Jacques Le Marois History: The milers' Arc

August, Deauville

PRIX DU HARAS DE FRESNAY-LE-BUFFARD JACQUES LE MAROIS

Group 1, 3-year-olds and up, 1,600m/1m, €1,000,000

Created in 1921

Last winner: INSPIRAL (f3, GB by Frankel ex Starscope, by Selkirk), owned by Cheveley Park Stud, bred by Cheveley Park Stud, trained by John&Thady Gosden, ridden by Lanfranco Dettori.

Record-time: Moonlight Cloud (1' 33'' 40 in 2013)

The race will be run in 2023 for the 102nd time.

The 2022 edition

Sunday, August 14, 2022, Deauville-La Touques Racecourse (Calvados). – Co-favourite of the 101st Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois (Gr1), the 3-year-old filly Inspiral (Frankel) bravely held on after taking the lead about 300 yards away from the straight mile finishing line. The representative of Cheveley Park Stud, trained by John and Thady Gosden, had just finished second in the Falmouth Stakes (Gr1), her first defeat after four wins including the One Thousand Guineas (Gr1) and the Coronation Stakes (Gr1). Three runners lead the race, the Japanese raider Pathrat Leon (Kizuna), isolated on the stands' side, State of Rest (Starspangledbanner) in the centre with Light Infantry (Fast Company), then, in the middle of the course, Orderofaustralia (Australia) leading  Prosperous Voyage (Zoffany), Inspiral, the other favourite Coroebus (Dubawi), and the French champion Erevann (Dubawi).

Two furlongs out, these three leading horses could not sustain a fast pace, and the market leaders took over, Inspiral showing the way first. She bravely held on, keeping a fast finishing Light Infantry at a neck, while the French challenger Erevann also did well in the end in the centre, also beaten a neck. A brave Orderafaustralia stayed on in fourth at three lengths...

Inspiral is out of Starscope (Selkirk), second in the One Thousand Guineas and the Coronation Stakes, two races won, therefore, by her best filly, her fourth winner in as many products in training. A Siyouni yearling colt is listed at the Tattersalls October sales. The second dam is a sister to the exceptional sire and champion miler Medicean.

History

This race was first run in 1921 in memory of Count Jacques Le Marois, President of the Société des Courses de Deauville, who died in December 1920. Up until 1952, it was only open to 3-year-olds. The race was not run in 1940 and took place at Maisons-Laffitte in 1941, 1942, 1943 and 1945, and at Longchamp in 1944. The latter is the only year in which the race was not run on a straight course.

In 2001, Proudwings (trained in Germany and ridden by Christophe Soumillon) crossed the line first, only to be demoted for having hindered several opponents.

The Deauville races were founded in 1864 by the Duke of Morny and organised by an independent Group, la Société des courses de Deauville, until 1921. On the 11th of February of that year, the Group merged with the Société d'Encouragement, following the death of the Group’s former president, Jacques Le Marois.

Jacques Le Marois (1865-1920)

Jacques Le Marois (1865-1920) was an important owner-breeder*. His colours (green and red-spotted silks, red sleeves and cap) were first past the post for the first time in 1887. His first really good horse was Chaland who won the Prix de la Forêt in 1890. At the end of the following year, Le Marois acquired Lonray stud farm which was founded 30 years earlier by Armand Donon. It was at Lonray in 1905 that the great filly, Sauge Pourprée, was foaled, winner of the Omnium for 2 year-olds, the Grand Critérium, the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, the Prix du Cadran, 2nd in the Prix de Diane and the Grand Prix de Paris. Other famous Count Le Marois horses were Orange Blossom (Prix Hocquart 1904), Princesse Lointaine (Poule d'Essai des Pouliches 1905), Phœnix (Prix Juigné, Furstenberg Memorial at Baden and 3rd in the Prix du Jockey Club 1905), Rabat Joie (Prix Gladiateur 1908), Uriel (Grand Critérium 1909), Wagram II (Prix de Mallerand, Prix de Flore, 2nd in the Grand Prix de Paris 1912). Other Lonray-bred horses sold as yearlings at Deauville include Justitia (Prix Morny 1898) and Maximum 2nd in the Grand Prix de Paris and Ascot Gold Cup hero in 1903.

Count Jacques Le Marois was a race steward at Deauville between 1905 and 1911 and then appointed President of the Société des Courses upon the death of Florian de Kergorlay. He had been a board member of the Société d'Encouragement since 1907 and the Société de Sport de France since 1889, where he had also been a steward since 1902, and along with Paul de Pourtalès founded Tremblay racecourse, which opened in 1906. Before his premature death, Jacques Le Marois’ colours were again seen on the racecourse after the 2nd World War when his son Jean-Léonor won a big race at Deauville in 1966 with Le Conquérant in the Prix Morny and finished second in the Prix Murat in 1972 with a jumper called Goémon.

*Not to be confused with his cousin Paul Le Marois, who died in 1889, who founded the Pépinvast stud (see Prix de Pépinvast in jump section) in the Manche region and whose widow is still breeding horses today.

Sponsorship

Fresnay-le-Buffard stud farm decided to partner with the race in 1986. The race was chosen because it is one of the most important on the European racing scene and because of Fresnay-le-Buffard’s link with Marcel Boussac, who won the race a record ten times and whose horses were practically all bred at Fresnay-le-Buffard which the famous owner bought in 1919. Marcel Boussac also holds the record for Prix du Jockey Club wins (12 between 1922 and 1978).

In 1980, Stavros Niarchos brought all his “European” horses to Fresnay-le-Buffard, which is situated in the Orne region in the Neuvy-au-Houlme commune a few kilometres from Falaise. This heralded a programme of modernisation at the farm. The newcomer proved to be just as successful as his illustrious predecessor with the famous Niarchos colours (blue silks, Saint Andrew’s cross, light blue striped sleeves and white cap) first past the post no less than 9 times between 1987 and 2018 in the Prix Jacques Le Marois and 4 times (1993, 1998, 2002, 2018) in the Prix du Jockey Club. Also associated with the Niarchos Family is Whipper, the winner of the Prix Jacques Le Marois 2004, bred by Flaxman Holding – the trade name of numerous horses from the family – and sold to them as a foal by Robert-C. Strauss.
 

Foreign winners

The Prix Jacques Le Marois has thrown up 16 foreign winners:

• 2 from Germany - Priamos (1970), Lirung (1986) both trained by Heinz Jentzch.
• 10 from England - Lear Fan (1984), Sayyedati (1993), Dubai Millennium (1999), Muhtathir (2000), Dubawi (2005), Librettist (2006), Kingman (2014), Ribchester (2016), Palace Pier (2020 and 2021), Inspiral (2022).
• 3 from Ireland - Excelebration (2012), Alpha Centauri (2018), Romanised (2019).
• 1 from Japan - Taiki Shuttle (1998).

Fillies and mares

Fillies and mares have won 30 times, almost all of them truly exceptional animals: Zariba (1922) Prix Morny, 2nd in Prix de Diane; Pearl Cap (1931) Prix de Diane, Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe; En Fraude (1937) Prix de Diane; Hula Dancer (1963) Grand Critérium, Thousand Guineas, Moulin de Longchamp, Champion Stakes; Astaria (1965) Prix Vermeille; Lianga (1975) Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp, July Cup; Flying Water (1977) Thousand Guineas, Champion Stakes; Luth Enchantée (1983) Prix du Moulin de Longchamp; Miesque (1987, 1988) Breeders' Cup Mile twice; Sayyedati (1993) Thousand Guineas; East of the Moon (1994) Prix de Diane; Banks Hill (2002) Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf; Six Perfections (2003) Breeders' Cup Mile and Goldikova (2009) Breeders' Cup mile - three times; Moonlight Cloud (2015) Prix Maurice de Gheest three times, Prix de la Forêt; Alpha Centauri (2018), Irish One Thousand Guineas, Coronation Stakes and Falmouth Stakes winner; Inspiral (2022), One Thousand Guineas and Coronation Stakes.
 

Owners

• Marcel Boussac (10 wins) : Zariba (1922), Xander (1928), Cillas (1938), Sémiramide (1939), Priam (1944), Coaraze (1945), Djelal (1947), Golestan (1948), Arbèle (1952), Canthare (1953).
• Niarchos family (9 wins): Miesque (1987 and 1988), Hector Protector (1991), Exit to Nowhere (1992), East of the Moon (1994), Spinning World (1996 and 1997), Six Perfections (2003), Alpha Centauri (2018).
• Famille Rothschild (7 wins) : Ivain (1924), Vitamine (1927), Aromate (1935) for Édouard, La Bamba (1964), Luthier (1968), Kenmare (1978) for Guy, and Esoterique (2015) for Édouard. 
• Godolphin (5 wins): Dubai Millenium (1999), Muhtathir (2000), Dubawi (2005), Librettist (2006), Ribchester (2016).
• Daniel Wildenstein (4 wins): Lianga (1975), Gravelines (1976), Flying Water (1977), Vin de France (1985). 

Trainers

• François Boutin (7 wins) : Nonoalco (1974), Miesque (1987 and 1988), Priolo (1990), Hector Protector (1991), Exit to Nowhere (1992), East of the Moon (1994).
• André Fabre (7 wins): Polish Precedent (1989), Miss Satamixa (1995), Vahorimix (2001), Banks Hill (2002), Manduro (2007), Esoterique (2015), Al Wukair (2017).
• Charles Semblat (6 wins) : Priam (1944), Coaraze (1945), Djelal (1947), Golestan (1948), Arbèle (1952), Canthare (1953).
• John Cunnington junior (5 wins) : Klairon (1955), Nand (1961), Gris Vitesse (1969), Irish River (1979), Luth Enchantée (1983). 

Riders

• Freddy Head (6 wins) : Carabella (1967), Lyphard (1972), Northjand (1981), Miesque (1987 and 1988), Hector Protector (1991). Il a en outre gagné trois fois la course comme entraîneur avec Tamayuz (2008), Goldikova (2009), Moonlight Cloud (2013).
• Lanfranco Dettori (7 wins) : Dubai Millennium (1999), Muhtathir (2000), Librettist (2006), Al Wukair (2017), Palace Pier (2020, 2021), Inspiral (2022).
• Roger Poinceland (5 wins) : Djelal (1947), Golestan (1948), Fort Napoléon (1950), Buisson Ardent (1956), Hula Dancer (1963).
• Jean Deforge (5 wins) : Klairon (1955), Nand (1961), La Bamba (1964), Astaria (1965), Luthier (1968).
• Cash Asmussen (5 wins): Polish Precedent (1989), Exit to Nowhere (1992), East of the Moon (1994), Spinning World (1996 and 1997).