Paul de Moussac History: The Chantilly Guineas

June, Chantilly

Prix de Paul de Moussac Longines

Group 3, 3-year-old colts and geldings, 1,600m/1m, €56,000

Created in 1909

Last winner: National Service (g3, FRA by Elusive City ex Forces Sweetheart, by Allied Forces), owned by Erika Gilliar, bred by Erika Gilliar, trained by Gavin Hernon, ridden by Tony Piccone.

Record-time (since 1978): 1’35’’3 by Turtle Bowl (2005).

The Prix Paul de Moussac (ex-Prix de la Jonchère) is run in 2021 for the 109^th time, as it is now for the 50^th time.

The 2020 edition

Friday, June 19, 2020, Chantilly. - The 2020 Prix Paul de Moussac Longines (Gr3), for 3-year-old colts and geldings, looked wide open. So were the final stages of the mile race. The favourite Kenway (Galiway), previously fifth in the French Guineas, seemed well on his way to take over National Service (Elusive City) when his saddle slipped, which made him jump near the post, losing momentum and his chance to grab the trophy. He was still second, just holding Charlesquint (Showcasing), convincing at this level after finding himself short of room at the crucial stage.

Brave Shiina (Bated Breath) ran on well from the rear a length behind the top three with King Pacha (Cheer). Oftenwork (Maxios) faded after leading.

The winner had been supplemented to run. This gelding had won for his debut on the Chantilly all-weather, beating a horse who won after that. Second at Saint-Cloud for his comeback on May 19, beaten a head by King Pacha, whom he found here, after having led, he was going up in category but this comeback seems to have been very profitable for him.

The colt was bought for € 28,000 at the Deauville yearling sales in October 2018, when consigned by Anna Sundstrom (Coulonces Sales). His dam is the winner of eight races in Great Britain and the Czech Republic. She gave two winners before National Service, his last foal to date.

History

The Prix de La Jonchere relinquished its original name in 2006 in honour of the well-known owner-breeder Paul de Moussac, who died in 1995.

La Jonchere was the name of a filly who won the Prix de Diane in 1877 and the Prix de La Jonchere was founded in 1909 for three-year-olds and over. The race was held on a course opened the previous year at Longchamp, the "new" right-handed track that started at the Boulogne gate and finished at the second winning post. The Prix de La Jonchere was run over the same seven furlongs at Longchamp for many years, the only exceptions being the period 1915-1918 when it was cancelled because of the First World War, and 1943-1945 when it was switched to Tremblay because of the Second World War. The race continued at Longchamp until 1987 whereupon it was moved to a number of different venues: Chantilly (1987-1989, 1991, 1993); Saint-Cloud (1990 and 1992) and Maisons-Laffitte (1994). It returned to Longchamp in 1995 and 1996 before decamping to Chantilly for good the following year. The initial distance of seven furlongs was extended by half a furlong between 1966 and 1970 and was increased to one mile the year after.

From 1972 onwards the Prix de La Jonchere was restricted to three-year-olds only, with older horses given the opportunity to contest the Prix du Chemin de Fer du Nord. The two races have been on the same card (Prix de Diane) since 2005. The Prix Paul de Moussac (formerly the Prix de La Jonchere) will be run for the 101st time in 2013.

Paul de Moussac (1924-1995)

Although he worked primarily as a shipping broker, Paul de Moussac had inherited his love of the horse world from his grandfather Gaston de Moussac, the manager of a dressage school in La Roche-sur-Yon, and his father Henry de Moussac, a trotter trainer in Vendee. The colours of Paul de Moussac (black and yellow hooped silks, yellow cap) made their first appearance in the winner’s enclosure on 22 April 1962 when Kisling took the Prix du Pont d'Iena, the same horse going on to win a Tiercé, the Prix Jean de Neuflize, in December that year.

Paul de Moussac’s main interest was in breeding and in 1962 he bought a twelve-hectare farm surrounding an attractive manor house on the borders of the Orne and Calvados region. It was here that he built up one of Normandy’s leading stud farms, Mezeray, which also boasted a training annexe. Within a matter of ten years, the Mezeray foals were performing at the very highest level in France, among them Margouillat (1970, Prix Hocquart, Prix Dollar, and third in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe behind Allez France and Comtesse de Loir); Noir et Or (1975, Prix du Conseil de Paris, Grand Prix d'Evry, and fourth in the Prix de Jockey Club), Luth Enchantee (1980, Prix Jacques Le Marois, the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, and third in the Arc de Triomphe), Trempolino (1984, who was just edged out in the Prix du Jockey Club but took the Arc de Triomphe in record time).

Subotica was born in 1988 and went on to sport the colours of Olivier Lecerf after being sold as a yearling to Deauville. Second in the Prix du Jockey Club, he took the Grand Prix de Paris that same year and the following year before reaching the heights with success in the Prix Ganay and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in 1992. That same year also saw the black and yellow hooped silks prevail at the Grand Prix de Paris when Homme de Loi, bought as a yearling in Ireland, came home first. Also in 1992, Apple Tree (1989) took the Turf Classic at Aqueduct, the same horse winning the Coronation Cup, the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and finishing third at the Arc de Triomphe as a five-year-old. In 1993, Mezeray claimed a third second-place finish at the Prix du Jockey Club through Dernier Empereur (1990, by Trempolino), who would go on to take Newmarket’s Champion Stakes as a four-year-old. As well as these champions, three other Paul de Moussac horses, Pampabird (1983), Mill Native (1988) and French Stress (1989), also won the Prix du Chemin de Fer du Nord, held on the same day as the Prix de La Jonchere.

These were the honours Mezeray had amassed by the time of its founder’s death on 21 May 1995. Ever the passionate breeder, Paul de Moussac adopted Mme Jean Couturie’s old saying, "If you are going to breed a winner of a major handicap, then breed one to win the Arc,” as his very own.

La Jonchere

A female bay by Vermout, out of Deliane (The Flying Dutchman), born in 1874 at Auguste Lupin’s stables. It was in his colours that she won five races, two of them as a three-year-old: the Prix Daru and the Prix de Diane, the latter success being the fifth of Lupin’s six triumphs in the "Derby des pouliches" (fillies’ Derby), a record for the race.

It was the astute purchase of the English mare Imperieuse in 1859 that ultimately gave Auguste Lupin La Jonchère and some of his finest homebreds. The winner of the 1,000 Guineas and the St.Leger at Doncaster in 1854 (ahead of Blink Bonny, the heroine of the Oaks and the Derby), Imperieuse gave the stud three fillies, the most famous of which was Deliane. Winner of the Prix de Diane in 1865, Deliane gave three Classic winners, Enguerrande (1873, Poule d’Essai, the Oaks, Cadran, and second in the Prix du Jockey Club), Xaintrailles (1882, Poule d’Essai) and La Jonchere. When La Jonchere was herself sent to stud she foaled several excellent horses who performed well the world over (England, Chile and the USA), the best known of them are, however, two French greys: Filibert de Savoie, the hero of the Grand Prix de Paris in 1920; and Flechois (1918), who claimed two second places in the Grand Prix de Paris and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe from two starts.

Owners

• Wildenstein Family (6 wins): Corviglia (1940) and Verrières (1957) for Georges, Faraway Son (1971), Boxing Day (1990), Freedom Cry (1994) and Android (1996) for Daniel.
• William-K. Vanderbilt (3 wins): Prestissimo II (1909), Oversight (1910) and Maskara (1920).
• Jean Stern (3 wins): Entrechat (1925), Pas de Quatre (1956) and Sweet Home (1958).
• François Dupré (3 wins): Ménétrier (1948, 1949) and Bel Amour (1951).
• Ralph-Beaver Strassburger (3 wins): Luzon (1952, 1953) and Antler (1954).
• Mohammed Al Maktoum (3 wins): Polish Precedent (1989), Sharman (1993) and Grazalema (1999).
• Wertheimer Family (4 wins): Avaray (1976) and Bellypha (1979) for Jacques, Medecis (2002), Anodin (2013) for Wertheimer & Frère. acquired by Wertheimer & Frère with Medecis (2002).
   

Trainers

• André Fabre (9 wins): Polish Precedent (1989), Metal Storm (1991), Sharman (1993), Freedom Cry (1994), Android (1996), Grazalema (1999), Art Master (2004), Mutual Trust (2011 ), Trais Fluors (2017).
• François Mathet (6 wins): Ménétrier (1948, 1949), Bel Amour (1951), Catilina (1963), Lightning (1977) and Mannshour (1978).
• Alec Head (4 wins): Djébé (1950), Satingo (1973), Avaray (1976) and Bellypha (1979).
• Jean-Claude Rouget (4 wins): Gold and Steel (1995), Oiseau de Feu (2009), Xanadou (2012), Zelzal (2018).
• William Duke (3 wins): Prestissimo II (1909), Oversight (1910), Maskara (1920).
• Frank Carter (3 wins): Perdicas (1924), Samphire (1927) and Ambrose Light (1936).
• Georges Bridgland (3 wins): Antler (1954), Trévières (1960) and Nemours (1965).
• Freddy Palmer (3 wins): Contraband (1974), Dandy Lute (1975) and Ruscelli (1980).
• Pascal Bary (3 wins): Soft Currency (1987), Silic (1998) and Arcadia’s Angle (2008).
• Freddy Head (3 wins): Anodin (2013), Charm Spirit (2014), Almanaar (2015).
   

Riders

• Roger Poincelet (6 wins): Fanatique (1944), Ménétrier (1948, 1949), Djébé (1950), Antler (1954), Fiftieth State (1962).
• Freddy Head (6 wins): Lemmy (1967), Daring Display (1972), Satingo (1973), Avaray (1976), Bellypha (1979), What a Guest (1982).
• Yves Saint-Martin (4 wins): Catilina (1963), Calife (1968), Faraway Son (1971) and Ruscelli (1980).
• Cash Asmussen (4 wins): Majuscule (1984), Magical Wonder (1986), Soft Currency (1987) and Polish Precedent (1989).
• Olivier Peslier (4 wins): Freedom Cry (1994), Android (1996), Turtle Bowl (2005), Anodin (2013), Spirit (2014).
• Frank O’Neill (3 wins): Oversight (1910), Le Charmeur (1911) and Maskara (1920).
• Jean-Claude Desaint (3 wins): Contraband (1974), Dandy Lute (1975) and Lou Piguet (1981).
• Christophe-Patrice Lemaire (3 wins): Kentucky Dynamite (2006), Arcadia’s Angle (2008) and Oiseau de Feu (2009).
• Thierry Jarnet (3 wins): Metal Storm (1991), Sharman (1993), Almanaar (2015).