Miesque History: A tribute to a great mare
Photo scoopdyga.com
October/November, Chantilly
Prix Miesque
Group 3, 2-year-old fillies, 1,400m/7f, €56,000
Created in 2001
Last winner: Lullaby Moon (f2, GB by Belardo ex Bold Bidder, by Indesatchel), owned by Amo Racing Ltd & C. Obank, bred by Bearstone Stud Ltd, trained by Ralph Beckett, ridden by Richard Kingscote.
Record-time: 1’24’’9 at Maisons-Laffitte, by Magic America (2006).
The race is run in 2021 for the 21st time
The 2020 edition
Saturday, October 31, 2020, Chantilly. - English raider Lullaby Moon (Belardo) started as the favourite of the Prix Miesque (Gr3), but she was kept long enough boxed in before finally succeeding Dream and Do, winner since of the French One Thousand Guineas. The race was run at Chantilly for the first time.
The Ralph Beckett-trained filly got off to a good start but was picked up and relayed several times afterwards. Going into the home stretch on this 7-furlong round trip, she was stuck with a struggling rearguard. Her rider, however, waited and finally was able to pass between the rail and one of the front runners, Asterella (Olympic Glory). The latter finished second two lengths behind Lullaby Moon, a neck a head of Kennella (Kendargent), who finished well, with Cœursamba (The Wow Signal) and a pleasing Miss Louna (Goken) to complete the top 5.
Lullaby Moon was bought for £ 16,000 at the Newmarket sales. It was her sixth race. She had just reached her best rating by courageously winning a Listed of 21 runners over 6 furlongs at Redcar. Her weanling brother by Washington DC is in the Tattersalls November sales. Her 3-year-old brother by Raven’s Pass just won his second race, on the Kempton Park all-weather track.
History
Only founded in 2001, this event is dedicated to the legendary mare Miesque, who built her international reputation both on the tracks and in the stud farm. Open to 2-year-old fillies, the Prix Miesque was run at Maisons-Laffitte on the straight course since its creation until 2019. It has been moved to Chantilly in 2020, on the round course, the year Dream and Do became the first Prix Miesque winner to score in the French 1,000 Guineas.
Miesque
A bay filly sired by Nureyev and foaled by Pasadoble (Prove Out) on 14 March 1984 in the United States, Miesque was bred by Flaxman Holdings Ltd and raced under the colours of Stavros Niarchos, her trainer being François Boutin. Her list of honours includes twelve victories (including ten Group Is) in sixteen outings between the ages of 2 and 4, all with the same rider, Freddy Head. As a 2-year-old, she triumphed in the Prix de la Salamandre and Marcel Boussac; at 3, the Thousand Guineas, Poule d’Essai, Jacques Le Marois, Moulin de Longchamp and Breeders’ Cup Mile; at 4, the Ispahan and, for the second time, the Jacques Le Marois and Breeders’ Cup Mile. She failed to win on just four occasions: aged 2, she came 3rd in the Prix Morny; at 3, she finished 2nd in the Prix de Diane and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes; at 4, she was 2nd in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp. Suffice to say, she was an uncommon champion.
At stud, Miesque lived up to the lofty reputation she had acquired on the tracks. She is the mother of 6 winners, including Kingmambo (1990, Poule d’Essai des Poulains, Moulin de Longchamp and sire of champions like Divine Proportions, El Condor Pasa, Bluemamba, Lemon Drop Kid and Russian Rhythm), East of The Moon (1991, Poule d’Essai des Pouliches, Diane, Jacques Le Marois), Miesque’s Son (1992, Prix de Ris-Orangis, 2nd in Prix Maurice de Gheest and Prix de la Forêt, sire of Whipper, a winner of 3 Group I races) and Mingun (2000, Meld Stakes). What’s more, her daughter Monevassia (1994), who was only ever placed, is the dam of the best 2-year-old European filly of 2005, Rumplestiltskin, winner of the Moyglare Stud Stakes in Ireland and the Prix Marcel Boussac in France.
Owners
- Jean-Claude Seroul is the only dual winner of the race, in 2010 with Izalia, then 2014 with Ameenah.
Trainers
- Christiane Head (3 wins): Dalna (2003), Quiet Royal (2005), Magic America (2006).
- David Smaga (3 wins): Modern Look (2007), Stefer (2008), Lixirova (2009).
- Frédéric Rossi (3 wins): Izalia (2010), Ameenah (2014).
- Robert Collet (2 wins): Contemporary (2001) et Topoka (2011).
- Jean-Claude Rouget (2 wins): Lacarolina (2013), Aboulie (2015).
- Pascal Bary (2 wins): Stella Blue (2004), Sweety Dream (2017).
Riders
- Christophe Soumillon (4 wins): Contemporary (2001), Topoka (2011), Lacarolina (2013), Aboulie (2015).
- Olivier Peslier (3 wins): Dalna (2003), Quiet Royal (2005), Aquatinta (2012).
- Franck Blondel (2 wins): Izalia (2010), Ameenah (2014).
- Grégory Benoist (2 wins): Lixirova (2009), Sweety Dream (2017).