| Location | Longchamp Racecourse Paris, France |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1889 |
| Race type | Flat / Thoroughbred |
| Website | france-galop.com |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1,600 metres (1 mile) |
| Track | Turf, right-handed |
| Qualification | Three-year-old colts |
| Weight | 58 kg |
| Purse | €80,000 (2011) 1st: €40,000 |
The Prix de Fontainebleau is a Group 3 flat horse race in France which is open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,600 metres (about 1 mile), and it is scheduled to take place each year in April.
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The event is named after Fontainebleau Forest, an area to the southeast of Paris which is the location of the Hippodrome de la Solle racecourse. The Société d'Encouragement organised an annual race meeting at this venue from 1862 to 1891, and introduced the Prix de Fontainebleau at Longchamp in 1889. It was originally a 2,200-metre contest restricted to horses having their first race of the season.
The modern Prix de Fontainebleau was established in 1952. It was initially run over 1,600 metres, and it was designed to serve as a trial for the first colts' Classics of the year. The first winner, Thunderhead II, subsequently won the 2,000 Guineas in England.
The distance was modified several times during the 1960s, with races over 1,400 metres (1965), 1,300 metres (1966) and 1,500 metres (1967). The length was restored to 1,600 metres in 1968. The present system of race grading was introduced in 1971, and the Prix de Fontainebleau was given Group 3 status.
Sixteen winners of the modern Prix de Fontainebleau have achieved victory in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains. The first was Neptunus in 1964, and the most recent was Silver Frost in 2009.
Leading jockey since 1952 (6 wins):
Leading trainer since 1952 (9 wins):
Leading owner since 1952 (4 wins):
| Year |
Winner |
Jockey |
Trainer |
Owner |
Time |
| 1976 | Arctic Tern | Maurice Philipperon | John Fellows | Mrs John S. Knight | 1:45.00 |
| 1977 | Blushing Groom | Henri Samani | François Mathet | HH Aga Khan IV | 1:49.00 |
| 1978 | Kenmare | Alain Badel | François Mathet | Guy de Rothschild | 1:48.60 |
| 1979 | Irish River | Maurice Philipperon | John Cunnington, Jr. | Mrs Raymond Adès | 1:50.60 |
| 1980 | Nice Havrais | Freddy Head | François Boutin | Alan Clore | |
| 1981 | Cresta Rider | Philippe Paquet | François Boutin | Stavros Niarchos | |
| 1982 | Melyno | Yves Saint-Martin | François Mathet | Stavros Niarchos | 1:45.40 |
| 1983 | Castle Guard | Maurice Philipperon | John Fellows | Peter G. Richards | |
| 1984 | Mendez | Cash Asmussen | François Boutin | Philip Niarchos | 1:47.60 |
| 1985 | No Pass No Sale | Alfred Gibert | Robert Collet | René M. Aubert | 1:50.40 |
| 1986 | Fast Topaze | Cash Asmussen | Georges Mikhalidès | Mahmoud Fustok | 1:46.70 |
| 1987 | Soviet Star | Greville Starkey | André Fabre | Sheikh Mohammed | 1:42.10 |
| 1988 | Blushing John | Freddy Head | François Boutin | Allen E. Paulson | 1:41.70 |
| 1989 | Kendor | Maurice Philipperon | Raymond Touflan | Adolf Bader | 1:43.10 |
| 1990 | Linamix | Gérald Mossé | François Boutin | Jean-Luc Lagardère | 1:43.60 |
| 1991 | Hector Protector | Freddy Head | François Boutin | Stavros Niarchos | 1:41.50 |
| 1992 | Rainbow Corner | Pat Eddery | André Fabre | Khalid Abdullah | 1:41.10 |
| 1993 | Zieten | Thierry Jarnet | André Fabre | Sheikh Mohammed | 1:44.20 |
| 1994 | Fadeyev | Thierry Jarnet | André Fabre | Maktoum Al Maktoum | 1:47.00 |
| 1995 | Atticus | Olivier Doleuze | Criquette Head | Jacques Wertheimer | 1:43.10 |
| 1996 | Ashkalani | Gérald Mossé | Alain de Royer-Dupré | HH Aga Khan IV | 1:38.40 |
| 1997 | Daylami | Gérald Mossé | Alain de Royer-Dupré | HH Aga Khan IV | 1:39.80 |
| 1998 | With the Flow | Olivier Doleuze | Criquette Head | Marshall Jenney | 1:50.20 |
| 1999 | Indian Danehill | Olivier Peslier | André Fabre | Edouard E. de Rothschild | 1:48.00 |
| 2000 | Berine's Son | Christophe Soumillon | André Fabre | Edouard E. de Rothschild | 1:52.80 |
| 2001 | Denon | Thierry Jarnet | Jonathan Pease | Niarchos Family | 1:50.20 |
| 2002 | Bowman | Olivier Peslier | André Fabre | Sheikh Mohammed | 1:40.70 |
| 2003 | Clodovil | Olivier Plaçais | André Fabre | Lagardère Family | 1:44.00 |
| 2004 | American Post | Christophe Soumillon | Criquette Head-Maarek | Khalid Abdullah | 1:38.50 |
| 2005 | Laverock | Miguel Blancpain | Carlos Laffon-Parias | Maktoum Al Maktoum | 1:45.40 |
| 2006 | Stormy River | Thierry Thulliez | Nicolas Clément | Ecurie Mister Ess A S | 1:38.20 |
| 2007 | Chichi Creasy | Ronan Thomas | Nicole Rossio | Béatrice Rossio | 1:38.20 |
| 2008 | Tamayuz | Davy Bonilla | Freddy Head | Hamdan Al Maktoum | 1:48.30 |
| 2009 | Silver Frost | Olivier Peslier | Yves de Nicolay | John D. Cotton | 1:39.49 |
| 2010 | Rajsaman | Thierry Jarnet | Alain de Royer-Dupré | HH Aga Khan IV | 1:39.36 |
| 2011 | Glaswegian | Stéphane Pasquier | Pascal Bary | Khalid Abdullah | 1:39.69 |