The Prix Niel is a
Group 2 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 three-year-old
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 ...
colts and
fillies
A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use:
*In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old.
*In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, ...
. It is run at
Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.
The race serves as a trial for the
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp Racec ...
, which is held at the same venue three weeks later.
History
A precursor of the race called the Prix de Chantilly was formerly staged at
Chantilly in early September. It was open to horses aged three or older, and for a period its distance was 3,100 metres. It was subsequently transferred to Longchamp and run over 3,000 metres. It was shortened to 2,400 metres in 1952, and reduced to 2,300 metres in 1953.
The Prix de Chantilly was restricted to three-year-olds when a separate event was introduced for older horses in 1955. The new race was initially titled the
Prix Henri Foy
The Prix Foy is a Group 2 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbred colts and fillies aged four years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and it ...
, and from this point the Prix de Chantilly was contested over 2,400 metres.
The race was cut to 2,000 metres in 1960, and restored to 2,400 metres the following year. It was switched to Chantilly in 1964, and returned to Longchamp with a length of 2,100 metres in 1966. It was extended to 2,200 metres in 1968.
The event was renamed in memory of Gaston Niel (1880–1970), a long-serving member of the Société d'Encouragement, in 1972. For several years the Prix Niel held Group 3 status. It was increased to 2,400 metres in 1979, and promoted to Group 2 level in 1987.
The Prix Niel became part of the
Breeders' Cup Challenge series in 2010, with the winner earning an automatic invitation to compete in the
Breeders' Cup Turf. It was removed from the series in 2012.
Twelve winners of the race have achieved victory in the same year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. The first was Sica Boy in 1954, and the most recent
Rail Link
Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (G&W) is an American short line railroad holding company, that owns or maintains an interest in 122 railroads in the United States, Canada, Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, United Kingdom and formerly Australia. It operate ...
in 2006.
Prix Niel is eligible for geldings from 2020. Due to
the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic, 2020 Prix Niel are not run, and are replaced by the
Grand Prix de Paris.
French racing to restart with four Group races and Monday slot for the Guineas
/ref>
Records
Leading
jockey since 1952 (4 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 ...
– ''Nelcius (1966), Akarad (1981), Sagace (1983), Mouktar (1985)''
*
Freddy Head – ''Taj Dewan (1967), (1974), Gay Mecene (1978), Cariellor (1984)''
Leading
trainer since 1952 (11 wins):
*
André Fabre – ''Cariellor (1984), Trempolino (1987), Subotica (1991), Carnegie (1994), Housamix (1995), Sagamix (1998), Valixir (2004), Hurricane Run (2005), Rail Link (2006), Cavalryman (2009), New Bay (2015)''
Leading owner since 1952 (5 wins):
*
HH Aga Khan IV – ''Akarad (1981), Mouktar (1985), Sinndar (2000), Dalakhani (2003), Behkabad (2010)''
Winners since 1978
Earlier winners
* 1952:
* 1953: Shikampur
* 1954: Sica Boy
* 1955: Walhalla
* 1956:
* 1957: Amber
* 1958: Upstart
* 1959: Montrouge
* 1960: Puissant Chef
* 1961: Devon
* 1962: Kistinie
* 1963: Le Mesnil
* 1964: Sigebert
* 1965: Super Sam
* 1966: Nelcius
* 1967: Taj Dewan
* 1968: Vaguely Noble
* 1969: Belbury
* 1970: Stintino
* 1971: Arlequino
* 1972: Hard to Beat
* 1973: Dahlia
Dahlia (, ) is a genus of bushy, tuberous, herbaceous perennial plants native to Mexico and Central America. A member of the Asteraceae (former name: Compositae) family of dicotyledonous plants, its garden relatives thus include the sunflower ...
* 1974:
* 1975: Anne's Pretender
* 1976: Youth
Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood ( maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as being a young adult. Y ...
* 1977: Crystal Palace
See also
* List of French flat horse races
References
* France Galop / 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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france-galop.com
– ''A Brief History: Prix Niel.''
galopp-sieger.de
– ''Prix Niel (ex Prix de Chantilly).''
horseracingintfed.com
– ''International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Prix Niel (2016).''
pedigreequery.com
– ''Prix Niel – Longchamp.''
{{Race Meeting, Arc Trials, Turf, state=expanded
Flat horse races for three-year-olds
Longchamp Racecourse
Horse races in France