Gold River (1977–1986) was a French

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 ...

racehorse best known for winning France's most prestigious race, the

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris, France, over a distance ...

Background

Gold River was owned and bred by

Jacques Wertheimer Jacques Guy Wertheimer (18 August 1911 – 6 February 1996) was a prominent French businessman who inherited and ran the renowned House of Chanel perfume company. Wertheimer was born at the Les Forgettes villa in Deauville, to a Jewish family,

, the president of the French perfumery, Chanel. Gold River was sired by

Riverman Riverman (1969–1999) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse. Background Foaled in Kentucky, Riverman was bred by Harry F. Guggenheim of the prominent American Guggenheim family. Riverman was from the mare River Lady and sired by Guggenheim's s ...

Racing career

Gold River's first Group One win came in the 1980

Prix Royal-Oak The Prix Royal-Oak is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 3,100 metres (about 1 mile and 7½ furlongs), a ...

. The following year she finished third in the Royal-Oak but won the

Prix Jean Prat The Prix Jean Prat is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 1,400 metres (about 7 furlongs), and it is sche ...

and the

Prix du Cadran The Prix du Cadran is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 4,000 metres (about 2 miles), and it is scheduled to ta ...

. In the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Gold River was ridden to victory by jockey Gary W. Moore. In her Arc win, Gold River defeated Bikala and the American-bred filly, April Run.

Breeding record

Following her retirement from racing, Gold River served as a broodmare at Hagyard Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. Her offspring included the stakes winners Riviere d'Or (

Prix Saint-Alary The Prix Saint-Alary is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,000 metres (about 1 miles), and it is scheduled t ...

) and Goldneyev (

Prix Yacowlef The Prix Yacowlef is a Listed flat horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Chantilly Racecourse over a distance of 1,000 metres (about 5 furlongs), and it is scheduled to tak ...

). Riviere d'Or in turn produced Gold Splash and was the grand-dam of

Goldikova Goldikova (15 March 2005 – 5 January 2021) was a champion French Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Breeders' Cup Mile three times and was the 2010 European Horse of the Year. She was based in France, although she also raced in the United St ...

. Gold River died in 1986 and is buried in Hagyard Farm's equine cemetery.

Pedigree

References

1977 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Orne Racehorses trained in France Arc winners Thoroughbred family 22-d {{Racehorse-stub