Robert Papin History: Crossroads for the juveniles

July, Chantilly

PRIX ROBERT PAPIN

Group 2, 2-year-olds, 1 200 mètres, €130,000

Created in 1892 (Omnium de 2ans)

Last winner: ARABIE (c2, GB by The Dandy Man ex Mamma Morton, by Elnadim), owned by Mohammed Al-Shahi, bred by Robert Cornelius, trained by Karl Burke, ridden by James Crowley.

Record-time: 1’03’’16 by Tis Marvellous in 2016 (1 100m at Maisons-Laffitte)

The Darley Prix Robert Papin will be run in 2025 for the 130th time

The 2024 edition

Sunday, 14 July 2024, Chantilly Racecourse (Oise). – With no French contenders, the 2024 edition of the €130,000 Prix Robert Papin (Gr2), a 2-year-old race over 6f, could just as well have taken place at York. This would have been more convenient for the North Yorkshire-trained winner Arabie (The Dandy Man), a colt who confirmed his Prix du Bois Longines (Gr3) success from 16 June on the same course and distance. Held mid-pack behind the leaders Celandine (Kingman) along the stands' rail and Convo (Kodiac) in the centre, Arabie progressed between these two and took control, holding off the fast-finishing Shadow Army (Showcasing) by nearly a length. Celandine held on for a well-deserved third.

Arabie was bought for £92,000 at the Tattersalls yearling sales by Federico Barberini. He is the 13th foal out of Mamma Morton (Elnadim), who also produced Mammas Girl (Havana Grey), winner of the Nell Gwyn Stakes (Gr3) at Newmarket, and Master of War (Compton Place), placed in Gr2 races.

His third dam, Water Lily (Riverman), born in France, won the Prix Yacowlef (L) when it was a Listed race for 2-year-old debutants. She also placed in the Prix des Réservoirs (Gr3) and the Prix Thomas Bryon (Gr3). Bred by Robert McAlpine, Water Lily's progeny later raced under the ownership of Nelson Bunker Hunt and then Shadwell Stud, with her best offspring, Elshamms (Zafonic), placing in Gr3 races at Goodwood over 7f at 2 before finishing 5th in the French Guineas (Gr1).

History

The “Papin” was first run in 1892 at Maisons-Laffitte as the “Omnium de Deux Ans” before the name changed in 1928 in homage to the former Société Sportive d'Encouragement president. 2013 will mark the 118^th running of the race. Due to the war effort, no race was staged between 1915 and 1918. In 1940 the race was run on 26 October over 7 furlongs at Auteuil – though so late in the season it obviously didn’t attract any precocious 2 year-olds. The race was moved from Maisons-Laffitte on 2 other occasions: to Longchamp in 1944 (over 5 furlongs) and to Evry in 1977. The distance was increased to 6 furlongs between 1903 and 1906, between 1929 and 1941 and between 1946 and 1962. The fastest ever “Papin” was, 1' 03'' 20/100 in 2007 (Natagora). Vific went even faster in 1977 with a time of 1' 03'' 50/100 when the race was run at Evry. A record 21 horses went to post in 1904 and 1906 and 19 in 1897 and 1964. Since 1988, no more than 9 horses have gone to post. The Prix Robert Papin qualified as a Group I race in 1971 when pattern-races were introduced in France before being demoted to Group 2 in 1988.

From its first running in 1906, the Omnium de Deux Ans was always staged on the first Sunday in August. The field was usually a large one because at the time no two-year-old race could be run before 1 August. From 1907, however, two-year-olds could race as of the last week in June. This meant the field for the Omnium de Deux ans was smaller, having shed those runners who didn’t fulfil their potential early in the season. With prize-money of 50,000 F in 1911, it was the richest two-year-old race in France until 1914, the Prix Morny and the Grand Critérium only paying out 40,000 F to the winner.

Up until 1901, no Omnium de Deux Ans winner had ever gone on to win a Classic. Amongst the non-successful runners were: Roitelet 2^nd in 1894 (Prix Hocquart, 3rd in Prix du Jockey Club), Holocauste unplaced in 1898 (Prix Lupin) and Jacobite unplaced in 1900 (Grand Prix de Deauville, Prix Royal Oak). In 1901, however, the winner, Ophelia went on to win the Prix Vermeille, while Fer, unplaced, later triumphed in the Prix Royal Oak. Finasseur, who won nothing in 1904 as a 2-year-old, would do a Jockey-Club-Grand Prix de Paris-Prix du Président de la République triple as a 3-year-old. The 1905 winner, Prestige, would go on to record an incredible 16 wins – he was never beaten! Sauge Pourprée (1907) and Lord Burgoyne (1910) both went on to win the Poule d'Essai. Four classic winners in the making dominated the period between the wars: Château Bouscaut (1929), Pearl Cap (1930), Brantôme (1933) and Mistress Ford (1935), while Ardan (1943), Coronation (1948) and Auriban (1951) also later won a Classic. But since then no “Papin” winner has ever achieved anything over 10 furlongs. It has become a race for sprinters and early developers. Famous winners over the last 50 years include Cordova (1953), Taboun (1958), Sly Pola (1959), Kashmir II (1965), Zeddaan (1967), Amber Rama (1969), My Swallow (1970), Lianga (1973), Vitiges (1975), Blushing Groom (1976), Ma Biche (1982), Masarika (1983), Baiser Volé (1985), Balbonella (1986), Danseuse du Soir (1990), Arazi (1991) and Zipping (2001). There have been two notable exceptions: in 2004, with the victory of Divine Proportions who, at the age of 3, victoriously covered the 1 mile 2 ¼ furlongs of the Prix de Diane at Chantilly; and in 2007, courtesy of the victory in record time by Natagora who, at 3 years old, then lifted the One Thousand Guineas at Newmarket, and came third in the Prix du Jockey Club (10 ½ furlongs).

In 2019, the race had to be moved to Deauville because the straight course of Maisons-Laffitte was water-logged. The following year, it took place at Chantilly, and extended to 6 furlongs since Maisons-Laffitte was closed permanently.

Robert Papin (1848-1926)

Robert Papin (1848-1926) wrote for various horse magazines from 1870 onwards, using the nom de plume Robert de Lizy, a name he maintained when he became a racehorse owner (light blue silks and cap). In 1887, He was one of the three founding members of the Société Sportive d'Encouragement with Alfred de Rollepot and Eugène Adam. The latter would become the president and Robert Papin his right hand man. He became president himself on Eugène Adam’s death in 1904, a position he held until his own death in November 1926. Papin steered the Société Sportive on a course of expansion during the first 3 decades of the 20th century.

Fillies

58 fillies and 71 colts and geldings won the race.

Foreign legion

The first foreign winner came from Britain with Double Jump, trained by Jeremy Tree in 1964. In 1968, two British fillies, Folle Rousse and Hopiana, prevailed. In 1970, a great duel between two great visitors My Swallow and Mill Reef, the former beating his rival by a short head, although Mill Reef went on to become one of the best thoroughbreds ever to run in Britain and France. Another British 1-2 the next year when Sun Prince beat Deep Diver. After a long drought, Ozone Friendly (1989) resumed the British order, that was about to set in in 1994. Since then, the French won 9 times (Zipping in 2001, Much Faster in 2003, Six Perfections in 2004, New Girlfriend in 2005, Natagora in 2007, Special Duty in 2009, Family One in 2011, Vorda in 2013) while 14 raiders from England (General Monash in 1994, Lucky Lionel in 1995, Ocean Ridge in 1996, Greenlander in 1997, Black Amber in 1998, Never A Doubt in 2002, Reckless Abandon in 2012, Kool Kompany in 2014, Gutaifan in 2015, Tis Marvellous in 2016, Unfortunately in 2017, Signora Cabello in 2018, A'Ali in 2019, Ventura Tormenta in 2020, one from Ireland (Rossini in 1999), two from Italy (Rolly Polly in 2000 & Lui Rei in 2008), one from Germany (Boccassini in 2006) and one from Spain (Irish Field en 2010) took home the Papin.

Owners

• Marcel Boussac (8 wins): Ardan (1943), Nirgal (1945), Coronation (1948), Emperor (1949), Pharsale (1950), Auriban (1951), Pharel (1952), Cordova (1953).
• Edmond Blanc (6 wins): Commandeur (1892), Cazabat (1897), Fils du Vent (1908), Marsa (1909), Lord Burgoyne (1910), Mousse de Mer (1913) ;
• Edouard de Rothschild (6 wins): Le Gros Morne (1923), Coque de Noix (1932), Brantôme (1933), Stratosphère (1934), Minaudière (1936), Bulle de Savon (1938).

Trainers

• Charles Semblat (9 wins): Ardan (1943), Nirgal (1945), Coronation (1948), Emperor (1949), Pharsale (1950), Auriban (1951), Pharel (1952), Cordova (1953), Fière (1955).
• Lucien Robert (6 wins): Château Bouscaut (1929), Coque de Noix (1932), Brantôme (1933), Stratosphère (1934), Minaudière (1936), Bulle de Savon (1938).
• Christiane Head (6 wins): Ma Biche (1982), Baiser Volé (1985), Balawaki (1987), Didyme (1992), Psychobabble (1993), Special Duty (2009).
• Robert Denman (5 wins): Fils du Vent (1908), Marsa (1909), Lord Burgoyne (1910), Mousse de Mer (1913), Guerrière II (1920).

Riders

• Roger Poincelet (7 wins): Chesterfield (1946), Coronation (1948), Emperor (1949), Fière (1955), Neptune II (1957), Sly Pola (1959), High Bulk (1960).
• Charles Bouillon (6 wins): Coque de Noix (1932), Brantôme (1933), Stratosphère (1934), Minaudière (1936), Bulle de Savon (1938), Ardan (1943).
• George Stern (5 wins): Fils du Vent (1908), Marsa (1909), Lord Burgoyne (1910), Mousse de Mer (1913), Deauville (1925).
• Yves Saint-Martin (5 wins): Zeddaan (1967), Amber Rama (1969), Lianga (1973), Masarika (1983), Balbonella (1986).
• Gérald Mossé (3 wins): Arazi (1991), Didyme (1992), Reckless Abdanon (2012).
• Lanfranco Dettori (3 wins): Gutaifan (2015), Signora Cabello (2018), A'Ali (2019).
• Christophe Soumillon (3 wins): New Girlfriend (2005), irish Field (2010), Ventura Tormenta (2020).