Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil

The Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil, sometimes referred to as the French Champion Hurdle, is a Group 1 hurdle race in France which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Auteuil over a distance of 5,100 metres (about 3 miles and 1½ furlongs), and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.

Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil
(French Champion Hurdle)
Group 1 race
LocationAuteuil Racecourse
Paris, France
Inaugurated1874
Race typeHurdle race
Websitefrance-galop.com
Race information
Distance5,100 metres (3m 1½f)
SurfaceTurf
TrackLeft-handed
QualificationFive-years-old and up
Weight65 kg (5yo); 67 kg (6yo+)
Allowances
2 kg for mares
Purse€370,000 (2009)
Distribution
1st: 45%, 2nd: 22%, 3rd: 13%
4th: 9%, 5th: 5%, 6th: 3.5%
7th: 2.5%
Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil
2020
Paul's Saga L'Autonomie Galop Marin

History

The race was first run on May 25, 1874, the same day as the inaugural running of the Grand National de France (now the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris). It was originally open to horses aged four or older, and it was initially contested over 4,000 metres. This was increased to 4,800 metres in its second year, and to 5,000 metres in 1880. The race was given a new date in 1882 – it was moved to the Wednesday after the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris, which continued to be run on the last Sunday in May. The following year saw the launch of a new steeplechase at Auteuil, the Prix des Drags, and this was scheduled for the Friday of the same week. This week of top class jump races became known as the Grande Semaine d'Auteuil. The Grande Course de Haies was run as a handicap until 1889, but since then it has held weight for age conditions.

The race was abandoned throughout World War I, with no running from 1915 to 1918. During World War II it was cancelled only once, in 1940. The minimum age was raised to five in 1961, when a new hurdle race, the Grande Course de Haies des 4 Ans (later titled the Prix Alain du Breil), was introduced specifically for four-year-olds. The distance of the Grande Course de Haies was extended to 5,100 metres in 1969. This was cut to 4,100 metres in 1975, and then restored to 5,100 metres in 1979.

Four horses have won both this event and the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris. These are Blagueur II, Loreto, Ubu III and Mid Dancer. The 1947 winner of the Grande Course de Haies, Le Paillon, later won the most prestigious flat race in France, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. The 1984 winner, Dawn Run (a mare trained in Ireland), also won both the Champion Hurdle and the Cheltenham Gold Cup in England. She returned to Auteuil to attempt a repeat victory in 1986, but during the race she misjudged a hurdle, fell, and died almost instantly.

In 2010, the race was won by flat jockey Christophe Soumillon.

Records

Leading jockey (4 wins):

  • John Boon – Vertige (1894), Charlatan (1895), Grandlieu (1898), Kerym (1899)

Leading trainer (8 wins):

  • William Head – Evohe II (1937, 1938), Royal Kidney (1939), Ludovic le More (1943), Vatelys (1946), Le Paillon (1947), Septieme Ciel (1948), Friendship (1959)

Leading owner (6 wins):

  • Daniel Wildenstein – Gopal (1969), Top Gear (1977), Paiute (1979, 1980), World Citizen (1982), Vaporetto (1999)

Winners since 1970
Year
 Winner
 Age
 Jockey
 Trainer
 Owner
1970 Samour 5 Christian Mahé Jean Laumain Mrs Hubert Seutet
1971 Le Pontet 6 François Bonni Gérard Philippeau Josette Rossi
1972 Hardatit 6 C. Fornaroli René Pelat Charles Sweeny
1973 Hardatit 7 Pierre Costes René Pelat Charles Sweeny
1974 Baby Taine 5 Ronny Dupon André Adèle Georges Blizniansky
1975 Mazel Tov 5 Serge Roux André Adèle Mrs Julien Décrion
1976 Les Roseaux 7 Daniel Merle Gérard Boeuf Nicole Sarmant
1977 Top Gear 5 Dominique Costard Georges Pelat Daniel Wildenstein
1978 Roselier 5 Serge Bérard Léon Gaumondy Mrs Léon Gaumondy
1979 Paiute 6 Martin Blackshaw Georges Pelat Daniel Wildenstein
1980 Paiute 7 Dominique Costard Jack Barbe Daniel Wildenstein
1981 Bison Fute 5 Dominique Costard Jacques de Chevigny Mrs Jean Couturié
1982 World Citizen 5 Noel Péguy Patrick Rago Daniel Wildenstein
1983 Melinoir 5 Denis Bailliez Jack Barbe Francis Wintz
1984 Dawn Run 6 Tony Mullins Paddy Mullins Charmian Hill
1985 Le Rheusois 5 Roger Duchêne Patrick Rago Claude Ouyoucef
1986 Le Rheusois 6 Denis Leblond Patrick Rago Claude Ouyoucef
1987 Claude le Lorrain 8 Patrick-Alain Sauvat Loïc Audon André Bergalet
1988 Goodea 8 Béatrice Marie Jean-Paul Gallorini Prosper Elmoznino
1989 Sire Rochelais 5 Loïc Manceau Guy Chérel Jean-Claude Evain
1990 Tongan 7 Dominique Vincent Gérard Collet Wladimir Nikolic
1991 Rose or No 7 Vincent Sartori Philippe Demercastel Ecurie Jules Ouaki
1992 Ubu III 6 Adam Kondrat François Doumen Marquesa de Moratalla
1993 Ubu III 7 Adam Kondrat François Doumen Marquesa de Moratalla
1994 Le Roi Thibault 5 Yannick Fouin Georges Doleuze Haras du Reuilly
1995 Matchou 6 Didier Mescam Jean Lesbordes Muriel Montauban
1996 Earl Grant 7 Jean-Yves Beaurain Bernard Sécly Louis Gautier
1997 Bog Frog 8 Jean-Yves Beaurain Bernard Sécly Mrs David Scarisbrick
1998 Mantovo 6 François Benech Marcel Rolland Frank McNulty
1999 Vaporetto 6 Thierry Majorcryk Jean-Paul Gallorini Daniel Wildenstein
2000 Le Sauvignon 6 Dominique Bressou Jean Bertran de Balanda David J. Jackson
2001 Le Sauvignon 7 Dominique Bressou Jean Bertran de Balanda David J. Jackson
2002 Laveron 7 Thierry Doumen François Doumen Dirk Grauert
2003 Nobody Told Me 5 David Casey Willie Mullins Amber Syndicate
2004 Rule Supreme 8 David Casey Willie Mullins John J. Fallon
2005 Lycaon de Vauzelle 6 Boris Chameraud Jean Bertran de Balanda Francis Wintz
2006 Mid Dancer 5 Christophe Pieux Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé Sean Mulryan
2007 Zaiyad 6 Jacques Ricou Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé Sean Mulryan
2008 Oeil du Maitre 6 Steven Colas Jean-Paul Gallorini Alexandrine Berger
2009 Questarabad 5 Regis Schmidlin Marcel Rolland Mrs Roger Polani
2010 Mandali 6 Christophe Soumillon Jean-Paul Gallorini Ecurie Zingaro
2011 Thousand Stars 7 Ruby Walsh Willie Mullins Hammer & Trowel Syndicate
2012 Thousand Stars 8 Ruby Walsh Willie Mullins Hammer & Trowel Syndicate
2013 Gemix 5 David Cottin Nicolas Bertran de Balanda Mme Francis Teboul
2014 Gemix 6 David Cottin Nicolas Bertran de Balanda Mme Francis Teboul
2015 Un Temps Pour Tout 6 James Reveley David Pipe Tisdall / Drew
2016 Ptit Zig 7 Sam Twiston-Davies Paul Nicholls Fulton / Giles / Webb
2017 L'Ami Serge 7 Daryl Jacob Nicky Henderson Simon Munir & Isaac Souede
2018 De Bon Coeur 5 Kevin Nabet Francois Nicolle Jacques Detre & Haras de Saint-Voir
2019 Benie des Dieux 8 Paul Townend Willie Mullins Susannah Ricci
2020 Paul's Saga [1] 6 Kevin Nabet David Cottin Gerald Laroche

1 The 2020 race was run in October.

Earlier winners
  • 1874 - Jackal
  • 1875 - Borely
  • 1876 - Vichnou
  • 1877 - Miss Lizzie
  • 1878 - Patriarche
  • 1879 - Paul's Cray
  • 1880 - Doublon
  • 1881 - Seaman
  • 1882 - Marc Antony
  • 1883 - Beatus
  • 1884 - Baudres
  • 1885 - Newmarket
  • 1886 - Jannock
  • 1887 - Kersage
  • 1888 - Aladdin
  • 1889 - Vanille
  • 1890 - Saint Claude
  • 1891 - Augure
  • 1892 - Le Gourzy
  • 1893 - Ranville
  • 1894 - Vertige
  • 1895 - Charlatan
  • 1896 - Count Schomberg
  • 1897 - Soliman
  • 1898 - Grandlieu
  • 1899 - Kerym
  • 1900 - General Peace
  • 1901 - Monsieur Piperlin
  • 1902 - Bebe *
  • 1903 - Nivolet
  • 1904 - Hipparque
  • 1905 - Karakoul
  • 1906 - Fragilite
  • 1907 - Chi Lo Sa
  • 1908 - Ingenu
  • 1909 - Herisson II
  • 1910 - Blagueur II
  • 1911 - Carpe Diem
  • 1912 - Balscadden
  • 1913 - Galafron
  • 1914 - Lilium
  • 1915–18 - no race
  • 1919 - Saint Tudwal
  • 1920 - Chaud
  • 1921 - Forearm
  • 1922 - Fauche le Pre
  • 1923 - Onyx II
  • 1924 - Arrowhead
  • 1925 - Rocking Chair
  • 1926 - Histoire de Rire
  • 1927 - Lannilis
  • 1928 - Don Zuniga
  • 1929 - Largo
  • 1930 - Le Bouif
  • 1931 - Baoule
  • 1932 - Pour le Roi
  • 1933 - Lands End
  • 1934 - Lord Byron
  • 1935 - Robin des Bois
  • 1936 - Cerealiste
  • 1937 - Evohe II
  • 1938 - Evohe II *
  • 1939 - Royal Kidney
  • 1940 - no race
  • 1941 - Short
  • 1942 - Lycoming
  • 1943 - Ludovic le More
  • 1944 - Wild Risk
  • 1945 - Wild Risk
  • 1946 - Vatelys
  • 1947 - Le Paillon
  • 1948 - Septieme Ciel
  • 1949 - Nigra
  • 1950 - Amati
  • 1951 - Verdi
  • 1952 - Prince Hindou
  • 1953 - Frascati
  • 1954 - Sicie
  • 1955 - Elegant
  • 1956 - Mehariste
  • 1957 - Romantisme
  • 1958 - Loreto
  • 1959 - Friendship
  • 1960 - Poutje Elday
  • 1961 - Choute
  • 1962 - Miror
  • 1963 - Ouf
  • 1964 - Santo Pietro
  • 1965 - Ketch
  • 1966 - Pansa
  • 1967 - Rivoli
  • 1968 - Orvilliers
  • 1969 - Gopal

* Mr Quilp finished first in 1902 but was disqualified.
* Porthos finished first in 1938 but was relegated to third place following a Stewards' Inquiry.

See also

References
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