The Prix Messidor is a
Group 3 flat horse race
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...
in France open to
thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...
s aged three years or older. It is run at
Maisons-Laffitte
Maisons-Laffitte () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the northern Île-de-France region of France. It is a part of the affluent outer suburbs of northwestern Paris, from its centre. In 2018, it had a population of 23,611.
Maisons-Laffi ...
over a distance of 1,600 metres (about 1 mile), and it is scheduled to take place each year in July.
History
The event was established in 1949, and it was originally held at
Saint-Cloud
Saint-Cloud () is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France, from the centre of Paris. Like other communes of Hauts-de-Seine such as Marnes-la-Coquette, Neuilly-sur-Seine and Vaucresson, Saint-Cloud is one of France's wealthiest to ...
. It was initially called the Prix de Messidor, a name derived from ''messis'', the Latin word for "harvest". The present title, without the "''de''", was introduced in 1955.
For a period the race was switched between Maisons-Laffitte (1963–65, 1968–69) and Saint-Cloud (1966–67, 1970–72). It began a longer spell at Maisons-Laffitte in 1973.
The race was transferred to
Deauville
Deauville () is a commune in the Calvados department, Normandy, northwestern France. Major attractions include its harbour, race course, marinas, conference centre, villas, Grand Casino, and sumptuous hotels. The first Deauville Asian Film F ...
in 1997. It returned to Maisons-Laffitte in 2005.
Records
Most successful horse (2 wins):
* Catilina – ''1962, 1963''
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Leading
jockey (6 wins):
*
Yves Saint-Martin
Yves Saint-Martin (born 8 September 1941 in Agen, Lot-et-Garonne, France) is a retired champion jockey in French Thoroughbred horse racing. He is widely considered one of the greatest riders in French racing history.
Saint-Martin won his firs ...
– ''Catilina (1962, 1963), Cripton (1964), Irish Minstrel (1969), Tassmoun (1980), Ya Zaman (1981)''
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Leading
trainer (13 wins):
*
André Fabre – ''Mille Balles (1984), Fitzwilliam Place (1987), Mill Native (1988), Polish Precedent (1989), Acteur Francais (1991), Fanmore (1993), Neuilly (1997), Dansili (1999), Valixir (2005), Intello (2013), Fractional (2015), Vadamos (2016), Impulsif (2019)''
----
Leading owner (4 wins):
*
Aga Khan IV
Shāh Karim al-Husayni (born 13 December 1936), known by the religious title Mawlānā Hazar Imam by his Ismaili followers and elsewhere as Aga Khan IV, is the 49th and current Imam of Nizari Ismailis, a denomination within Shia Islam. He h ...
– ''Cripton (1964), Tassmoun (1980), Valixir (2005), Alnadana (2009)''
Winners since 1978
The 2019 running moved to
Deauville
Deauville () is a commune in the Calvados department, Normandy, northwestern France. Major attractions include its harbour, race course, marinas, conference centre, villas, Grand Casino, and sumptuous hotels. The first Deauville Asian Film F ...
during unsafely track.
The 2021 running moved to
Chantilly due to the closure of
Maisons-Laffitte
Maisons-Laffitte () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the northern Île-de-France region of France. It is a part of the affluent outer suburbs of northwestern Paris, from its centre. In 2018, it had a population of 23,611.
Maisons-Laffi ...
.
The 2022 running moved to
Chantilly due to the closure of
Maisons-Laffitte
Maisons-Laffitte () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the northern Île-de-France region of France. It is a part of the affluent outer suburbs of northwestern Paris, from its centre. In 2018, it had a population of 23,611.
Maisons-Laffi ...
.
Earlier winners
* 1949: Beverly
* 1950: Philactis
* 1951:
* 1952: ''no race''
* 1953: Pomare
* 1954: Phlox
* 1955: Chargeur
* 1956: Cigalon
* 1957–59: ''no race''
* 1960: Fin Bec
* 1961: Pen Mane
* 1962: Catilina
* 1963: Catilina
* 1964: Cripton
* 1965: Red Slipper
* 1966: Agy
* 1967: Morris Dancer
* 1968: Fisc
* 1969: Irish Minstrel
* 1970: Brabant
* 1971: Joshua
* 1972: Arosa
* 1973: Martinmas
* 1974: El Toro
* 1975: Son of Silver
* 1976: Dona Barod
* 1977: Malecite
See also
*
List of French flat horse races
*
Recurring sporting events established in 1949
Recurring means occurring repeatedly and can refer to several different things:
Mathematics and finance
* Recurring expense, an ongoing (continual) expenditure
* Repeating decimal, or recurring decimal, a real number in the decimal numeral sys ...
''– this race is included under its original title, Prix de Messidor.''
References
*
France Galop
France Galop is the governing body of flat and steeplechase horse racing in France. It was founded on May 3, 1995, as the result of the amalgamation of four different industry organizations. Prominent owner/breeder Jean-Luc Lagardère was elected t ...
/
Racing Post
''Racing Post'' is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing and sports betting publisher which is published in print and digital formats. It is printed in tabloid format from Monday to Sunday. , it has an average daily circulation of ...
:
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** , , {{Racing Post, 817465, 2022, 07, 17, 204, chantilly
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france-galop.com– ''A Brief History: Prix Messidor.''
galop.courses-france.com– ''Prix Messidor – Palmarès depuis 1980.''
galopp-sieger.de– ''Prix Messidor.''
horseracingintfed.com– ''International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Prix Messidor (2016).''
pedigreequery.com– ''Prix Messidor.''
Open mile category horse races
Maisons-Laffitte Racecourse
Horse races in France