Porte Maillot History: The specialists

June-July, ParisLongchamp

Prix de la Porte Maillot

Group 3, 3-year-olds and above, 1,400m/7f, €56,000

Created in 1867

Last winner: Space Blues (h4, IRE by Dubawi ex Miss Lucifer, by Noverre), owned by Godolphin, bred by Godolphin, trained by Charlie Appleby, ridden by Mickaël Barzalona.

Record-time: 1’18’’3 par Lucky Strike (2003).

The Prix de la Porte Maillot in its current form will be run in 2021 for the 70^th time

The 2020 edition

Thursday, June 25, 2020, ParisLongchamp. - As planned, the Godolphin team led the final stages of the Prix de la Porte Maillot (Gr3), over 7 furlongs.

Led fast by ex-British horse Azano (Oasis Dream), followed by Stunning Spirit (Invincible Spirit) and the favourite Space Blues (Dubawi), the race really took its shape two furlongs out as D’Bai (Dubawi), Space Blues' stablemate at Charlie Appleby's yard, moved out to challenge the leaders. The two Godolphin horses soon took over and while Azano was fading, Stunning Spirit was holding. Without being able to really get rid of D'Bai, Space Blues won by a good length with Stunning Spirit staying on in 3rd at half a length. Grace Spirit (Invincible Spirit) finished well in 4th.

No 3-year-old was in even though 4 of the 5 previous winners were of that age.

With a 115lbs rating, the winner was the best-rated runner in the race. He had finished in the three first of his seven races in 2019 bar one, the first of the season. He had been 2nd in the Jersey Stakes (Gr3), 2nd in the Prix Jean Prat (Gr1) and 3rd in the Prix Maurice de Gheest (Gr1). Out between August and March, he had failed on his way back at Meydan but had won nicely at Haydock for his return in Europe on June 7th over the same trip.

His dam Miss Lucifer (Noverre) was bred in France by Gainsborough Stud. A Group 2 winner over 7 furlongs at Newmarket, she also foaled Shuruq (Elusive Quality), a Group winner in Turkey and Dubai, the dam of Antoinette (Hard Spun), twice Group-placed in ethe United States this season.

History

Since 1867, Longchamp’s springtime race card has featured a Prix de la Porte Maillot, named after the gate separating Paris from the town of Neuilly and from where the Avenue de Longchamp leads off to the racecourse. And in its own right, the Porte Maillot is a well-known location in the history of racing, for it was here that a national stud station (six thoroughbreds), the stables of Drake (a horse trader) and those of another Englishman, Palmer, both a trainer and landlord of a sort of club "Palmer’s New Betting Rooms" where bets were placed, were all located back in 1836. In addition, Porte Maillot is the name of a filly who, in 1912, won the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches and came second in the Prix de Diane in the colours of her breeder Edmond Blanc.

For a long time a minor event on Longchamp’s annual race card, the Prix de la Porte Maillot grew in stature in 1952 when it was added to the prestigious Grand Prix de Paris meeting on the last Sunday in June. It was intended to pit sprinters and milers against their elders over an intermediate distance (7 furlongs). Run for three years (1952, 1953 and 1954) over the mile, the Prix de la Porte Maillot has, since 1955, been contested over 7 furlongs on the “new track” at Longchamp, a racecourse to which it has remained loyal. Twice, it has given rise to a dead heat: in 1993, between two 3 year-old fillies, Nidd and Borodislew; and in 2005, between a pair of 4 year-olds, England’s Brunel and France’s Coupe de Champe. 

In the meetings between 3 year-olds and their elders, youth has prevailed 42 times and lost out to experience on 29 occasions (there have been two dead heats). The race’s winners’ list features the names of some excellent horses. In the first two years, the race went to the winners of the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, Guersant (1952) and Cobalt (1953). Then came victories for Verrières (1956), Balbo (1957), Linacre (1963), Kirkland Lake (1964), The Marshal (1965), Soleil (1966), Dedini (1967), Faraway Son (1971), Sallust (1972), El Rastro (1974), Polyponder (1977), Exclusive Order (1982), Never So Bold (1984), Balbonella (1987), Gabina (1989), Cherokee Rose (1995), Occupandiste (1997), Marchand d’Or (2006, 2007) and Moonlight Cloud (2011, 2013).

The shorter distances being more sought after across the Channel than in France, the Prix de la Porte Maillot has often attracted overseas runners. Their first win was recorded in 1963 by Ireland’s Linacre. Since then, they have been victorious 16 times, courtesy of Great Heron (1970), Sallust (1972), Boldboy (1973), Luck of the Draw (1980), Never So Bold (1984), Dilum (1992), Unblest (1994), A Magicman (1996), Tumbleweed Ridge (1999), Josr Algarhoud (2000), Tertullian (2001), Lucky Strike (2003), Brunel (2005, dead heat), Smooth Operator (2009), Sommerabend (2014) and Space Blues (2020). Incidentally, Lucky Strike, who holds the record time for the race (see above), is the first Dutch-trained horse to triumph in a French pattern race. His trainer was Jan Pubben.
 

Owners

• Wildenstein family (4 wins): Verrières (1956), Balbo (1957) for Georges, Faraway Son (1971), El Rastro (1974) for Daniel.
• Guy de Rothschild (3 wins): Guersant (1952), Cobalt (1953), Soleil (1966).
• Hamdan Al Maktoum (3 wins): Joanna (2010), Mashoora (2012), Efaadah (2018).
• Wertheimer & Frère (3 wins): Occupandiste (1997), Charming Groom (2004), Polydream (2019).
• Sheikh Mohammed/Godolphin (3 wins): Cherokee Rose (1995), Inns of Court (2017), Space Blues (2020).
• Michael Sobell (2 wins): Sallust (1972), Luck of the Draw (1980).
• Ms. Alec Head (2 wins): Hamada (1975), Blue Note (1988).
• Khalid Abdullah (2 wins): Nidd (1993, dead-heat), War Zone (2002).
• Mrs. Jean-Louis Giral (2 wins): Marchand d'Or (2006, 2007).
• George Srawbridge (2 wins): Moonlight Cloud (2011, 2013).

Trainers

• Freddy Head (7 wins): Charming Groom (2004), Marchand d'Or (2006, 2007), Moonlight Cloud (2011, 2013), Efaadah (2018), Polydream (2019).
• Christiane Head (6 wins): Vilikaia (1985), Balbonella (1987), Blue Note (1988), Funambule (1990), Borodislew (1993, dead-heat), Occupandiste (1997).
• André Fabre (5 wins): Nidd (1993, dead-heat), War Zone (2002), Joyful Trinity (2015), Jimmy Two Times (2016), Inns of Court (2017).
• Geoffroy Watson (3 wins): Guersant (1952), Cobalt (1953), Soleil (1966).
• Percy Carter (3 wins): Falstaff (1954), Verrières (1956), Balbo (1957).
• William R. Hern (3 wins): Sallust (1972), Boldboy (1973), Luck of the Draw (1980).
• Jacques-Charles Cunnington (3 wins): Polyponder (1977), Gosport (1981), Gabina (1989).
   

Jockeys

• Freddy Head (4 wins): Dedini (1967), African Joy (1983), Vilikaia (1985), Funambule (1990).
• Jean Massard (3 wins): Shut Up (1958), Tertullien (1961), Prince Altana (1962).
• Jean Deforge (3 wins): Radjah (1959), Beginning (1960), Soleil (1966).
• Cash Asmussen (3 wins): Northern Premier (1986), Unblest (1994), Cherokee Rose (1995).
• Thierry Jarnet (3 wins): Nidd (1993, dead-heat), Moonlight Cloud (2011, 2013).
• Davy Bonilla (3 wins): Charming Groom (2004), Marchand d'Or (2006, 2007).
• Mickaël Barzalona (3 wins): Joyful Trinity (2015), Inns of Court (2017), Space Blues (2020).