| Location | Longchamp Racecourse Paris, France |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1807 |
| Race type | Flat / Thoroughbred |
| Sponsor | Qatar |
| Website | france-galop.com |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 3,100 metres (1m 7½f) |
| Track | Turf, right-handed |
| Qualification | Four-years-old and up |
| Weight | 57 kg Allowances 1½ kg for fillies and mares 1 kg if not Group placed * Penalties 3 kg for Group 1 winners * 2 kg for Group 2 winners * 1 kg for Group 3 winners * * since September 1 last year |
| Purse | €80,000 (2009) Distribution 1st: 50%, 2nd: 20%, 3rd: 15% 4th: 10%, 5th: 5% |
The Prix Gladiateur is a Group 3 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 3,100 metres (about 1 mile and 7½ furlongs), and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.
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The event was established in 1807, and it is considered to be the oldest surviving horse race in France. The original version was called the Grand Prix, and it was run over two circuits of the Champ de Mars – a distance of 4,000 metres. The title was changed to the Grand Prix Royal in 1834, and the race was temporarily switched to Chantilly in 1846. There were two further title changes during its time at the Champ de Mars – it became the Grand Prix National in 1848, and the Grand Prix Impérial in 1853.
The race moved to Longchamp upon the opening of the venue in 1857. At the same time its distance was increased to 6,000 metres – considerably longer than most other flat races. Its title was changed to the Grand Prix de l'Empereur in 1861, and simultaneously it was extended to 6,200 metres. This extreme length, approximately equal to 3 miles and 7 furlongs, was maintained for almost a century thereafter.
The present title, the Prix Gladiateur, was introduced in 1869. This was in honour of the French racehorse Gladiateur, the first foreign winner of the English Triple Crown. He also won this race as a four-year-old in 1866. The newly-titled event was not run in 1870 because of the Franco-Prussian War.
The Prix Gladiateur was run at Chantilly in 1906. It was abandoned throughout World War I, with no running from 1914 to 1918. The race was cancelled twice during World War II, in 1939 and 1940. It was switched to Le Tremblay in 1943 and 1944.
The distance of the Prix Gladiateur was cut to 4,800 metres in 1955. It was shortened to 4,000 metres in 1977, and to 3,100 metres in 1991.
Leading jockey (5 wins):
Leading trainer (13 wins):
Leading owner (10 wins):
| Year |
Winner |
Age |
Jockey |
Trainer |
Owner |
Time |
| 1980 | Anifa | 4 | Alfred Gibert | Mitri Saliba | Mahmoud Fustok | |
| 1981 | Kelbomec | 5 | Jean-Claude Desaint | J. C. Cunnington | Mrs Jacques Barker | |
| 1982 | Kelbomec | 6 | Jean-Claude Desaint | J. C. Cunnington | Mrs Jacques Barker | |
| 1983 | Balitou | 4 | Cash Asmussen | Patrick Biancone | Daniel Wildenstein | |
| 1984 | Mister Jack | 5 | Yves Saint-Martin | Pierre Biancone | Jacques Baillif | |
| 1985 | Balitou | 6 | Eric Legrix | Patrick Biancone | Daniel Wildenstein | |
| 1986 | Silver Green | 5 | Yves Saint-Martin | Alain de Royer-Dupré | Marquesa de Moratalla | |
| 1987 | Yaka | 4 | Dominique Boeuf | Alain Chelet | Mrs Arthur Dewez | |
| 1988 | Sadeem | 5 | Greville Starkey | Guy Harwood | Sheikh Mohammed | 4:21.3 |
| 1989 | Hi Lass | 4 | Tony Cruz | Jonathan Pease | Arthur Budgett | 4:22.1 |
| 1990 | River Test | 4 | Freddy Head | David Smaga | Lord Weinstock | 4:25.2 |
| 1991 | Victoire Bleue | 4 | Thierry Jarnet | André Fabre | Daniel Wildenstein | 3:21.0 |
| 1992 | Le Montagnard | 4 | Christian Phelippeau | Guy Henrot | Joel Blandin | 3:26.7 |
| 1993 | Oh So Risky | 6 | John Williams | David Elsworth | Oh So Risky Syndicate | 3:22.9 |
| 1994 | Safety in Numbers | 4 | Tony Ives | Lady Herries | Edwin N. Cohen | 3:32.3 |
| 1995 | L'Ile Tudy | 5 | Alain Badel | Myriam Bollack-Badel | Georges Halphen | 3:21.8 |
| 1996 | Always Aloof | 5 | Olivier Peslier | Michael Stoute | Sven Hanson | 3:19.1 |
| 1997 | Orchestra Stall | 5 | Pat Eddery | John Dunlop | Sir David Sieff | 3:18.3 |
| 1998 | Tiraaz | 4 | Gérald Mossé | Alain de Royer-Dupré | HH Aga Khan IV | 3:31.1 |
| 1999 | Tajoun | 5 | Gérald Mossé | Alain de Royer-Dupré | HH Aga Khan IV | 3:24.2 |
| 2000 | Orchestra Stall | 8 | Thierry Thulliez | John Dunlop | Sir David Sieff | 3:23.8 |
| 2001 | Yavana's Pace | 9 | Joe Fanning | Mark Johnston | Joan Keaney | 3:25.5 |
| 2002 | Miraculous | 5 | Thierry Jarnet | Didier Prod'homme | Bernard Giraudon | 3:20.1 |
| 2003 | Darasim | 5 | Joe Fanning | Mark Johnston | Markus Graff | 3:18.8 |
| 2004 | Westerner | 5 | Olivier Peslier | Elie Lellouche | Ecurie Wildenstein | 3:26.6 |
| 2005 | Reefscape | 4 | Christophe Soumillon | André Fabre | Khalid Abdullah | 3:28.4 |
| 2006 | Le Miracle | 5 | Dominique Boeuf | Werner Baltromei | R'stall Gestüt Hachtsee | 3:15.9 |
| 2007 | Varevees | 4 | Thierry Jarnet | Joel Boisnard | Jean Uzel | 3:15.0 |
| 2008 | Kasbah Bliss | 6 | Thierry Thulliez | François Doumen | Henri de Pracomtal | 3:14.5 |
| 2009 | Kasbah Bliss | 7 | Thierry Thulliez | François Doumen | Henri de Pracomtal | 3:18.4 |
| 2011 | Ley Hunter | 4 | Mickael Barzalona | André Fabre | Godolphin | 3:33.99 |
Note: The available results of the race date back to 1834. This was when the first volume of a calendar was published for the Société d'Encouragement, a governing body of French racing.