Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp
| Location | Longchamp Racecourse Paris, France |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1957 |
| Race type | Flat / Thoroughbred |
| Sponsor | Qatar |
| Website | france-galop.com |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1,000 metres (5f) |
| Track | Turf, straight |
| Qualification | Two-years-old and up |
| Weight | 54 kg (2yo); 62 kg (3yo+) Allowances 1½ kg for fillies and mares |
| Purse | €250,000 (2009) Distribution 1st: 57.14%, 2nd: 22.86% 3rd: 11.43%, 4th: 5.71% 5th: 2.86% |
The Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged two years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,000 metres (about 5 furlongs), and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October.
Contents |
[edit] History
The Prix de l'Abbaye was one of two major new races which were introduced in 1957 to celebrate the centenary of Longchamp Racecourse. Both of these initially took place on the first Sunday in October, the same day as the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. The Prix de l'Abbaye still takes place at this meeting, but the other race, the Prix du Moulin, is now contested in early September.
The race is named after the Abbaye de Longchamp, an abbey which was once located on the plaine des Longchamps, at the northern edge of what is now the racecourse. This was founded in the 13th century by Isabel of France, the sister of King Saint Louis. The abbey was destroyed during the French Revolution, and there is now a country house on part of its site known as the Château de Longchamp.
When the present system of race grading was introduced in 1971, the Prix de l'Abbaye was initially classed at Group 2 level. It was promoted to its current status, Group 1, in 1976. The fastest winning time — 54.3 seconds — was achieved by Habibti in 1983. This equates to an average speed of 66.3 km/h (41.2 mph). The race originally excluded geldings, but this restriction was lifted in 2001.
The Prix de l'Abbaye became part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series in 2009. The winner of the race now earns an automatic invitation to compete in the same year's Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. [1]
[edit] Records
Leading jockey (5 wins):
- Yves Saint-Martin – Fortino (1962), Texanita (1963), Silver Shark (1965), Farhana (1966), Lianga (1975)
Leading trainer (8 wins):
- François Mathet – Texana (1957), Edellic (1958), Fortino (1962), Texanita (1963, 1964), Silver Shark (1965), Farhana (1966), Moubariz (1974)
Leading owner (4 wins):
- François Dupré – Texana (1957), Fortino (1962), Texanita (1963, 1964)
- Robert Sangster – Committed (1984), Double Schwartz (1986), Handsome Sailor (1988), Carmine Lake (1997)
[edit] Winners since 1972
1 The scheduled running in 2008 had a false start and was declared void. Stall number 17, the starting berth of Fleeting Spirit, failed to open. A signal was raised for the jockeys of other horses to stop racing but most did not initially respond, and some continued to race to the finish. The first to the line was Overdose, whose unofficial time of 54.0s, assisted by a strong following wind, would have set a new record in the race. A re-run was arranged, but three of the original participants, including Overdose, were withdrawn. The rescheduled running took place at the end of the day's racing, about 4½ hours after the void race.
[edit] Earlier winners
- 1962 - Fortino
- 1963 - Texanita
- 1964 - Texanita
- 1965 - Silver Shark
- 1966 - Farhana
- 1967 - Pentathlon
- 1968 - Be Friendly
- 1969 - Tower Walk
- 1970 - Balidar
- 1971 - Sweet Revenge
[edit] References
- ^ "Breeders' Cup Challenge". breederscup.com. http://www.breederscup.com/challenge.aspx. Retrieved 2009-10-04.
- Racing Post:
- galop.courses-france.com:
- france-galop.com – A Brief History: Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp.
- horseracingintfed.com – International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Prix de l'Abbaye (2009).
- pedigreequery.com – Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp – Longchamp.
