honours list, finished 2nd in the Grand Prix du Centenaire de Deauville (behind Molvedo) and also 3rd in the Arc de Triomphe (behind Molvedo and Right Royal). At 4, further successes came in the Prix Ganay and the Gran Premio del Jockey Club at Milan, as well as a 3rd place in the Grand Prix de Deauville. At 5, he clinched the Prix Henri Foy, was the runner-up in the Prix du Cadran and also the Ascot Gold Cup, as well as finishing 3rd in the Arc de Triomphe for the second time.
Stationed later at the Manneville stud, Misti proved to be a great breeder. Sire of Roselière (Prix de Diane and dam of Rosebowl), Mistigri (Irish St Leger), Toulon and Ambrellita, he excelled at producing jumpers, becoming champion jumps stallion five times (1976, 1977, 1978, 1980 and 1982) and siring in particular two winners of the Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil, Les Roseaux and Roselier (who also had an excellent career as a sire of jumps horses in Ireland).
Guillaume d'Ornano’s other top performers were Crossen (1959), winner of the Prix Lagrange, who was one of the victims of the mass fall involving seven horses in the English Derby at Epsom; Le Vieux Castel (1959), winner of the Prix de la Concorde and 2nd in the Grand Prix du Printemps; Moderne (1959), winner of the Prix de Menneval, 2nd in the Prix de Guiche and Henry Delamarre, 3rd in the Prix Jean Prat and Grand Prix du Printemps; Firstborn (1961), winner of the Prix Maurice de Nieuil as a 3-year-old; Futur (1962), winner of the Prix Finot at Auteuil; Messire (1963), winner of the Prix Fleuret at Auteuil; and Cabhurst (1965) who was considered the best performer of his 2-year-old crop on account of his victories in the Prix Eclipse and de la Forêt but who, as a 3-year-old, had to content himself with five places, including a 2nd spot in the Prix de Seine-and-Oise, 3rd place in the Prix Maurice de Gheest and 4th in the Poule d'Essai.
Initially trained by Sylvain Laforge, d'Ornano’s horses were entrusted to Georges Bridgland, while those destined for a career over the jumps were prepared by Joseph Audon.
Owners
- Rothschild Family (7 wins): 6 victoires pour Guy avec Marly Knowe (1953), Tropique (1955), Tang (1962), Chutney (1963), La Bamba (1964), Pinson (2005), puis une pour Édouard avec Russian Cross (2008).
- Mohammed Al Maktoum, Godolphin & Darley (6 wins): Creator (1989), Antisaar (1990), Best of the Bests (2000), Masterful (2001), Saint Baudolino (2012), Vancouvérité (2013).
- Khalid Abdullah (4 wins): Raft (1984), Kalabar (2003), New Bay (2015), Headman (2019).
- Paul de Moussac (2 wins): Gairloch (1977), Dernier Empereur (1993).
- Moufid Dabaghi (2 wins): Al Nasr (1981), Mourjane (1983).
Trainers
- André Fabre (11 wins): Al Nasr (1981), Mourjane (1983), Creator (1989), Antisaar (1990), Dernier Empereur (1993), Lassigny (1994, dead-heat), Val Royal (1999), Russian Cross (2008), Saint Baudolino (2012), Vancouverite (2013), New Bay (2015).
- Geoffroy Watson (5 wins): Marly Knowe (1953), Tropique (1955), Tang (1962), Chutney (1963), La Bamba (1964).
- Paul Cole (4 wins): Crimson Beau (1978), Broken Hearted (1987), Great Palm (1992), Montjoy (1995).
- Jean-Claude Rouget (3 wins): Pinson (2005), Literato (2007) & Almanzor (2016).
Riders
- Lanfranco Dettori (5 wins): Kabool (1998), Best of the Bests (2000), Masterful (2001), Sri Putra (2009) & Mishriff (2020).
- Jean Deforge (4 wins): Tiffauges (1961), Tang (1962), Chutney (1963) & La Bamba (1964)
and also:
- Gérald Mossé (2 wins): Double Bed (1986) & Rajpoute (1997).
- Olivier Peslier (2 wins): Val Royal (1999) & Galikova (2011).
- Christophe-Patrice Lemaire (2 wins): Multidimensional (2006) & Literato (2007).
- Maxime Guyon (2 wins): Scalo (2010) & Saint Baudolino (2012)