Prix Messidor

Prix Messidor
Group 3 race
Location	Maisons-Laffitte France
Inaugurated	1949
Race type	Flat / Thoroughbred
Website	france-galop.com
Race information
Distance	1,600 metres (1 mile)
Surface	Turf
Track	Straight
Qualification	Three-years-old and up
Weight	53½ kg (3y); 57½ kg (4y+) Allowances 1½ kg for fillies and mares Penalties 4 kg for Group 1 winners * 4 kg if two Group 2 wins * 3 kg if one Group 2 win * 3 kg if two Group 3 wins * 2 kg if one Group 3 win * * since January 1
Purse	€80,000 (2012) 1st: €40,000

The Prix Messidor is a Group 3 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Maisons-Laffitte 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. 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 in 1997. It returned to Maisons-Laffitte in 2005.

Records

Most successful horse (2 wins):

Catilina – 1962, 1963

Leading jockey (6 wins):

Yves Saint-Martin – Catilina (1962, 1963), Cripton (1964), Irish Minstrel (1969), Tassmoun (1980), Ya Zaman (1981)

Leading trainer (10 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)

Leading owner (4 wins):

HH Aga Khan IV – Cripton (1964), Tassmoun (1980), Valixir (2005), Alnadana (2009)

Winners since 1978

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time
1978	Cosmopolitan	3	Philippe Paquet	François Boutin	Robert Jolibois
1979	American Prince	3	Willie Carson	Stuart Murless	Burt Bacharach
1980	Tassmoun	4	Yves Saint-Martin	François Mathet	HH Aga Khan IV
1981	Ya Zaman	4	Yves Saint-Martin	Mitri Saliba	Mahmoud Fustok	1:36.20
1982	Noalcoholic	5	George Duffield	Gavin Pritchard-Gordon	William du Pont III
1983	Pampabird	4	Maurice Philipperon	John Cunnington, Jr.	Paul de Moussac	1:35.20
1984	Mille Balles	4	Freddy Head	André Fabre	Enzo di Nella	1:37.30
1985	Comrade in Arms	3	Alfred Gibert	Philippe Lallié	D. W. Molins	1:36.10
1986	Gay Minstrel	5	Gary W. Moore	Criquette Head	Jacques Wertheimer	1:37.00
1987	Fitzwilliam Place	3	Dominique Boeuf	André Fabre	Bruce McNall	1:34.50
1988	Mill Native	4	Cash Asmussen	André Fabre	Paul de Moussac	1:34.20
1989	Polish Precedent	3	Cash Asmussen	André Fabre	Sheikh Mohammed	1:36.30
1990	Septieme Ciel	3	Freddy Head	Criquette Head	Johnny Jones	1:41.30
1991	Acteur Francais	3	Thierry Jarnet	André Fabre	Paul de Moussac	1:36.08
1992	Take Risks	3	Mathieu Boutin	Jean Lesbordes	David Tsui	1:41.00
1993	Fanmore	5	Thierry Jarnet	André Fabre	Khalid Abdullah	1:36.30
1994	Jeune Homme	4	Cash Asmussen	François Boutin	Yoshio Asakawa	1:39.10
1995	Nec Plus Ultra	4	Thierry Gillet	Alain de Royer-Dupré	Marquesa de Moratalla	1:36.50
1996	Grey Risk	3	Sylvain Guillot	Philippe Demercastel	Ecurie Bader	1:40.50
1997	Neuilly	3	Alain Junk	André Fabre	Mrs Paul de Moussac	1:37.10
1998	Fly to the Stars	4	Daragh O'Donohoe	Saeed bin Suroor	Godolphin	1:36.60
1999	Dansili	3	Olivier Peslier	André Fabre	Khalid Abdullah	1:33.70
2000	Faberger	4	L. Hammer-Hansen	Erika Mäder	Wiesenhof Bloodstock	1:39.50
2001	Panis	3	Thierry Thulliez	Pascal Bary	Ecurie J. L. Bouchard	1:38.40
2002	Altieri	4	Gabriele Bietolini	Vittorio Caruso	Scuderia Incolinx	1:40.30
2003	Special Kaldoun	4	Dominique Boeuf	David Smaga	Ecurie Chalhoub	1:34.60
2004	Ryono	5	Tony Castanheira	Peter Lautner	Hildegard Focke	1:39.60
2005	Valixir	4	Christophe Soumillon	André Fabre	HH Aga Khan IV	1:35.70
2006	Librettist	4	Frankie Dettori	Saeed bin Suroor	Godolphin	1:36.00
2007	Stormy River	4	Thierry Thulliez	Nicolas Clément	Ecurie Mister Ess A S	1:33.90
2008	Racinger	5	Davy Bonilla	Freddy Head	Hamdan Al Maktoum	1:35.70
2009	Alnadana	4	Christophe Soumillon	Alain de Royer-Dupré	HH Aga Khan IV	1:38.70
2010	Fuisse	4	Stéphane Pasquier	Criquette Head-Maarek	Haras du Quesnay	1:35.30
2011	Vagabond Shoes	4	Christophe Soumillon	Yan Durepaire	Javier Martinez Salmean	1:39.50
2012	Tin Horse	4	Thierry Jarnet	Didier Guillemin	Marquesa de Moratalla	1:35.45
2013	Intello	3	Olivier Peslier	André Fabre	Wertheimer et Frere	1:34.00
2014	Graphic	5	Frankie Dettori	William Haggas	Royal Ascot Racing Club	1:38.10

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

References

France Galop / Racing Post:
- 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988
- 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998
- 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
- 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014