Vermeille History: The Ladies Arc

September, ParisLongchamp

QATAR PRIX VERMEILLE

Group 1 - Fillies & Mares aged 3 and up, 2,400m/1m4f, €600,000

Created in 1897

Last winner: BLUESTOCKING (F4, GB by Camelot ex Emulous (Dansili), owned by Juddmonte, bred by Juddmonte Farms, trained by Ralph Beckett, ridden by Rossa Ryan.

Record-time: 2’26’’, Pearly Shells (2002)

The race is run in 2025 for the 122nd time.

The 2024 edition

Sunday, September 15, 2024, ParisLongchamp Racecourse (Paris). - The English filly Bluestocking (Camelot) started as the favourite for the €600,000 Qatar Prix Vermeille (Gr1), the autumn championship for fillies and mares which, given the calendar, is also the best stepping stone for them en route to the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, also run over 1m4f. The representative of Juddmonte Farms, the breeding operation of the late Khalid Abdullah, had just finished 4th in the International Stakes (Gr1) at York, over an extended 10f trip, behind three 3-year-old colts, after taking 2nd place in the King George (Gr1) at Ascot. A maiden in 2023 while finishing on the podium several times in very high-level races, such as the Irish Oaks (Gr1), where she finished 2nd, Bluestocking has blossomed this season and fully deserved this second Group 1, almost three months after her first, in Ireland in the Pretty Polly Stakes (Gr1).

In a homogeneous field of twelve runners, the charge of Ralph Beckett, whose stable is located in Hampshire, was ridden in a rather positive manner from her draw in stall 9, in the slipstream of the pacesetter Halfday (Lope de Vega), who went to the front to serve the cause of the other two representatives of Wertheimer & Frère, Aventure (Sea the Stars) and Mosaïque (Dubawi). She herself was showing the way to Aventure, precisely, and Emily Upjohn (Sea the Stars), one of her usual opponents across the Channel. The winner of the Prix de Diane Longines (Gr1) Sparkling Plenty (Kingman) was galloping at the rear with her wide draw in stall 12.

At the entrance to the straight, Halfday moved aside to let Bluestocking through, still marked by Aventure, then on a 3rd line to allow the latter to find her day, while Emily Upjohn had to go around this leading group. Until the end, Aventure continued to attack Bluestocking but the latter remained inflexible. She won by almost a length with a good finish from Emily Upjohn who took 3rd place, half a length behind Aventure. Sparkling Plenty finished well from too far behind.

Bluestocking is out of the Matron Stakes (Gr1) winner Emulous (Dansili).

An older sister of Bluestocking, the 8-year-old War and Peace (Frankel), was sold last December for £190,000 at Tattersalls, in foal to Pinatubo, to Henry Lascelles. Her daughter by Too Darn Hot, the 2-year-old Cathedral, reached €800,000 at the Arqana breeze-ups last May.

History

Created in 1897, its conditions were the subject of a major innovation in 2004 when it was opened to 4-year-old mares and extended to females of all ages from 2006.

Due to war, the Prix Vermeille was not run from 1914 to 1918 or in 1939 and 1940. In 1943 and 1944, it was run at Tremblay. Up until 1954, an overweight was imposed upon winners of certain races.

In 2004, the Prix Vermeille became an intergenerational race permitting fillies to compete over the Classic distance (a mile and a half) at the highest level (Group I), the only other comparable French event, the Prix de l'Opéra (run three weeks later), being run over the much shorter distance of 1 mile 2 furlongs.

Vermeille, a chestnut female, was born in 1853 at Jules Verry’s stables in Bouze near Beaune in the Côte d'Or. Daughter of The Baron and Fair Helen, she was initially given the name of Merveille. After being renamed Vermeille, she wore the colours of Comte Fernand de Montguyon in the Prix du Jockey Club but finished well down the field. She had to content herself with three modest victories in the provinces: two at Châlons-sur-Marne and another in the Grand Prix de la Ville at Boulogne-sur-Mer, but after being bought for breeding purposes by Henri Delamarre, she later proved to be a remarkable broodmare, first foaling Vermout (Grand Prix de Paris 1864) and Vertugadin (Grand Prix de Baden-Baden 1865), and then later becoming the grandmother of Versigny (Prix de Diane 1880), Verte Bonne (Prix de Diane 1883), Vernet (Grand Critérium 1882), Excuse (Prix du Cadran 1895) and Van Diemen (Grand Prix de Deauville 1897). It is the name of this “pearl” of the Bois Roussel stud farm which was given to this race that, for a long time, allowed the finest 3-year-old fillies to compete in the autumn over the Classic mile and a half distance, some 1 ½ furlongs longer than that of the Prix de Diane.

Sponsorship

The Prix Vermeille’s first commercial partner was the Escada fashion house in 1991. After this 3-year partnership, there was a gap from 1994 to 1999. From 2000 to 2008, the Prix Vermeille benefited from a partnership with the Barrière group. Since 2008, the race has been sponsored, like the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, by the state of Qatar through its equestrian and racing organisation.

The Prix de Diane - Prix Vermeille double

Twenty-seven fillies have managed to win both races: Semendria (1900), La Camargo (1901), Profane (1904), Médéah (1908), Moïa (1913), Quoi ? (1923), Dorina (1926), Commanderie (1930), Pearl Cap (1931), Mistress Ford (1936), Vigilance (1942), Nikellora (1945), Pirette (1946), Corteira (1948), Bagheera (1949), Roselière (1968), Pistol Packer (1971), Allez France (1973), Mrs Penny (1980), Northern Trick (1984), Jolypha (1992), Carling (1995), Daryaba (1999), Aquarelliste (2001), Zarkava (2008), Stacelita (2009) and Trève (2013).

Two fillies who did not contest the Prix de Diane but instead won the Oaks at Epsom also scored in the Prix Vermeille: Bella Paola (1958) and Monade (1962).

14 fillies have finished second in the Prix de Diane and then made up for it by winning the Prix Vermeille: Isola Bella (1924), Merry Girl (1928), Longthanh (1941), La Belle du Canet (1944), La Mirambule (1952), Astaria (1964), Saraca (1969), Highest Hopes (1970), Three Troikas (1979), Magic Night (1991), Volvoreta (2000), Mrs Lindsay (2007), Galikova (2011), Left hand (2016).

The "Triple Crown" for fillies

For a filly, this amounts to the successive exploits of winning the Poule d'Essai (1 mile) in May, the Prix de Diane (1 mile 2 ½ furlongs) in June and the Prix Vermeille (a mile and a half) in September. Only six fillies have pulled it off: Semendria (1900), La Camargo (1901), Pearl Cap (1931), Corteira (1948), Allez France (1973) and Zarkava (2008).

The Prix Vermeille and the Arc de Triomphe

Eight winners of the Prix Vermeille have won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Five in the same year: Pearl Cap (1931), Nikellora (1945), San San (1972), Three Troikas (1979), Zarkava (2008) and Trève (2013, also winner of the 2014 Arc).

Three at the age of 4: Allez France (1974), All Along (1983) and Bluestocking (2024). In 2012, Solemia, the future winner of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, only finished third in the Prix Vermeille.

Overseas visitors

14 foreign winners. it was only in the mid-1960s that the Prix Vermeille started to attract foreign runners.

The first victorious visitor was Aunt Edith in 1965, trained by Noel Murless and ridden by Lester Piggott.

Five years later, Highest Hopes – who had been forced to concede defeat to Ireland’s Sweet Mimosa in the Prix de Diane – found compensation in fine style at Longchamp. She was trained by Major William Hern.

1980 brought a third British victory courtesy of Mrs Penny (trained by Ian Balding), who confirmed her success at Chantilly.

In 1987, the natives were overrun by the visitors, led by Bint Pasha, from Paul Cole’s stable.

In 1990, victory was snatched by the champion Salsabil (Thousand Guineas, Oaks, Irish Derby), trained by John Dunlop.

There was a sixth foreign success in 1996 with My Emma (trained by Rae Guest), while 1998 saw another victory for a visitor, this time one of John Dunlop’s charges, Leggera, who outstripped her compatriot Cloud Castle.

An eighth overseas triumph came in 2003 with Mezzo Soprano (trained by Saeed Bin Suroor), who won by a head from the Irish filly Yesterday.

The 9th foreign win came in in 2010 as the 4-year-old Midday, trained by Henry Cecil, came in ahead of her contemporary Plumania (who also finished 2nd in 2009) and Sarafina, the Prix de Diane champion.

Trained in England by John Gosden, Star Catcher won in 2019 after taking the Irish Oaks, followed by the Irish Tarnawa, winner in 2020 for Dermot Weld, Teona (2021) for Roger Varian, Warm Heart (2023) for Aidan O'Brien and Bluestocking (2024) for Ralph Beckett.

Sires

English sire Dubawi was represented by the first three home in 2017 as Bateel beat Journey and Left Hand, who'd won one year earlier, and also by the 2018 Vermeille winner, Kitesurf ...

Owners

• Marcel Boussac (7 wins): Durban (1921), Merry Girl (1928), La Circé (1933), Corteira (1948), Janiari (1956), Arbencia (1957) & Astola (1961, dead-heat).
• Aga Khan IV (7 wins): Sharaya (1983), Darara (1986), Daryaba (1999), Shawanda (2005), Zarkava (2008), Shareta (2012), Tarnawa (2020). 
• Daniel Wildenstein (5 wins): Allez France (1973), Paulista (1974), All Along (1982), Walensee (1985) & Aquarelliste (2001).
• Rothschild family (5 wins): Stearine (1919), Tonnelle (1937), Haltilala (1966), Paysanne (1972, dead-heat) & Indian Rose (1988).
• Wertheimer family (4 wins): Ivanjica (1975), Dancing Maid (1978), Galikova (2011), Left Hand (2016).

Trainers

• Alain de Royer-Dupré (7 wins): Sharaya (1983), Darara (1986), Daryaba (1999), Shawanda (2005), Mandesha (2006), Zarkava (2008) & Shareta (2012). 
• Frank Carter (5 wins): Dorina (1926), Samphire (1927), Calandria (1929), Pearl Cap (1931) & Mistress Ford (1936).
• François Mathet (4 wins): Bella Paola (1958), Golden Girl (1963), Casaque Grise (1967) & Saraca (1969).
• André Fabre (4 wins): Jolypha (1992), Intrepidity (1993), Baltic Baroness (2014), Kitesurf (2018).
• Alec Head (3 wins): Pistol Packer (1971), Ivanjica (1975) & Dancing Maid (1978).
• François Boutin (3 wins): Lagunette (1976), April Run (1981) & Northern Trick (1984).
• Christiane Head-Maarek (3 wins): Three Troikas (1979) & Trêve (2013, 2015).

Two trainers saddled the first three home in the race, Geoffroy Watson (1964, Astaria, Dreida, La Bamba) & André Fabre (1993, Intrepidity, Wemyss Bight, Bright Moon).

Riders

• Yves Saint-Martin (7 wins): Golden Girl (1963), Casaque Grise (1967), Saraca (1969), Allez France (1973), Paulista (1974), Sharaya (1983) & Darara (1986).
• Christophe Soumillon (4 wins): Pearly Shells (2002), Shawanda (2005), Mandesha (2006), Zarkava (2008), Tarnawa (2020).