Cleopatre History: Handle with care

May, Saint-Cloud

Prix Cléopâtre

Group 3, 3yo Fillies, 2,100m/11f, €80,000

Created in 1952

Last winner: Place du Carrousel (f3, IRE by Lope de Vega ex Traffic Jam, by Duke of Marmalade), owned by Al Shaqab Racing & Ballylinch Stud, bred by Ballylinch Stud, Alexis & Fan Adamian, trained by André Fabre, ridden by Mickaël Barzalona.

Record-time: 2’08’’0 by Galikova in 2011.

The race is run in 2023 for the 72nd time

The 2022 edition

Friday, April 29, 2022, Saint-Cloud Racecourse (Hauts-de-Seine). - The Prix Cléopâtre (Gr3) has not been the most successful French Oaks trial lately, but many winners went on to become major players, such as Etoile (Siyouni), a Gr1 winner in Canada, Baltic Baroness (Shamardal) or Galikova (Galileo), winners of the Prix Vermeille (Gr1), or Dalkala (Giant’s Causeway), who took the Prix de l’Opéra (Gr1).

The Cléopâtre/Diane double could well be for Place du Carrousel (Lope de Vega), whose win is quite remarkable for two reasons. After her debut 2nd place over the all-weather at 2, she's come back two weeks ago and won easily by two lengths at Fontainebleau but was bumped by another runner after the post, which apparently did not bother her that much. She was the favourite in this Prix Cléopâtre, and was first held in the rear, leaving Regalis (Dubawi) to lead the field. Outpaced early in the final straight, she finally found momentum and joined her stablemate for Al Shaqab Racing, Samahram (Sea The Moon), and took over to score by almost a length while behind the Al Shaqab exacta, the only foreigner in the race, also a Liest-winner at Newmarket, Kawida (Sir Percy) finished third after trailing Samahram.

Place du Carrousel is by the Prix du Jockey Club winner Lope de Vega (Shamardal) out of Traffic Jam (Duke of Marmalade), a multiple Listed and Group-placed, when trained by Nicolas Clément who saddled her to win the Prix du Conseil de Paris (Gr2). Nicolas Clément also trained Place du Carrousel's Dubawi sister Dubawi, aged 2, Nariman Point.

These two first foals out of Traffic Jam proved very popular in the sales. Place du Carrousel was sold for €260,000 to Mandore International Agency for Al Shaqab Racing at Arqana. The following year, at Goffs, Tina Rau Bloodstock paid €200,000 € for the younger sister.

This bloodline counts many performers, with the likes of the 4th dam Hiwaayati (Shadeed), also the dam of Hoity Toity (Darshaan), who gave Lillie Langtry (Danehill), a dual Group 1-winner, also the dam of the great Minding (Galileo) and ’Empress Josephine (Galileo).

History

Races to fillies in France generally bear the name of a mythological goddess (Diane, Astarté, Minerve, Pomone, etc.). But when it created this contest for 3-year-old fillies in 1952 at its Saint-Cloud racecourse, the Société Sportive d’Encouragement instead delved into the history books, to name the race after the famous Egyptian queen, Cleopatra (69 BC - 30 BC), who put an end to her tumultuous life by allowing herself to be bitten by a snake. Thankfully, the existence of the Prix Cléopâtre has been much more settled. Its 1 mile 2 ½ furlong distance has remained unchanged and the race has only been moved on three occasions, to Maisons-Laffitte in 1990, Evry in 1991 and Lyon-Parilly in 2020 because of the CoVid-19 restrictions.

Cleopatra and Diane
The winners of the Prix Cléopâtre have not shone particularly brightly in the Prix de Diane Longines, garnering a meagre total of 10 places in the first three at Chantilly. In 1st place: Cerisoles (1957) and Pawneese (1976). In 2nd place: Banassa (1953) and Galikova (2011). In 3rd place: Carpe Diem (1961), April Run (1981), Paradise (1982), Sandbar (2010), Little Nightingale (2015) and Terrakova (2017). Also worthy of note is the 4th place obtained in 2005 by Vadawina when she suffered an injury near the finish.

Owners

• Aga Khan IV (6 wins): Kalajana (1994), Khalisa (1996), Vadawina (2005), Vadapolina (2007), Dalkala (2012), Shamkala (2014).
• Guy de Rothschild (5 wins): Cerisoles (1957), Azulène (1959), Marella (1960), Alphée (1966), Insolite (1971), Indian Rose (1988).
• Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum (5 wins): Valley of Gold (1995), Allurement (1997), Spring Oak (2001), Sweet Folly (2003), Flying Cloud (2009).
• Wertheimer Family (5 wins): Alexandrie (1983), Brooklyn’s Dance (1991) pour Jacques, Gold Round (2000), Galikova (2011), Terrakova (2017) pour Wertheimer & Frère.
• Marcel Boussac (4 wins): Mahina (1955), Licata (1972), Passiova (1973) et Abalvina (1978).
• Wildenstein Family (3 wins): Pawneese (1976), Garendare (1992) for Daniel, Little Nightingale (2015) for Wildenstein Stables.

Trainers

• André Fabre (13 wins): Wemyss Bight (1993), Valley of Gold (1995), Allurement (1997), Diamonixa (1998), Sunday Picnic (1999), Spring Oak (2001), Vadawina (2005), Alloway (2006), Vadapolina (2007), Flying Cloud (2009), Baltic Baroness (2013), Harajuku (2021), Place du Carrousel (2022).
• François Boutin (6 wins): Lastarria (1969), Péronelle (1970), Feuille Morte (1975), Mabeauté (1979), April Run (1981), Caprarola (1990).
• Geoffroy Watson (5 wins): Cerisoles (1957), Azulène (1959), Marella (1960), Alphée (1966), Insolite (1971).
• Alain de Royer-Dupré (5 wins): Kalajana (1994), Khalisa (1996), Leo’s Starlet (2008), Dalkala (2012), Shamkala (2014).
• Christiane Head (4 wins): Devalois (1985), El Fabulous (1986), Brookly’s Dance (1991), Gold Round (2000).

Riders

• Olivier Peslier (6 wins): Diamonixa (1998), Sunday Picnic (1999), Spring Oak (2001), Turtle Bow (2002), Galikova (2011), Castellar (2018).
• Gérard Thibœuf (3 wins): Doronic (1963), Lastarria (1969), Péronelle (1970).
• Léon Flavien (3 wins): Rès (1964), Ma (1965), Licata (1972).
• Freddy Head (3 wins): Dourdan (1967), Alexandrie (1983), Devalois (1985).
• Philippe Paquet (3 wins): Feuille Morte (1975), Mabeauté (1979), April Run (1981).
• Gérald Mossé (3 wins): Caprarola (1990), Kalajana (1994), Khalisa (1996).
• Thierry Jarnet (3 wins): Valley of Gold (1995), Allurement (1997), Steel Princess (2004).
• Maxime Guyon (3 wins): Flying Cloud (2009), Baltic Baroness (2013), Terrakova (2017).