Royallieu History: A new crown for staying queens
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October, ParisLongchamp
QATAR PRIX DE ROYALLIEU
Group 1 - Fillies & Mares 3-year-old and up - 2,800m/1m6f - €300,000
Created in 1897
Last winner: Grateful (f3, IRE by Galileo ex Tepin (Bernstein), owned by Magnier/Tabor/Smith/Westerberg, bred by Tepin Syndicate, trained by Aidan O'Brien, ridden by Christophe Soumillon.
Record time: The race was run for the first time over 2,800m in 2019. Sea Silk Road won in 2'57''1 in 2023.
The race will be run in 2025 for the 102nd time.
The 2024 edition
ParisLongchamp, France – October 5, 2024 – The €300,000 Qatar Prix de Royallieu (Gr1), a Group 1 contest for fillies and mares aged three and up run over 1m6f provided a thrilling finish at ParisLongchamp on Saturday. Several contenders launched bids from the back of the pack in this selective race featuring a sixteen-field.
Among them was the English raider River of Stars (Sea the Stars), who raced prominently throughout. She appeared poised to take command in the stretch, but the Irish outsider Grateful (Galileo) unleashed a mighty late surge to win by nearly a length. The valiant River of Stars held on for a second, a half-length in front of Mistral Star (Frankel), who enjoyed a ground-saving trip. Thunder Roll (Night of Thunder), who had tracked the early leaders, finished fourth, just a neck behind Mistral Star.
This marked the fourth victory on the card for trainer Aidan O’Brien. Grateful, who recently finished third in the Park Hill Stakes (Gr2) at Doncaster, is out of the American champion mare Tepin (Bernstein), winner of the Breeders’ Cup Mile (Gr1) among other prestigious races. She was sold for $8m at fasig-Tipton in 2017, in foal to Curlin. Grateful’s 2-year-old brother by Dubawi, Delacroix, was recently second in Ireland's Champions Juvenile Stakes (Gr2).
History
Royallieu refers to a forest close to Compiègne, where the stables of Frédéric de Lagrange were located in the second half of the 19th Century. A longstanding element of Longchamp’s autumn programme, the Prix de Royallieu was originally open to all horses aged 3 and over and contested in late October over 1 mile 7 furlongs. From 1922, the race’s distance was cut and it was restricted to 3-year-old fillies until 1965 when their elders were also admitted. Its place in the calendar remained unchanged, however. The distance has also been fairly constant: 1 mile 5 furlongs from 1922 to 1938, 1 mile 4 ½ furlongs in 1941 and 1942 (when the race was switched to Tremblay); back to 1 mile 5 furlongs from 1943 to 1971; and lastly, 1 mile 4 ½ furlongs again since 1972, with the exception of 2016 and 2017, when it was run at Chantilly over 1m4f during Longchamp renovation works. In 2019, however, the race was promoted to Group 1 status and extended to 1m6f to support the breed of stayers in Europe.
Foreign winners
15 British and Irish victories since 1983, including the last 7 editions
Owners
- Aga Khan (10 wins): Rowena (1954) & Tehmany (1957) for Aly Khan, then Euliya (1984), Sharaniya (1986), Dalara (1994), Mouramara (2000), Daryakana (2009), Dalkala (2012), Ebiyza (2013) & Candarliya (2015) for Aga Khan IV.
- Mohammed Al Maktoum & Godolphin (5 wins): High Hawk (1983), Russian Snows (1995) & Annaba (1996), then Tulipa (1997) & Fairy Queen (1999) for Godolphin.
- Evremond de Saint-Alary (4 wins): Samée (1934), Miraflore (1936), Kiss Curl (1937) & Queen (1938).
- François Dupré (3 wins): Apostille (1947), Polaire (1950) & Monique (1963).
- Suzy Volterra (3 wins) : Lovely Princess (1952), Bobette (1961) & Cassette (1965).
Trainers
- Alain de Royer-Dupré (8 wins): Euliya (1984), Sharaniya (1986), Dalara (1994), Daryakana (2009), Maria Royal (2010), Dalkala (2012), Ebiyza (2013) & Candarliya (2015).
- Frank Carter (5 wins): Pomaré (1923), Tetratela (1924), Frisette (1925), Samée (1934) & Kiss Curl (1937).
- François Mathet (5 wins): Apostille (1947), Polaire (1950), Bobette (1961), Monique (1963) & Trillion (1977).
- André Fabre (4 wins): Dance Routine (2002), Moon Search (2003), Oiseau Rare (2005) & Balladeuse (2008).
Riders
- Gérald Mossé (6 wins): Saganeca (1991), Dalara (1994), Mouramara (2000), Daryakana (2009), Maria Royal (2010) & Frine (2014).
- Lanfranco Dettori (6 wins): Annaba (1996), Tulipa (1997), Moon Queen (2001), Anna Pavlova (2007), Anapurna (2019), Loving Dream (2021).
- Charles Semblat (5 wins): Tetratela (1924), Frisette (1925), Samée (1934), Miraflore (1936), Queen (1938)
- Yves Saint-Martin (5 wins): Bobette (1961), Monique (1963), Amazer (1978), Euliya (1984), Sharaniya (1986)
- Christophe Soumillon (4 wins): Dance Routine (2002), Moon Search (2003), Oiseau Rare (2005) & Candarliya (2015).