Prix Vicomtesse Vigier

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Group 2 race
Prix Vicomtesse Vigier
Location	Longchamp Racecourse Paris, France
Inaugurated	1859
Race type	Thoroughbred - Flat race
Website	France-Galop.com
Race information
Distance	3,100 metres (1m 7½f)
Track	Turf, right-handed
Qualification	Four-years-old and up
Weight	56 kg Allowances 1½ kg for fillies and mares Penalties 2 kg for Group 1 winners * 1 kg for Group 2 winners * * since January 1 last year
Purse	€130,000 (2008) Distribution 1st: 57%, 2nd: 22% 3rd: 10.5%, 4th: 7% 5th: 3.5%

The Prix Vicomtesse Vigier is a Group 2 flat horse race in France open to four-year-old and above thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 3,100 metres (approximately 1 mile 7½ furlongs) at Longchamp Racecourse and takes place annually in May.

It was first run in 1859 as the second of two races titled the Prix Biennal. The first, for three-year-olds only, had been created in 1858. Both races were re-named in 1940 as the Prix Jean Prat, in memory of Jean Prat, a leading French racehorse owner and breeder who died earlier that year. This version of the race for older horses was given its present title in 1985, while the version for three-year-olds continued as the Prix Jean Prat. The new title took the name of Vicomtesse Vigier, Madeleine Double de Saint-Lambert (1869–1970), the niece of Jean Prat who inherited his stable upon his death.

The race was originally run over a distance of 3,200 metres, which was cut to 3,000 metres in 1897. Three runnings of the race during World War II took place at Maisons-Laffitte, the first of which, in 1943, was contested over 3,100 metres. Otherwise the race continued at 3,000 metres until the present length was set in 1955.

It formerly served as a trial race for the Prix du Cadran, which used to be run several weeks later. But since 1991, when the latter race was moved to October, the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier has become the leading long distance race in France during the first half of the season.

Contents 1 Records 2 Winners since 1980 3 Earlier winners 4 References 5 See also

[edit] Records

Leading jockey (6 wins):

• Yves Saint-Martin – Cirio (1963), Danseur (1967), Zamazaan (1969), Paseo (1970), Recupere (1974), Buckskin (1977)
• Freddy Head – Hallez (1971), Midshipman (1978), Campero (1979), Gold River (1981), Starski (1982), Dadarissime (1993)

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Leading trainer (6 wins):

• Henry Jennings – Tippler (1859), Light (1860), Fumee (1866), Cerdagne (1870), Revigny (1873), Mourle (1879)

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Leading owner (5 wins):

• Henri Delamarre – Pauvre Here (1861), Angus (1862), Clotaire (1872), Boiard (1874), Clio (1883)
• Marcel Boussac – Marsyas (1944, 1945), Arbar (1948), Marveil (1950), Scratch (1951)

[edit] Winners since 1980

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time
1980	Hard to Sing	4	Georges Doleuze	Charlie Milbank	N. Lathom-Sharp	3:24.9
1981	Gold River	4	Freddy Head	Alec Head	Jacques Wertheimer	3:39.9
1982	Starski	4	Freddy Head	Alain de Royer-Dupré	Marquise de Moratalla	3:28.4
1983	Kelbomec	7	Jean-Claude Desaint	J. C. Cunnington	Mrs Jacques Barker	3:37.3
1984	Magwal	5	Alfred Gibert	André Fabre	Mahmoud Fustok	3:17.2
1985	Balitou	6	Eric Legrix	Patrick Biancone	Daniel Wildenstein	3:32.2
1986	Air de Cour	4	Eric Legrix	Patrick Biancone	Daniel Wildenstein	3:42.2
1987	Tale Quale	5	Tony Cruz	Patrick Biancone	Daniel Wildenstein	3:25.7
1988	Royal Gait	5	Alfred Gibert	John Fellows	Manuel Pereira-Arias	3:28.0
1989	Rachmaninov	4	Cash Asmussen	Elie Lellouche	Jean-Claude Abecassis	3:37.3
1990	Turgeon	4	Tony Cruz	Jonathan Pease	George Strawbridge	3:26.3
1991	Turgeon	5	Cash Asmussen	Jonathan Pease	George Strawbridge	3:20.0
1992	Commendable	4	Pat Eddery	Henri-Alex Pantall	Khalid Abdullah	3:23.8
1993	Dadarissime	4	Freddy Head	Georges Bridgland	Sir James Goldsmith	3:20.8
1994	Molesnes	4	Olivier Peslier	Marcel Rolland	Michel Perret	3:27.9
1995	The Little Thief	4	Alain Junk	Eric Danel	George Ohrstrom	3:29.7
1996	Double Eclipse	4	Jason Weaver	Mark Johnston	Middleham Partnership	3:28.2
1997	Stretarez	4	Frédéric Sanchez	Dominique Sépulchre	Jean-Luc Lagardère	3:28.8
1998	Tajoun	4	Gérald Mossé	Alain de Royer-Dupré	HH Aga Khan IV	3:18.5
1999	Kayf Tara	5	Sylvain Guillot	Saeed bin Suroor	Godolphin	3:22.9
2000	Amilynx	4	Olivier Peslier	André Fabre	Jean-Luc Lagardère	3:27.2
2001	Speedmaster	4	Dominique Boeuf	François Doumen	Horst Rapp	3:19.3
2002	Wareed	4	Frankie Dettori	Saeed bin Suroor	Godolphin	3:15.8
2003	Cut Quartz	6	Thierry Jarnet	Richard Gibson	Mrs A. G. Kavanagh	3:32.7
2004	Forestier	4	Christophe Lemaire	Eric Danel	Mrs René J. Wattinne	3:29.9
2005	Westerner	6	Olivier Peslier	Elie Lellouche	Ecurie Wildenstein	3:15.8
2006	Shamdala	4	Christophe Soumillon	Alain de Royer-Dupré	HH Aga Khan IV	3:22.5
2007	Lord du Sud	6	Christophe Lemaire	Jean-Claude Rouget	Béatrice Hermelin	3:33.6
2008	Coastal Path	4	Stéphane Pasquier	André Fabre	Khalid Abdullah	3:18.6

[edit] Earlier winners

* The 1881 race was a dead-heat and has joint winners.

[edit] References

• France-Galop.com
• PedigreeQuery.com
• Racing Post:
  • 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
  • 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
  • 2008
• galop.courses-france.com:
  • 1859-1889, 1890-1919, 1920-1949, 1950-1979, 1980-present

[edit] See also

• List of French flat horse races
• Recurring events established in 1859 – the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier is included under its original title, Prix Biennal.