flat
Flat or flats may refer to:
Architecture
* Flat (housing), an apartment in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and other Commonwealth countries
Arts and entertainment
* Flat (music), a symbol () which denotes a lower pitch
* Flat (soldier), ...
horse race
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...
in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
open to
thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...
s aged three years or older. It is run at
Vichy
Vichy (, ; ; oc, Vichèi, link=no, ) is a city in the Allier Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of central France, in the historic province of Bourbonnais.
It is a Spa town, spa and resort town and in World ...
over a distance of 2,000 metres (about 1¼ miles), and it is scheduled to take place each year in July.
History
The event was established in 1875, and it was originally called the Grand Prix de Vichy. It was run as a handicap until 1899, and during this period its distance was frequently modified. For several years thereafter it was titled the Grand Prix International du Cercle de Vichy. It was abandoned in 1907, and became known as the Grand Prix de la Ville de Vichy the following year.
The title was appended with "et de la Société de Sport de France" in 1958. The Société de Sport de France owned the racecourse, and later merged with similar organisations to form
France Galop
France Galop is the governing body of flat and steeplechase horse racing in France. It was founded on May 3, 1995, as the result of the amalgamation of four different industry organizations. Prominent owner/breeder Jean-Luc Lagardère was elected ...
.
The event reverted to its original name in 1965, and was run as a handicap in 1970. It was given Group 3 status in 1976.
The name of the region where Vichy is located,
Auvergne
Auvergne (; ; oc, label=Occitan, Auvèrnhe or ) is a former administrative region in central France, comprising the four departments of Allier, Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal and Haute-Loire. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region Auverg ...
, was added to the title in 2005 and removed in 2015.
The race has been contested over various distances, with spells over 2,600 metres (1900–41, 1943–64, 1966–75), 2,400 metres (1976–91) and 2,000 metres (1992–present).
Records
Most successful horse (2 wins):
* Shikani – ''1960, 1961''
* Perouges – ''1979, 1980''
* Marildo – ''1993, 1995''
* Touch of Land – ''2005, 2006''
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Leading
jockey
A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...
(6 wins):
* Christophe Soumillon – ''Kerrygold (2000), Vangelis (2003), Bailador (2004), Daly Daly (2009), Saga Dream (2013), One For Bobby (2023)''
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Leading trainer (4 wins):
* James Cunnington – ''Marichette (1881), Dacis (1891), Machiavel (1898), Kerlaz (1900)''
* Robert Denman – ''Gouvernant (1904), Marsa (1910), Checkmate (1923), Alguazil (1926, dead-heat)''
* Antoine Lassard – ''Yakoba (1934), Ortolan (1935), Champittet (1941), Clodoche (1943)''
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Leading owner (7 wins):
* Marcel Boussac – ''Grillemont (1924, dead-heat), Alguazil (1926, dead-heat), Thaouka (1932), Dadji (1937), Coaraze (1947), Amphis (1952), Shaker (1954)''
Eclair au Chocolat
Eclair au Chocolat (1935 – ca. 1945) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. As a three-year-old he won the Grand Prix de la Ville de Vichy and then established himself as one of the best of a strong generation of European horses wit ...
Recurring sporting events established in 1875
Recurring means occurring repeatedly and can refer to several different things:
Mathematics and finance
*Recurring expense, an ongoing (continual) expenditure
*Repeating decimal, or recurring decimal, a real number in the decimal numeral syste ...
''– this race is included under its original title, Grand Prix de Vichy.''
References
*
France Galop
France Galop is the governing body of flat and steeplechase horse racing in France. It was founded on May 3, 1995, as the result of the amalgamation of four different industry organizations. Prominent owner/breeder Jean-Luc Lagardère was elected ...
/
Racing Post
''Racing Post'' is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing and sports betting publisher which is published in print and digital formats. It is printed in tabloid format from Monday to Sunday. , it has an average daily circulation of 6 ...