Pomone History: A Vermeille at Deauville

August, Deauville

PRIX DE POMONE

Group 2, 3-year-old and up, 2,500m/12.5f, €130,000

Created in 1920

Last winner: AVENTURE (f3, (IRE) by Sea the Stars & Balladeuse, by Singspiel), owned by Wertheimer&Frère, bred by Wertheimer&Frère, trained by Christophe Ferland, ridden by Stéphane Pasquier.

Racord-time: 2’38’’9, Lune d’Or (2004).

The race will be run in 2025 for the 104th time

The 2024 edition
 

Deauville, Saturday, August 17th, 2024 – The €130,000 Prix de Pomone (Gr2), an extended mile-and-a-half fillies and mares contest, was all but given to the heavily favoured Aventure (Sea the Stars), two months after her fourth-place finish in the Prix de Diane Longines (French Oaks, Gr1). Indeed, the Wertheimer & Frère homebred lived up to expectations, but the outcome remained uncertain until the very end. The suspense intensified as she moved from the rear, sweeping past a cluster of rivals in the centre of the track to take command. The Irish filly Trevaunance (Muhaarar), winner of the Prix de Psyché (Gr3) and Prix de la Nonette (Gr2) in the summer of 2022, sustained her challenge after racing alongside the pacesetter Angel Guidance (Mastercraftsman) and was narrowly denied, finishing a short neck behind Aventure, with a short head back to the consistently well-placed One Evening (Galileo). However, the fourth-placed Iznik (Zarak) couldn't quite maintain her momentum after making an early move in the straight and finished fourth, a length and a half adrift.

Aventure made a winning debut in the Prix de Toutevoie at Chantilly in September, defeating Siyandra (Medaglia d'Oro). She subsequently placed second in the Prix des Réservoirs (Gr3) and the Prix de la Seine (L) on her seasonal reappearance this year. She then secured her first Group victory impressively over 1 1/2 miles in the Prix de Royaumont (Gr3) before being brought back in trip for the "Diane." She currently holds an entry in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Aventure is the tenth foal out of the talented mare Balladeuse (Singspiel), winner of the Prix de Royallieu (Gr2) and dam of the Classic winner Left Hand (Dubawi), who triumphed in the Prix Vermeille (Gr1) after finishing second in the Prix de Diane (Gr1).

The winner's sister Nohand (Dansili), also a full sister to Romancière, was sold for €500,000, in foal to Camelot, at the Arqana 2022 Breeding sales, where Stroud Coleman Bloodstock secured her.

Balladeuse is out of the exceptional mare Featherquest (Rainbow Quest), dam of notable performers, including Plumania (Anabaa).

Aventure has a 2-year-old full brother in training with André Fabre and a yearling sister by Night of Thunder named Maine.

History
 

Racing bodies have often named their events after Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit trees, gardens, and orchards.

Like the other races at the Deauville meeting, the Prix de Pomone was billed as an "international" event on its creation in 1920. The aim was to encourage the participation of British competitors, whose owners were greatly taken with the Normandy spa town where they appreciated the races, the casino and the hotels on offer. It is worth remembering that, up until 1946, French races were partly reserved for horses “born and bred in France". This protectionism would only loosen its grip gradually, with a 20% proportion of foreign horses being permitted in 1914, 30% in 1920 and 60% in 1939, before all such restrictions were lifted in 1947.

As the Prix d'Astarté created nine years later, the Prix de Pomone was designed as a way for fillies to avoid facing their male counterparts in the Grand Prix de Deauville. But in this case, it was an event run not over a mile like the Astarté (now Rothschild) but a mile 4 ½ furlongs, a distance close to that currently used in the aforementioned Grand Prix.

The distance of the Prix de Pomone has not varied a great deal. 1 mile 4 furlongs from its origin until 1962, it was raised to 1 mile 5 furlongs from 1963 to 1972, then to 1 mile 5 ½ furlongs from 1973 to 2003. In 2004, it was reduced to 1 mile 4 ½ furlongs. Like the Prix d'Astarté, the Prix de Pomone is strongly linked to Deauville Racecourse, which it left only during the Second World War, having been cancelled in 1940 and 1944 and switched to Maisons-Laffitte in 1941, 1942, 1943 and 1945.

When pattern races were originally created in 1971, the Prix de Pomone was classified as Group 3. It was promoted to Group 2 status in 1983.

Only three fillies have managed two wins in the Prix de Pomone: Zalataia (1982, 1983), Bright Moon (1993, 1994) and La Pomme d’Amour (2012, 2013), all trained by André Fabre.

The 104 Prix de Pomone winners (there has been one dead heat) are divided age-wise as follows: sixty-two 3-year-olds, thirty-five 4-year-olds, and seven 5-year-olds.

Foreign winners
 

The colours of Queen Elizabeth of England were victorious in 2000 with Interlude, trained by Michael Stoute. Interlude is one of 8 foreign-trained fillies to have triumphed in the Prix de Pomone over the last 30 years. Three others have come from England: Patricia (1991, trained by Henry Cecil), Whitewater Affair (1997, trained by Michael Stoute), Leggera (1998, trained by John Dunlop) and Sea La Rosa (2022, William Haggas), while the sixth and the seventh, Abitara (2001) and Star Lahib (2014), were both trained by Andreas Wöhler in Germany.

Owners
 

• Guy de Rothschild (6 wins): Agace (1955), Louvette (1958), Marella (1960), Isoline (1965), Skelda (1971), Lady Berry (1973).
• Marcel Boussac (4 wins): Bellecour (1928), Pallas (1941), Damaka (1953), Caralina (1954).
• Maurice Hennessy (4 wins): Phydilé (1948), Arentelle (1951), La Mirambule (1952), La Malaguena (1957).
• Famille Wildenstein (4 wins): Bright Moon (1993, 1994) for Daniel, Vallée Enchantée (2003), Peinture Rare (2010) for Wildenstein Family.
• Mohammed Al Maktoum & Godolphin (4 wins): Colorado Dancer (1989), Whitehaven (1990), Helen of Spain (1996), Kitesurf (2018).
• Edouard de Rothschild (3 wins): Honeysuckle (1922), La Mie au Gué (1929), Marylebone (1930).

Trainers
 

• André Fabre (14 wins): Zalataia (1982, 1983), Galla Placidia (1985), Colorado Dancer (1989), Whitehaven (1990), Bright Moon (1993, 1994), Helen of Spain (1996), Bernimixa (2002), Diamond Tango (2005), Macleya (2007), La Pomme d’Amour (2012, 2013), Kitesurf (2018).
• Geoffroy Watson (6 wins): Agace (1955), Louvette (1958), Marella (1960), Isoline (1965), Skelda (1971), Lady Berry (1973).
• William Head (5 wins): Phydilé (1948), Blue Kiss (1950), Arentelle (1951), La Mirambule (1952), La Malaguena (1957).
• John Cunnington Sr. (3 wins): Miquette (1926), Miss Trolla (1949), Psychose (1962).
• François Boutin (3 wins): Sweet Rhapsody (1976, dead-heat), April Run (1981), Light the Lights (1988).

Riders
 

• Freddy Head (6 wins): Moquerie (1976, dead-heat), Gold River (1980), Zalataia (1982, 1983), Marie de Litz (1984), Light the Lights (1988).
• Thierry Jarnet (6 wins): Bright Moon (1993, 1994), Helen of Spain (1996), Interlude (2000), Abitara (2001), Lune d’Or (2004).
• Christophe Soumillon (4 wins): Diamond Tango (2005), Sarah Lynx (2011), Baino Hope (2015), Ebaiyra (2020).
• Walter Sibbritt (3 wins): Bellecour (1928), Queen of Scots (1933), Queen (1938).
• Fernand Rochetti (3 wins): Phydilé (1948), Miss Trolla (1949), Blue Kiss (1950),
• Yves Saint-Martin (3 wins): Frisca (1964), Bergame (1966), Proud Event (1977).