Prix de la Nonette History: The way to the Vermeille

August, Deauville

SHADWELL PRIX DE LA NONETTE

Group 2, 3-year-old Fillies, 2,000m, €90,000

Created in 1952

Last winner: Tawkeel (f3, GB by Teofilo ex Rafaadah, by Oasis Dream), owned by Hamdan Al Maktoum, bred by Shadwell Estate, trained by Jean-Claude Rouget, ridden by Cristian Demuro.

Record-time: 2'5''9, Sobestu (2017)

The race is run in 2021 for the 70th time

The 2020 edition

Saturday, 22 August 2020, Deauville. - The main attraction, on paper, of this Shadwell Prix de La Nonette (Gr2), a 3-year-old fillies race over 10f used as a prep race for the main Autumn events, went to the odds-on favourite Tawkeel (Teofilo), winner in the spring of the Saxon Warrior Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary (Gr1). She took over Tickle Me Green (Sea the Moon), who had challenged her early, and scored by half a length, but cosily, as Alkandora (Nathaniel) finished well in third.

The race was led by English raider Frankel’s Storm (Frankel), who leaned outside on her own in the backstretch and accelerated going off the bend. Tawkeel, who hadn't lost her trail until then, came easily by but was for a moment seriously threatened by her rival Tickle Me Green, who finally gave in close to the finish line, unlike Alkandora, who ran on well in third.

Trained by Jean-Claude Rouget in Deauville, bred by her owner, Tawkeel is unbeaten in five races now, including the Saxon Warrior Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary (Gr1). She left the Prix de Diane Longines (Gr1) to her stablemate Raabihah and is entered in the Prix de l'Opéra Longines (Gr1).

Tawkeel is the first foal out of Rafaadah (Oasis Dream), winner at 2 years of the Grand Critérium de Bordeaux (L) and herself out of the good Joanna (High Chaparral), winner of the Prix du Calvados (Gr3)  at 2, and also of the Prix de Sandringham (Gr3) and Porte Maillot (Gr3) after taking a third place in the Poule d'Essai (Gr1).

Click here to read the sectional timing of the race.

History

Although never held at the Condé’s racecourse, this race owes its name to a small river which crosses the Chantilly estate and village.

The race was created in 1952 in order to serve as a trial for the Prix Vermeille, which was run two weeks later at the time. The Prix de la Nonette was organised at Longchamp from 1952 to 1979, in 1984 and 1985 and from 1989 to 1991. It was switched to Deauville between 1980 and 1983 and from 1986 to 1988, before taking up a permanent base there in 1992.

The race’s distance has undergone several changes: 1 mile 3 furlongs from 1952 to 1958, 12 furlongs in 1959 and 1960, 1 mile 2 ½ furlongs from 1961 to 1979, and 10 furlongs since 1980.

As of 2006, the race was sponsored by "Darley ", but in 2011 the Prix de la Nonette was elevated to Group 2 status and got a new sponsor, Shadwell – the name of Sheik Hamdan Al Maktoum’s stud farm.

The Prix de la Nonette’s role as a trial for the Prix Vermeille has been fulfilled many times. Twenty-three winners of the Prix de la Nonette have finished among the first three in the Prix Vermeille. Eight times in 1st place: Lezghinka (1960), Pistol Packer (1971), Paulista (1974), Ivanjica (1975), Kamicia (1977), Sharaya (1983), Northern Trick (1984) and Pearly Shells (2002); eight times 2nd: Yasmin (1956), Denisy (1957), Bubunia (1966), Pola Bella (1968), Leandra (1981), Fitnah (1985), Sierra Roberta (1989) and Diamilina (2001); six times 3rd: Djelouba (1958), La Bergerette (1961), Pitasia (1979), Detroit (1980), Grease (1982), Zainta (1998) and Tasaday (2013). Although she did not take part in the Prix Vermeille, the winner of the Prix de la Nonette in 2010, Lily of the Valley, went on to win the Prix de l’Opéra (Gr1) and finished the year undefeated. More recently, Tasaday (2013) and Jazzi Top (2015) both finished 3rd in the Opéra after winning the Nonette.

Owners

• Aga Khan IV (3 wins): Sharaya (1983), Shemaka (1993), Zainta (1998).
• Jean-Luc Lagardère (3 wins): Karmiska (1987), Luna Wells (1996), Diamilina (2001).
• Mohammed Al Maktoum, Darley and Godolphin (3 wins): Color Chart (1990), Grafin (1994), Tashelka (2007), Tasaday (2013), Sobetsu (2017).
• Antonio Caro (3 wins): Viane Rose (2005), Avenir Certain (2014), La Cressonnière (2016).
• Paul Buquet (2 wins): Chimère Fabuleuse (1954), Matchiche II (1959).
• Mrs. Cino Del Duca (2 wins): Royal Girl (1963), Tinganève (1965).
• Mrs. François Dupré (2 wins): Bubunia (1966) and Pola Bella (1968).
• Jacques Wertheimer (2 wins): Ivanjica (1975) and Animatrice (1988).
• Thierry de Zuylen de Nyevelt (2 wins): Leandra (1981) and State of Art (2003).
• Gérard Augustin-Normand (2 wins): Avenir Certain (2014), La Cressonnière (2016).

Trainers

• André Fabre (7 wins): Sierra Roberta (1989), Color Chart (1990), Luna Wells (1996), Diamilina (2001), Grey Lilas (2004), Tashelka (2007), Romantica (2012), Tasaday (2013) .
• Jean-Claude Rouget (7 wins): Star of Akkar (1999), Viane Rose (2005), Germance (2006), Lily of the Valley (2010), Avenir Certain (2014), La Cressonnière (2016), Tawkeel (2020).
• Etienne Pollet (3 wins): Harbor Grace (1952), Salinas (1962), Silver Cloud (1967).
• François Mathet (3 wins): La Bergerette (1961), Bubunia (1966), Pola Bella (1968).
• François Boutin (3 wins): Grease (1982), Northern Trick (1984), Grafin (1994).
• Alain de Royer-Dupré (3 wins): Sharaya (1983), Shemaka (1993), Zainta (1998).
• Christiane Head (3 wins): Fitnah (1985), Animatrice (1988), Matiara (1995).
• John Gosden (3 wins): Charity Belle (2009), Jazzi Top (2015), Terebellum (2019)

Riders

• Freddy Head (6 wins): Hecuba (1969), Pistol Packer (1971), Detroit (1980), Fitnah (1985), Grafin (1994), Matiara (1995).
• Yves Saint-Martin (5 wins): Bubunia (1966), Pola Bella (1968), Rescousse (1972), Paulista (1974), Sharaya (1983).
• Gérald Mossé (5 wins): Karmiska (1987), River Nymph (1992), Shemaka (1993), Zainta (1998), Dream Peace (2011).
• Louis Heurteur (3 wins): Chimère Fabuleuse (1954), Djelouba (1958), Lezghinka (1960).
• Gary Moore (3 wins): Ivanjica (1975), Grease (1982), Animatrice (1988).
• Cash Asmussen (3 wins): Northern Trick (1984), Sierra Roberta (1989), Color Chart (1990).