Maurice de Gheest History: The longest sprint
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The atypical distance of this inter-generational event, namely 1,300 metres (6.5 furlongs) over a straight course, exceeds the more common 6-furlong trip of the other main long sprints of the European program. This is both a small and a major difference, as sprinters' stamina deteriorates very quickly beyond 5 furlongs - much like that of athletes sprinters beyond 200 metres. It is therefore sometimes the scene, like the Prix d'Ispahan on a longer spectrum, of an unprecedented confrontation between "flyers", specialists in intermediate distances between the sprint and the mile, and the pure sprinters, who rarely exceed 6 furlongs. Either way, it's a very popular sport for the British, the European kings of sprinting, but the distance a little longer than usual allows the French to defend themselves well!
August, Deauville
LARC PRIX MAURICE DE GHEEST
Group 1, 3-year-old & up, 1,300m/6.5 furlongs, €380,000
Created in 1922
Last winner: LAZZAT g3, FRA, by Territories ex Lastochka, by Australia), owned by Nurlan Bizakov, bred by Sumbe, trained by Jérôme Reynier, ridden by Antonio Orani.
Recordtime: 1'14"3, Moonlight Cloud (2013)
The LARC Prix Maurice de Gheest will be run in 2025 for the 103rd time.
The 2024 edition
Sunday, August 4th, 2024, Deauville-La Touques Racecourse (Calvados). - The 3-year-old gelding, Lazzat (Territories), remained unbeaten in six starts, claiming his first Group 1 victory with relative ease, winning by three lengths over the 6.5 furlongs of the €380,000 ARC Prix Maurice de Gheest (Gr1). The 4-year-old filly, Exxtra (Starspangledbanner), finished second, marking the winner closely and excelling in her second top-level attempt. Beauvatier (Lope de Vega), third by less than a length, secured another Group 1 placing, following his same finish in the Haras d'Étreham Prix Jean Prat (Gr1) a month earlier and the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère (Gr1) ten months ago. The English favourite, Millstream (Gleneagles), recent winner of the July Cup (Gr1) over 6 furlongs, stumbled over the winner and faded to finish fifth.
Lazzat is entered in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (Gr1) and the Prix de la Forêt (Gr1).
Bred by his owner Nurlan Bizakov through his Sumbe breeding operation, Lazzat is the first foal out of Lastochka (Australia), who raced and won once for Nurlan Bizakov in England. The mare is a daughter of Sleepytime (Royal Academy), winner of the Coronation Stakes (Gr1). A filly by Golden Horde was born in 2023, and Lazzat's full brother was born this year.
A brother to Lazzat’s dam, Lazym (Kodiac), was sold for €30,000 at the Arqana July sale to Yvonne Vollmer. After eight starts, he remains a maiden and served as a pacemaker for Lazzat in the Prix Paul de Moussac (Gr3), his most recent victory.
History
Created in 1922, the Prix Maurice de Gheest was made a Group 1 race in 1994. Cancelled in 1940, it was staged at Maisons-Laffitte in 1941-1943 and 1945 and once at Auteuil in 1944. Until 1993, the Prix Maurice de Gheest was a handicap. Run over the straight at Deauville, it was shortened from 7 furlongs to 6 ½ furlongs in 1966.
Three horses have won the Prix Maurice de Gheest twice: filly Azyadé in 1936 and 1937; Nice Guy in 1961 and 1962; Boitron in 1979 and 1980. Two horses has won it three times, Marchand d'Or in 2006, 2007 and 2008, and Moonlight Cloud, between 2011 and 2013. The race is named after Maurice de Gheest. In 2011, the race was sponsored by Wertheimer & Frère to celebrate the 100th anniversary of their stables, which were founded in 1911 by Pierre Wertheimer, grandfather of Alain and Gérard who currently own the famous blue and white colours. Since 2013, it is sponsored by the Latioamericana Racing Channel, the organization that promotes and market the TV and betting rights of South-American Racing throughout the World.
Maurice de Gheest (1850-1920)
He was a member of the Société des courses de Deauville (where he became a steward in 1913), the Société du Demi-Sang, and the Société des Steeple-Chases de France, which he presided over from 1912 until his sudden death on 31 October 1920. He died the day after being named chevalier de la Légion d'honneur. A man "with a heart more generous than you can imagine”, Maurice de Gheest*, chairman of the Société des mines de Marres, was also a "great sportsman" – as men of his stature were often described at the start of the 20th century. His colours were aboard the winner of the Grand Prix de Deauville on three occasions. His split yellow/blue silks and blue cap gave him his first victory on 6 December 1892 at Saint-Ouen in the Prix Nestor (10,000 F) on Nicolette, a horse he purchased for 7,000 F nine days earlier, after seeing it win at Auteuil. Some may have called that beginner’s luck, but Merlin (bred at Marcadieu near Tarbes), a yearling he bought at Deauville for just 700 F, showed he owed his success to more than just luck. As a 3-year-old in 1895, some fourteen races and 193,075 F later, Merlin won the Grand Prix de Deauville and the Prix Monarque. His best horses were subsequently Liane (surprising winner of the Prix de Diane in 1896), Bohême (2nd in the Poule d'Essai the same year), Van Diemen (Grand Prix de Deauville 1897), Volnay (Prix de la Salamandre and Prix de Condé 1897), Géographie (2nd in the Prix Vermeille of 1897 and winner of the Prix du Président de la République at Auteuil in 1899), Velasquez (2nd in the Prix du Jockey Club and the Grand Prix de Paris 1899) and Kremlin (Prix des Sablons 1901). In 1894, Maurice de Gheest joined forces with the marquis de Nicolay, owner of the Montfort stud farm (in the Sarthe, on the right bank of the Huisne), where he had been breeding since 1864. Merlin’s failure to sire winners was a massive disappointment to the pair, who had been banking on him at stud, but 1904 import Rabelais (son of the classy St Simon) made up for this. His son Verdun, who they sold at Deauville, won the Poule d'Essai, the Grand Prix de Paris and the Prix du Président de la République in 1909 for Baron Maurice de Rothschild. Rabelais was three times champion sire for flat horses and once for the jumps.
*Not to be confused with his cousin Charles de Gheest, whose filly Galette won the Grand Prix de Deauville as a 4-year-old in 1893.
Maurice de Gheest and the Abbaye de Longchamp
Since 1957 (the year the Prix de l'Abbaye was founded), these two races have often been a common aim for sprinters, despite the fact that the Prix Maurice de Gheest was run over 7 furlongs, whereas the Prix de l’Abbaye is over 5 furlongs.
Only five horses have won both races though, two in the same year - Sweet Revenge in 1971 and Marchand d'or in 2008. Lianga won the Abbaye at the age of 4 in 1975, one year after triumphing in the Maurice de Gheest. In 2022, Highfield Princess won the Gheeest, then the Nunthorpe and the Flying Five, at York and the Curragh, respectively. She won the Abbaye in 2023, though. Moorestyle did it the other way around, winning the Abbaye first, at the age of 3 in 1970, before following up with the Maurice de Gheest the following year.
Fillies
Fillies have had a good deal of success in the race, winning on thirty-one occasions, most recently in the shape of May Ball (2002), Porlezza (2003) and Moonlight Cloud (2011, 2012). Victory in the Prix Maurice de Gheest has often been an important stepping stone in their careers - Zariba (1922), Midget (1957), Lianga (1974), Flying Water (1977) have all gone on to greater things, as has Seeking the Pearl (1998), who came from the Land of the Rising Sun to carry off the first Group 1 victory on European soil for a Japanese thoroughbred.
Owners
Wertheimer Family (6 wins): Sonny Boy (1933), Djanet (1956), Midget (1957), Tomahawk (1959) for Pierre, Occupandiste (1997) & Polydream (2018) for Wertheimer & Frère.
Marcel Boussac (4 wins): Zariba (1922), Grillemont (1923), Theano (1943), Windorah (1947).
Ralph B. Strassburger (3 wins): Mordicus (1927), Guam (1952), Vamarie (1954).
Théodore P. Cozzika (3 wins): Azyadé (1936, 1937) et Le Koh I Noor (1939).
Stavros Niarchos (3 wins): Boitron (1979, 1980) et Dolphin Street (1994).
Mme Jean-Louis Giral (3 wins): Marchand d’Or (2006, 2007, 2008).
George Strawbridge (3 wins): Moonlight Cloud (2011, 2012, 2013).
Entraîneurs
Freddy Head (7 wins): Marchand d’Or (2006, 2007, 2008), Moonlight Cloud (2011, 2012, 2013), Polydream (2018).
Charles Cunnington (4 wins): Ziani (1932), Azyadé (1936, 1937), Le Koh I Noor (1939).
Alec Head (3 wins): Djanet (1956), Midget (1957), Tomahawk (1959).
Vincent O'Brien (3 wins): Abergwaun (1972), Beaudelaire (1983), College Chapel (1993).
John Cunnington junior (3 wins): King of Macedon (1978), Exclusive Order (1982), Spectacular Joke (1985).
Christiane Head (3 wins): Blue Note (1988), Anabaa (1996), Occupandiste (1997).
Riders
Lester Piggott (4 wins): Mountain Call (1968), Abergwaun (1972), Moorestyle (1981), College Chapel (1993).
Gérald Mossé (4 wins): Cricket Ball (1989), Dolphin Street (1994), May Ball (2002), Garswood (2014).
Guy Garner (3 wins): Zariba (1922), Lézignan (1925), Tivoli (1929).
André Dupuit (3 wins): Azyadé (1936, 1937), Le Koh I Noor (1939).
Maurice Philipperon (3 wins): King of Macedon (1978), Exclusive Order (1982), Spectacular Joke (1985).
Pat Eddery (3 wins): Beaudelaire (1983), Lead on Time (1986), Interval (1987).
Davy Bonilla (3 wins): Marchand d’Or (2006, 2007, 2008).
Thierry Jarnet (3 wins): Moonlight Cloud (2011, 2012, 2013).