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Hypothèse Hurdle Race history: A tribute to the Auteuil soldiers

24 March 2024

Hypothèse Hurdle Race history: A tribute to the Auteuil soldiers

Photo Losange Bleu: scoopdyga.com

March, Auteuil

Hypothèse Hurdle Race

Group 3, 5-year-olds and above, Hurdle Race, 3,900m/19.5f, €135,000

Created in 1888

Last winner: Losage Bleu (g5 FRA by Martaline ex Sweet Valrose, by Cadoudal), owned by Mrs. Patrick Papot, bred by Mrs. Patrick Papot, trained by Dominique Bressou, ridden by Johnny Charron.

The race will be run in 2025 for the 92nd time

The 2024 edition

Sunday, 24 March 2024, Auteuil Racecourse (Paris) – Out since his triumph in the Renaud du Viver 4yo Hurdle Race (Gr1) last November, Losange Bleu (Martaline) faced his elders for the first time in his 5yo bow at Auteuil in the €135,000 Hypothèse Hurdle Race (Gr3). Despite being the favourite, he didn’t quite have the chance to gauge the quality of his older competitors as he immediately took the lead, solo in front, and was the first to clear all twelve hurdles of the 19.5f race, ultimately winning by two lengths over the 5-year-old AQPS mare July Flower (Pastorius), whom he had already beat in the autumn, and who had just finished 2nd in her return to Auteuil in the Juigné Hurdle (Gr3).

As we await the return of Thélème, the discipline leader and the previous Hypothèse winner, and with less than two months to go until the €390,000 Racing TV Grande Course de Haies d’Auteuil (Gr1), the newcomers seem to be dominating the scene, but the game is far from over!

Losange Bleu’s dam, Sweet Valrose (Cadoudal), placed twice in hurdles at three, at Enghien and Auteuil, under the colours of Vicenzo Esposito. She then produced several winners before coming under the control of the Papot family. Losange Vert (Montmartre) was her first foal under this label and distinguished himself by winning the Duc d’Anjou 4yo Chase (Gr3). Following Losange Bleu, she gave birth to Losange Vert Bleu (Night Wish), winner of his first two hurdle races this winter at Pau and recent 2nd in the d’Indy 4yo Hurdle Race (Gr3).

In June 2022 at Arqana, the maiden Vicenza Mia (Fuissé), sister to Losange Bleu, was sold for €43,000 to Donal White, in foal to Montmartre.

 

History

This event was first run in 1888 to honour the memory of Hypothèse, a mare who, while undoubtedly valiant, was nonetheless a modest performer. The first Prix Hypothèse, a steeplechase held at Auteuil on 21 June 1888, involved only three starters, two of whom suffered falls, leaving a horse named Ophir to canter home. The Prix Hypothèse remained a steeplechase until 1926 when "due to none of the declared horses having attended, the race was cancelled". Then in 1927, the Prix Hypothèse was changed into a hurdles race held early in the season. Due to the slimming down of the Auteuil race card during the Second World War and also on account of bad weather, the Prix Hypothèse has been cancelled several times. Consequently, the race was not held in 1929, from 1940 to 1945 and in 1956.

In 2020, the Hypothèse Hurdle race was run in June at Compiègne because of the lockdown on Parisian racecourses due to the coronavirus epidemic.

Hypothèse, the mare

A bay brown female born in 1873 to The Peer and Ronce (Buckthorn) and bred by M. Teisseire at Faÿ in the Oise region, Hypothèse won nineteen races in ninety-six outings. In the autumn of her second year, she ran twice without success in the colours of Edgar de La Charme.

At 3, she unsuccessfully contested nine claiming races, during the course of which she was purchased by the trainer Richard Count. He started her off over the hurdles at Laon in August, where she finished second. In her eleventh and last attempt at the speciality in late November, she won a claiming race at Vésinet after which Count bought her back for 3,110 F.

As a 4-year-old, Hypothèse contested no less than twenty-five races. Eight victories (one over the hurdles, seven in steeplechases) brought some recognition for a very modest career. Four of her wins were obtained at Auteuil, three at Vésinet and one at Angers, for three different owners.

At the age of 5, Hypothèse soldiered on valiantly with twenty-one more races at a slightly higher level, that of the minor handicaps, on behalf of three owners. She picked up four wins at Auteuil, two for Sir Edouard, one for the Comte d'Evry and one for Camille Blanc. Bizarrely, in her first two races of the season, the mare changed name, being rechristened Huitaine-ex Hypothèse before becoming the real mouthful of Hypothèse-ex Huitaine-ex Hypothèse.

The age of 6 brought no let-up for Hypothèse, who contested eighteen more races, obtaining five victories, one at Auteuil, two at Vésinet and two at La Marche, four on behalf of Camille Blanc and one for M. Delhomme who had bought her in another claimer.

A last season of racing as a 7-year-old saw Hypothèse go to post ten times, being placed only once but also recording one victory at Le Havre in late July in a race reserved for amateur riders. In her last-ever appearance at Le Mail (La Chapelle-en-Serval) on 20 November, she failed to be placed in a steeplechase claimer in the silks of Camille Blanc. Subsequently, she embarked upon a career as a broodmare, which proved no more inspiring than her racing career.

 

Owners

  • Georges Blizniansky (3 wins): Monkiss (1974), Maiymad (1982), Bayolidaan (1989).
  • Catherine Coiffier (3 wins) : L'Autonomie (2020, 2021, 2022).
  • Marquis de Triquerville (2 wins): Sarlat (1947), Skiff (1955).
  • Mrs. Cino Del Duca (2 wins): Endless (1978, 1979).
  • Ms. Claude Portefin (2 wins) : Marittimo (1983, 1984).
  • Mr. & Mrs. Gilbert Gallot (2 wins): Royal Chance (1994), Royale Athenia (2006).
  • Sean Mulryan (2 wins): Cyrlight (2005), Zaiyad (2007).
  • Magalen Bryant (2 wins): Blue Dragon (2016), Device (2017).
  • Jacques Détré & Haras de Saint-Voir (2 wins): De Bon Cœeur (2018, 2019).
  • Mrs. Patrick Papot (2 wins) : Dos Santos (2015), Losange Bleu (2024). 

 

Trainers

  • Jean-Paul Gallorini (6 wins): Video Tape (1985), Bedava (1996), Matinée Lover (2000), Nickname (2004), Roi du Val (2011), Formosa Johana Has (2012).
  • René Pelat (5 wins): Licinio (1937), Valentin (1953), Arras (1959), Endless (1978, 1979).
  • François Nicolle (5 wins): De Bon Cœur (2018, 2019), L'Autonomie (2020, 2021, 2022).
  • Georges Pelat (4 wins): Tricolore (1951), Campéador II (1952), Vatelman (1957), Dernier Carat (1964).
  • André Adèle (4 wins): Variable (1961), Silfol (1962), Carafon (1969), Monkiss (1974).
  • Bernard Sécly (4 wins): Baraka du Diable (1975), Aubisque (1992), Kadalko (1993), El Paso III (1997).
  • Jean Lesbordes (3 wins): Bayolidaan (1989), Matchou (1995), Nononito (1998).
  • Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé (4 wins): Cyrlight (2005), Zaiyad (2007), Or Noir de Somoza (2009), Thélème (2023).  

 

Riders

  • Michel Chirol (4 wins): Ita Caabo (1970 dead-heat), Green Shoon (1972), Maiymad (1982), Grand Argentier (1986).
  • Dominique Vincent (3 wins): Bayolidaan (1989), Tongan (1990), Discover d’Auteuil (1999).
  • Angleo Zuliani (3 wins): L'Autonomie (2020, 2021, 2022).
  • Guy Négrel (2 wins): Endless (1978, 1979).
  • Patrick Sabarly (2 wins): Marittimo (1983, 1984).
  • Didier Mescam (2 wins): Aubisque (1992), Matchou (1995).
  • Jean-Yves Beaurain (2 wins) : Kadalko (1993), El Paso III (1997).
  • Christophe Pieux (2 wins): Cyrlight (2005), Vitray (2010).
  • Jacques Ricou (2 wins): Zaiyad (2007), Or Noir de Somoza (2009).
  • David Cottin (2 wins): Gemix (2013), Blue Dragon (2016).
  • Bertrand Lestrade (2 wins): Dos Santos (2015), Device (2017).