Robert de Clermont-Tonnerre Chase History

February, Auteuil

Robert de Clermont-Tonnerre Chase

Group 3, 5-year-olds and up, 4,400m/2m4f, Steeple-Chase, €150,000

Created in 1930

Last winner: Jazz Manouche (g5, FRA by Nom de D'là & Tinapalo, by Epalo), owned by Jean-Louis & Alexandrine Berger, bred by Jean-Louis & Alexandrine Berger, trained by Lucie Pontoir, ridden by Damien Mescam.

The race will be run in 2025 for the 86th time.

The 2024 edition

Saturday, February 24, 2024, Auteuil Racecourse (Paris). - The top two finishers from the €154,000 Grand Prix de Pau Chase (Gr3), held twenty days earlier over the Pont-Long steeplechase, started as favourites for the first leg of the Grand Steeple-Chase Masters, the €150,000 Prix Robert de Clermont-Tonnerre Chase (Gr3). However, in a race run under the rain and led by a heroic Gallipolli (Gleneagles), neither In Love (Great Pretender) nor Youtwo Glass (Joshua Tree), who had finished first and second three weeks prior, could get involved in the action.

Gallipolli remained undaunted despite a cautious jump at the water jump. He was still well ahead, leading up to the 2nd last. Initially, the pack was led by Toscana du Berlais (Shantou), then Marie Coastala (Coastal Path), and notably Ginja des Taillons (Masterstroke), who would fall at the 2nd last as he was closing in dangerously. From that point, the 5-year-old AQPS Jazz Manouche (Nom de D'la) took over and caught up with the leader. The outcome of this chase seemed uncertain until after the last hurdle, and Jazz Manouche ultimately triumphed by ¾ of a length. Only in the final thirty meters did the gelding bred by Jean-Louis Berger and his daughter Alexandrine overcome his two-year senior, who started at equal weight due to the race conditions. Last season, at 4, Jazz Manouche, third in the Ferdinand Dufaure 4yo Chase (Gr1), ended his season by winning the Morgex 4yo Chase (Gr3). The winner is trained in Maisons-Laffitte by Lucie Pontoir, marking her first jumps runner of the year!

1er #GrandSteepleChase Masters de la saison à #Auteuil, le Prix Robert de Clermont-Tonnerre (Gr3), a vu le 5ans AQPS @TheFrenchChaser élevé par Jean-Louis Berger Jazz Manouche (Nom de d'La) aller chercher un héroïque leader Gallipoli (Gleneagles), courageux 2e. pic.twitter.com/BH4D4qDbGc

— France Galop (@francegalop) February 24, 2024

The winner's dam, Tinapalo (Epalo), failed to place for trainer Jean-Paul Gallorini. Nevertheless, she is a sister to the champion mare Kario de Sormain (Gunboat Diplomacy), winner of the Georges Courtois Chase (Gr2) and the Héros XII Chase (Gr3) at Auteuil. Before producing Jazz Manouche, she also gave birth to Étoile du Berger (Network), a winner of three provincial races under Patrick Klein's colours. Thus, the new victor of the Robert de Clermont-Tonnerre (Gr3) is her top foal to date. Following are a 4-year-old in training with Pascal Journiac, Kregiel (Cokoriko), who made his debut at Auteuil in the autumn for his fourth outing, another year-younger son of Cokoriko withdrawn from an Auctav sale in the Autumn, the 2-year-old Monsieur Eddy (Bande), and the yearling colt Ni Queue Ni Tête (Headman). Two older, unraced females, including a full sister to Jazz Manouche, are being bred by Jean-Louis Berger.

History

This race honours the memory of Robert de Clermont-Tonnerre, a Société des Steeple-Chases de France board member from March 1902 until his death in March 1929.

As tradition dictates, his name was given to a race, in this case, a steeplechase at Auteuil first held on 23 February 1930 with a purse of FF50,000. Bright Zagreus won this inaugural Prix Robert de Clermont-Tonnerre. Ambatielos, trained by Léon Barré and ridden by Joachim Bédeloup.

The race was initially open to horses aged four years and over. In 1941, the 4-year-olds were excluded when a specific programme was set up for them. These days, this event scheduled just after Auteuil reopens allows the best steeplechasers to return. Nonetheless, its honours list only includes three winners of the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris: Millionnaire II (1932, one year before his success in June’s big event), Fondeur (1980) and Line Marine (2003).

For different reasons, the race has been cancelled on eleven occasions: in 1933, 1936, 1940, 1942, 1947, 1948, 1965, 1969, 1970, 1979 and 1983.

Robert de Clermont-Tonnerre (1859-1929)

Appointed to the committee of the Société des Steeple-Chases de France on 25 March 1902, he was made an executive director in 1903 and then a steward in 1908, two roles which he exercised until 1919 while at the same time supervising the Saint Germain-Achères training grounds.

Also a Société de Sport de France member, he founded the "Maison Lupin", a clinic for jockeys and stable staff.

An accomplished horseman, he possessed a large fortune, partly inherited from his uncle, Auguste Lupin (see Prix Lupin), who had died in 1895. Robert de Clermont-Tonnerre used these resources to keep a large racing stable and to organise lavishly presented plays and musicals at his Maisons-Laffitte property, equipped with a small theatre.

He declared his colours (red jersey, green cap) in 1884 and soon enjoyed success, primarily in the provinces where he thought nothing of riding his horses or training some of them. As a result, he finished top of the flat racing amateur riders’ table six times (1889, 1890 equal top, 1891, 1892, 1895 and 1896).

His best year was 1894, due mainly to a pair of high-quality 3-year-olds: Mansour (3rd in the Grand Prix de Paris and then a winner in the Furstenberg Memorial at Baden-Baden) and Times (Grand Prix du Commerce in Milan), whose exertions secured him sixth place in the flat racing owners’ table. Another good performer on the flat was Feuillet, a winner at 3 in the 1895 edition of the Grand Prix de Vichy.

Over the jumps, the stable’s activities ceased after his filly Anguille’s fall at Fontainebleau, which led to the death of his jockey Rogers. It was not until ten years later that Robert de Clermont-Tonnerre returned to the discipline. His best horse was then Clerval, 3rd in the Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil in 1902 and then the winner of the Grand Prix de la Ville de Nice in 1903.

Owners

• René de Rivaud (2 wins): Poisson d’Avril (1931), Zicavo (1958) ;
• Claude Portefin (2 wins): Niaroff (1987, 1989) ;
• Marc Blanchard-Jacquet (2 wins): Haut Plessis (1993, 1994).

Entraîneurs

• Georges Pelat (5 wins): Dakar III (1952), Prince Denis (1956), Paradou (1962), Luno (1963), Goodbye Charlie (1975).
• Guillaume Macaire (4 wins): As d’Estruval (2016), Saint Goustan Blue (2018), Le Costaud (2019), Feu Follet (with Hector de Lageneste, 2021).
• John Cunnington (3 wins): Olorelle (1936), Bella Moon (1951), Leatherneck (1973).
• Léon Gaumondy (3 wins): Villars (1955), Printemps II (1960), Paraf (1966).
• François Nicolle (3 wins): Farlow des Mottes (2013), Poly Grandchamp (2020), Happy Monarch (2022).
• François Doumen (3 wins): Vorétin (1992), Algan (1996), Quolibet (2009).
• Maurice d’Okhuysen (2 wins): Poisson d’Avril (1931), Zicavo (1958).
• Charles Bariller (2 wins): Fandango IV (1937), Fouché (1941).
• Jean Sens (2 wins): Fort Riley (1967), Hyperbore (1978).
• René Cherruau (2 wins): Le Pontif (1984), Hill Street (1988).
• Yann Porzier (2 wins): Niaroff (1987, 1989).
• Marc Blanchard-Jacquet (2 wins): Haut Plessis (1993, 1994).
• Gilles Chaignon (2 wins): Urga (1999), Jerico Vallis (2005).
• Guy Chérel (2 wins): Harmonie Trésor (2001), Doumaja (2010).
• Jacques Ortet (2 wins): Kilefou d’Airy (2004), Alarm Call (2008).
• Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé (2 wins): Bénéfique (2006), Or Noir de Somoza (2007).

Riders

• Bruno Jollivet (3 wins): Le Pontif (1984), Hill Street (1988), D’Auteuil (1997).
• Robert Bates (2 wins): Flavio (1944), Méandre (1945).
• Paul Péraldi (2 wins): Villars (1955), Prince Denis (1956).
• Jacques Géneau (2 wins): Luno (1963), Paraf (1966).
• Michel Chirol (2 wins): Pavino (1981), Mirabeau SF (1985).
• Jean-Yves Artu (2 wins): Niaroff (1987), Pagan Lee (1990).
• Christophe Pieux (2 wins): Kilefou d’Airy (2004), Alarm Call (2008).
• David Cottin (2 wins): Net Lovely (2 victoires), Mali Borgia (2017).