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Malleret History: A broodmares' academy

13 July 2021

Malleret History: A broodmares' academy

Photo scoopdyga.com

June, Saint-Cloud*

Prix de Malleret

 

Group 2, 3-year-old fillies, 2,400m/12f, €130,000

Created in 1907

Last winner: Vaucelles (f3, FRA by Le Havre ex Vaunoise, by Teofilo), owned by Gérard Augustin-Normand, bred by Franklin Finance, trained by Pascal Bary, ridden by Christophe Soumillon.

Record-time: 2’28’’0, par Wemyss Bight (1993) then Another Dancer (1998), at ParisLongchamp. Best time at Saint-Cloud (since 2001) is Testostérone in 2011: 2’28’’6.

In 2021, the Prix de Malleret will be run for the 110th time.

 

The 2020 edition

Tuesday, July 14, ParisLongchamp. - The Prix de Malleret (Gr2), a 3-year-old fillies race run over 1m4f, produced a fascinating finish. On the post, Vaucelles (Le Havre), bred and owned by Gérard Augustin-Normand, managed to take almost a length over the British raider Oriental Mystique (Kingman), who had gone from 5th and last to first entering the straight and long looked like the winner but was finally unable to hold her faster rival.

2.5 lengths behind, Mozzarella (Power) managed to take over the favourite Bonne Idée (Frankel) for 3rd place.

Trained at Chantilly by Pascal Bary, Vaucelles had won well for her debut in may in Deauville over 1m2f, beating a favourite that proved disappointing later on. As for Vaucelles, she went on to finish 4th in the Saxon Warrior Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary (Gr1), running green and opened to further progress. For her first time over such a long distance, she beat the Prix du Lys boys by 1.5 seconds.

Vaucelles is the 2nd foal out of Vaunoise (Teofilo), winner of four races and also the dam of the unraced Campagnolles (Le Havre), sold for €7,000 at the Arqana Breeding sales last December.

A 2yo colt by Le Havre is in training with Jérôme Reynier and there a Caravaggio filly born in 2019 to follow.

 

History

It was in 1907 that the Prix de Malleret, up until then contested over a course of 1 mile and open to both 3-year-old colts and fillies, was set aside solely for fillies as a consolation event for the Prix de Diane – run ten days earlier over a mile and 2 1/2 furlongs. Consequently, in 1907, La Belle II, Anémone II and Ad Gloriam, having come 3rd, 4th and 5th in the Prix de Diane, lined up in this new-format Prix de Malleret, where they finished 2nd, 3rd and 4th (but in reverse order) after being outstripped by a newcomer, Aux Armes, who would later foal the 1914 Prix de Diane winner, Alerte VI.

With one exception (1 mile 1 ¾ furlong in 1970), the distance remained unchanged for eight decades. It was only in 1987 that it was increased to a mile and a half, its current distance. For a long time, Longchamp was the sole venue for the Prix de Malleret, which was only switched to Maisons-Laffitte in 1943 and 1944 due to war, but from 2001, the race relocated to Saint-Cloud to reinforce the Grand Prix day race card. In 2020, however, it was run later in the season at ParisLongchamp because of the coronavirus which affected the 1st semester.

The Prix de Malleret honours list includes the names of many mares renowned for their performance on the track or at stud. These include: in 1920 Lasarte (dam of Thor, Jockey Club), in 1921 Ad Gloriam II (grandmother of Le Pacha), in 1926 Carissima (dam of the famous Pharis), in 1929 Calandria (Prix Royal Oak, Prix Vermeille), in 1935 Samos (Arc de Triomphe), in 1937 Barberybush (grandmother of Right Royal), in 1944 La Belle du Canet (Prix Vermeille), in 1947 Madelon (3rd in Arc de Triomphe), in 1955 Picounda (3rd in Arc de Triomphe), in 1957 Denisy (2nd in Arc de Triomphe), in 1969 Glaneuse (dam of Gold River), in 1972 Licata (dam of Acamas and Akiyda), in 1973 Virunga (dam of Vin de France, grandmother of Victoire Bleue), in 1989 Young Mother (Prix Vermeille), in 1990 Miss Alleged (Breeders' Cup Turf), in 1991 Magic Night (Prix Vermeille), in 1993 Wemyss Bight (Irish Oaks), in 1999 Sage et Jolie (mother of Sageburg), in 2002 Pearly Shells (Prix Vermeille). 

Lune d’Or, dam of Japanese Group winner Fièrement, Royal Highness, dam of the young sire Free Port Lux, or Légèreté, dam of Pilote, also feature in the roll of honour, like the dam of the good Mot Juste, Time On.

Malleret

Malleret is an estate – benefiting from a mild climate, almost always settled – in the Medoc region where its owner Paul Clossmann set up thoroughbred stables and a training ground around 1875. On four occasions, his silks (orange and violet-ringed jersey, black cap) were victorious in the Derby du Midi (main race for 3 year-olds, held at Bordeaux) thanks to Le Mormon (1877), Arnold (1880), Chapeau Rouge (1887) and Saint-Hubert (1888). When Paul Clossmann died, the estate passed into the hands of his sister, Mrs d'Escayrac, who in turn left it to her daughter, Mrs du Vivier. Her husband, Philippe du Vivier de Fay-Solignac, developed the Malleret stable and sold the yearlings it produced. Among those to distinguish themselves were Verte Allure (Grand Steeple-Chase de Dieppe 1928), Tape à l'Œil (Grand Prix du Printemps at Saint-Cloud, 1928), Rais de Cœur (Prix Georges Trabaud at Marseille, 1928) and Pontet Canet (Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville, 1930). Upon the death of Philippe du Vivier, his widow continued to breed horses for a short while, before leasing the stud farm in 1936 to Paul and René Duboscq, who entered into a partnership with her son, Renaud du Vivier. Consequently, Malleret went on to produce La Sorellina (Prix de Diane and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe 1953) and her half-brother Silnet (second in the same edition of the Arc de Triomphe). After the partnership broke up in 1963, Vivier continued breeding horses alone at Malleret, producing La Lagune (Oaks 1968), who was sold as a yearling, and La Manille who, in his own colours, had an excellent season in 1971, clinching the Prix Messaline, coming 2nd in the Prix Pénélope and Prix Pomone and 3rd in the Oaks. When Vivier passed away in 1985, Malleret was taken over by his nephew Bertrand du Vivier, but when he too died, the domain was sold by his son Alain to a third party who chose not to maintain Malleret’s thoroughbred breeding tradition.


Owners

  • Marcel Boussac (6 wins): Lasarte (1920), Carissima (1926), Bellecour (1927), Argolide (1938), Damaka (1951) et Licata (1972).
  • Khalid Abdullah (5 wins): Wemyss Bight (1993), Bonash (1994), Privity (1995), High Praise (2003) et Treat Gently (2008). 
  • Aga Khan IV (4 wins): Kozana (1985), Shamadara (1996), Ashalanda (2009) et Dolniya (2014).
  • Edouard Martinez de Hoz (4 wins): Lucide (1925), Calandria (1929), Merveille (1930) et Fair Dolly (1948).


Trainers

  • André Fabre (9 wins): Zoumorrod (1987), Wemyss Bight (1993), Bonash (1994), Sage et Jolie (1995), Diamilina (2001), Légèreté (2007), Treat Gently (2008), Strathspey (2017), Waldlied (2018)
  • Frank Carter (6 wins): Allamanda (1911), Lucide (1925), Calandria (1929), Merveille (1930), Samos (1935), Barberybush (1937). 
  • Pascal Bary (5 wins): Miss Alleged (1990), Privity (1995), Royal Highness (2005), Testostérone (2011), Vaucelles (2020).
  • François Boutin (4 wins): Antrona (1976), Calderina (1978), Grease (1982), Trishyde (1992).
  • Christiane Head (4 wins): Reine Mathilde (1984), Animatrice (1988), Silver Fun (1997), America (2000).
  • Alain de Royer-Dupré (4 wins): Kozana (1985), Shamadara (1996), Ashalanda (2009), Dolniya (2014).


Riders

  • Charles-Henri Semblat (7 wins): Edera (1923), Lucide (1925), Carissima (1926), Calandria (1929), Merveille (1930), Nantua (1931), Samos (1935).
  • Olivier Peslier (5 wins): Privity (1995), Sage et Jolie (1995), Diamilina (2001), Time On (2006), Légèreté (2007).
  • Yves Saint-Martin (4 wins): Mirna (1964), Virunga (1973), Leandra (1981), Kozana (1985).