Prix La Force History : A first step on the way to the French Derby

The 2022 edition

April 10, 2022, ParisLongchamp Racecourse (Paris). - Three of the first four home in the Prix Omnium II (L), run three weeks earlier at Saint-Cloud over one mile, were reunited here over 1m1f in the Prix La Force (Gr3). This time, however, Mister Saint Paul (Dariyan), fourth then, kept something over the Omnium II winner Dreamflight (Frankel) who failed by a short head after nagging his rival to the post. Second in Saint-Cloud, Valmer Magic (Gris de Gris) closed fast in third at one length, coming from the rear in a slowly run race.

Bred in France by Annie Delarue, Mister Saint Paul was unsold at € 10,000 as a yearling at the Arqana October sale, then syndicated on the website Iwantthewinner.com for €30,000 in January. He's now owned by nine shareholders : Écurie Bernd & Torsten Raber, Luc Josse, Pierre Klimenko, Daniel Le Fur, Denis Marin, Julien Chevallereau, Noël Raby, Aline Petitgas and Françoise Lasne. Trained by Etienne and Grégoire Leenders, he was placed in his first three races, last Summer, and finished 5th at Saint-Cloud before he won his first graded test over the Prix Isonomy (L) mile at Deauville. This time, he had only come back in the Prix Omnium II.

His Prince Gibraltar sister, aged 4, a winner at Marseilles, was sold at Deauville in February for €13,000 to José Lardot. A Birchwood 2-year-old is in training in the same stable. A Seahenge filly follows.

History

This race was first run at Longchamp in 1910 in memory of the Duke de La Force, an eminent member of the Société d’Encouragement. Open for a long time to 3-year-olds and their elders, it was not until 1950 that the Prix La Force was reserved exclusively for 3-year-olds in order to serve as a possible trial for the Prix du Jockey Club.

The distance was altered a few times between 9 to 13 furlongs. It is set at 9 furlongs since 2017. The Prix La Force was run at Chantilly in 2001 and in 2002 pour Chantilly, at Saint-Cloud the two following years, and at Chantilly in 2016 and in 2017 during ParisLongchamp's building. 

Winners of the Prix La Force can boast four successes in the Prix du Jockey Club: Sassafras (1970), Dream Well (1998) and Holding Court (2000) and Saonois (2012); three in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe: Puissant Chef (1960), Topyo (1967) and Sassafras (1970); one in the Grand Prix de Paris: Vespone (2003); and one in the Breeders’ Cup Turf: Kotashaan (1993).

Duc de La Force (1840-1909)

During his diplomatic career, the Duc de La Force (Bertrand Nompar de Caumont) served as French embassy secretary in London, where he gained knowledge of the English racing scene and became one of the most valued friends of King Edward VII. An accomplished horseman, he was for a long time a member of the jury of the Société Hippique Française. Under his title of Marquis de Caumont and his colours of black jersey and white cap, he joined forces with the trainer Henry Jennings to race several horses. The best ones were Aurore (1871, with 17 wins in his colours, including two English handicaps – at Newmarket and Leicester –, who went on to foal Achille, a 2^nd-place finisher in the Prix du Jockey Club in 1889), Colchique (1872, 2^nd in the Poule d’Essai and the Prix Daru), Giboulée (1874, 13 victories as a 3 and 4-year-old) and Mademoiselle Mars (1877, Prix du Petit Couvert and Prix du Gros Chêne). Made a deputy member of the Société d’Encouragement committee in 1880, he became an executive member in 1892, and also served as a steward for three years, between 1898 and 1900.

Owners

• Wertheimers (8 wins): Orante (1975), Truculent (1984), Val des Bois (1989) and Kotashaan (1991) for Jacques, Shaman (2019), Pao Alto (2020), Adhamo (2021) for Wertheimer&Frère.
• Khaled Abdullah (3 wins): Louis le Grand (1985), The Scout (1987) and Radevore (1996).
• Godolphin (3 wins): Simon de Montfort (2010), Cloth of Stars (2016) and Graphite (2017).
• Marcel Boussac (2 wins): Aram (1952) and Abgal (1968).
• Henry Aubert (2 wins): Puissant Chef (1960) and Silfric (1964).
• Mme André Magnus (2 wins): Principino (1965) and Cadmus (1966).

Trainers

• André Fabre (8 wins): Al Nasr (1981), Sifting Gold (1990), Radevore (1996), Magellano (1997), Simon de Montfort (2010), Triple Threat (2013), Cloth of Stars (2016) and Graphite (2017).
• Christiane Head-Maarek (6 wins): Fabulous Dancer (1979), Truculent (1984), Louis le Grand (1985), The Scout (1987), Val des Bois (1989) and Kotashaan (1991).
• Jean-Claude Rouget (5 wins): Art Contemporain (2001), Barastraight (2006), Literato (2007), High Rock (2008) and Baraan (2011).

Riders

• Freddy Head (7 wins): Cadmus (1966), Mazarin (1969), Orante (1975), Fabulous Dancer (1979), Truculent (1984), Louis le Grand (1985) and Val des Bois (1989.
• Cash Asmussen (5 wins): Welkin (1988), Sifting Gold (1990), Break Bread (1992), Sin Kiang (1993) and Dream Well (1998).
• Olivier Peslier (4 wins): Tzar Rodney (1995), Magellano (1997), Holding Court (2000) and Delfos (2004).
• Christophe-Patrice Lemaire (4 wins): Vespone (2003), Literato (2007), High Rock (2008) and Baraan (2011).
• Maxime Guyon (3 wins): Triple Threat (2013), Shaman (2019), Pao Alto (2020), Adhamo (2021).