Preux Chevalier (13 September 1978 – 2 June 2007) was a pacer (racing horse) foaled in New Zealand but notable for his racing successes in Australia in 1984 and 1985 including wins in the Inter Dominion Pacing Championship, Miracle Mile Pace and A G Hunter Cup .

Early life

Preux Chevalier barely attracted a bid at auction before selling privately for $5,000. Commencing racing at age three, Preux Chevalier fractured a cannon bone when not finishing the Western Australian Pacers Derby in 1982. He returned to the track as a four year old in 1982–83 winning seven of nine starts. He was third in the Golden Nugget in February 1983 behind Classic Garry and Wondai’s Mate.Cain, R (1990), Harnessing A Miracle, Preux Chevalier's first feature win came during the season which was the 4-year-old leg of the Western Australian Triple Crown.West Australian Racing Industry Hall of Fame
Retrieved 23 January 2016

1983–84 season

Preux Chevalier won the Western Australian 4 & 5 Year Old Championship at Gloucester Park amid a series of consecutive wins early in the 1983–84 season. After winning a heat of the Western Australian Pacing Cup he won a sprint race at Gloucester Park defeating

New Zealand Trotting Cup The New Zealand Cup for standardbred horses, also known as either the New Zealand Trotting Cup or the New Zealand Pacing Cup is a Group One (G1) harness race held annually by the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club at Addington Raceway in Chr ...

winner Steel Jaw,

Gammalite Gammalite (1976 – 21 December 2006) was an Australian bred Standardbred racehorse who was the first Standardbred to win A$1 million in Australia. He was regarded as one of Australia's most successful pacers with 16 Group one wins.Western Australian Pacing Cup. It was a stunning victory with a mile rating of 1:56.9 over 2275 metres. Preux Chevalier and Steel Jaw ran the first 800m in 57.4 seconds trapping

Gammalite Gammalite (1976 – 21 December 2006) was an Australian bred Standardbred racehorse who was the first Standardbred to win A$1 million in Australia. He was regarded as one of Australia's most successful pacers with 16 Group one wins.Harold Park. Starting favourite at 8/11 Preux Chevalier finished last of the six starters. That was his last start for the season.

1984–85 season

Preux Chevalier began the 1984-85 season by winning six races in succession in Perth. Then at Moonee Valley in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a me ...

he won the

Winfield Cup The Winfield Cup was an Australian rugby league trophy awarded to the winner of the New South Wales Rugby League premiership (NSWRL) Grand Final from 1982 to 1994, and then to the winner of the newly-founded Australian Rugby League (ARL) Grand Fin ...

beating Panyan by 8 metres with Wondai’s Mate third. Back in Perth he was the 2/7 favourite in the Western Australian Pacing Cup however he was defeated by

Village Kid Village Kid is a musical group based in Perth, Western Australia, Australia. The group has released one E.P. ''Colourful Girl'' in July 2010, recorded with vocalist Aaron Malone with producer Anthony Cormican (Birds of Tokyo). The E.P. general ...

. Returning to Sydney for the 1985 Miracle Mile Pace, Preux Chevalier made amends for his defeat from the previous year winning effortlessly in 1.56.7 which was a race record winning by 9 metres from Paleface Bubble with a further 3 ½ metres to Wondai’s Mate. His next start, also in Sydney, was a dead heat with Paleface Bubble in the Harold Park Cup. At Moonee Valley he won the A G Hunter Cup after setting a fast pace he defeated Wondai’s Mate by 23 metres with Panyan third. The mile rate of 1.58.5 for 2870 metres broke the track record set by

Popular Alm Popular Alm (1976-2000) was an Australian bred Standardbred pacer. He was one of the fastest pacers Australia has produced, running exceptional times over many distances. Popular Alm set a world record for a mile time trial at Moonee Valley on ...

in the 1983 running of the race. Preux Chevalier led throughout recording one of the easiest wins seen in a feature event. The Inter Dominion was contested at Moonee Valley in 1985 and Preux Chevalier began the series by easily winning on the first night. On The second night he won by only 2½ metres from Victorian pacer Quite Famous but recorded a track record mile rate of 1.56.7 for the 1970 metres distance. He then beat

on the third night. The Inter Dominion final was run before the largest crowd at a meeting at Moonee Valley since the early 1970s. Preux Chevalier required a pre-race veterinary examination after appearing unwell but in the race he took the lead from

after one lap and held him off by two metres at the finish. The race was also notable as the last start for

Gammalite Gammalite (1976 – 21 December 2006) was an Australian bred Standardbred racehorse who was the first Standardbred to win A$1 million in Australia. He was regarded as one of Australia's most successful pacers with 16 Group one wins.Winfield Cup The Winfield Cup was an Australian rugby league trophy awarded to the winner of the New South Wales Rugby League premiership (NSWRL) Grand Final from 1982 to 1994, and then to the winner of the newly-founded Australian Rugby League (ARL) Grand Fin ...

, Miracle Mile Pace, A G Hunter Cup and Inter Dominion. For the season he had 21 starts for 18 wins and 3 seconds. He was Australian Harness Horse of the Year and Australian Pacers Grand Circuit champion.

1985–86 season

Preux Chevalier had raced in Perth during the winter before starting in Melbourne where he broke the track record at Moonee Valley for 1900 metres winning in a mile rate of 1.57.8. In Brisbane he then won the JPS Championship running a mile in 1.54.3 which was a record for a race mile for Australia and New Zealand breaking the record held by

. Preux Chevalier then raced in New Zealand where he finished fourth in the

behind outsider Borana. He then redeemed himself winning the

New Zealand Free For All The New Zealand Pacing Free For All is a major New Zealand harness race. It is notable as it is a Group One championship sprint race and has been won by nearly every champion pacer in New Zealand. History of the race Horses which have won the ...

by four lengths after a fast early pace. After a second place in the Travelodge FFA Preux Chevalier was then retired to stud due to injury. He raced 53 times in Australia for 40 wins 6 seconds and 3 thirds and a further 3 times in New Zealand for 1 win and 1 second and stakes earnings of $791.331. He died on 2 June 2007 after suffering colic.Preux Chevalier dead
www.harnesslink.com, Retrieved 24 January 2016

References

{{Reflist, 30em 1978 racehorse births 2007 racehorse deaths Inter Dominion winners Miracle Mile winners Standardbred racehorses bred in New Zealand