Prix de Fontainebleau

The Prix de Fontainebleau is a Group 3 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts. It is run over a distance of 1,600 metres (about 1 mile) at Longchamp in April.

History

The event is named after Fontainebleau Forest, the location of the Hippodrome de la Solle racecourse. The Société d'Encouragement organised an annual race meeting at the venue from 1862 to 1891.

The Prix de Fontainebleau was introduced at Longchamp in 1889. It was originally a 2,200-metre contest restricted to horses having their first race of the season.^[1]

The modern Prix de Fontainebleau was established in 1952. It was initially run over 1,600 metres, and designed to serve as a trial for the first colts' Classics of the year. The first winner, Thunderhead, subsequently won the 2,000 Guineas in England.

The race's distance was modified several times during the 1960s. It was run over 1,400 metres (1965), 1,300 metres (1966) and 1,500 metres (1967) before reverting to 1,600 metres in 1968.

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.

Records

Leading jockey since 1952 (6 wins):

• Maurice Philipperon – Farabi (1967), Blinis (1971), Arctic Tern (1976), Irish River (1979), Castle Guard (1983), Kendor (1989)

Leading trainer since 1952 (9 wins):

• Etienne Pollet – Thunderhead (1952), Tosco (1953), Tenareze (1956), Pantouflard (1958), Aerodynamic (1961), Prudent (1962), Neptunus (1964), Grey Dawn (1965), Timmy My Boy (1968)
• André Fabre - Soviet Star (1987), Rainbow Corner (1992), Zieten (1993), Fadeyev (1994), Indian Danehill (1999), Berine's Son (2000), Bowman (2002), Clodovil (2003), Territories (2015)

Leading owner since 1952 (4 wins):

• Gertrude Widener – Aerodynamic (1961), Prudent (1962), Grey Dawn (1965), Timmy My Boy (1968)
• HH Aga Khan IV – Blushing Groom (1977), Ashkalani (1996), Daylami (1997), Rajsaman (2010)

Winners since 1974

^a The 2011 winner Glaswegian was later exported to Hong Kong and renamed Beauty Lead.

Earlier winners

See also

• List of French flat horse races

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, 2015