Lavandin (1953–1978) 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 c ...

racehorse and

sire Sire is an archaic respectful form of address to reigning kings in Europe. In French and other languages it is less archaic and relatively more current. In Belgium, the king is addressed as "Sire..." in both Dutch and French. The words "sire" a ...

. In a brief career which lasted from November 1955 to June 1956, Lavandin ran five times, winning twice. He is best known for his win in the 1956

Epsom Derby The Derby Stakes, also known as the Epsom Derby or the Derby, and as the Cazoo Derby for sponsorship reasons, is a Group 1 flat horse race in England open to three-year-old colts and fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey o ...

Background

Lavandin was bred in France by his owner, the “ perfume king”

Pierre Wertheimer Pierre Wertheimer (8 January 1888 – 24 April 1965) was a French businessman, who co-founded Chanel with Coco Chanel. Family business Wertheimer was born to a Jewish family,Prix du Jockey Club The Prix du Jockey Club, sometimes referred to as the French Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Chantilly over a ...

and 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 ...

in 1943. Lavandin’s dam, Lavande won three races and produced the top class sprinter Le Lavandou, but was later barren for four successive years. Wertheimer had decided to have the mare put down, but was persuaded by Verso’s owner, the Comte de Chambure to have her covered by his stallion in 1949. Lavandin was the result. Lavandin was sent into training with

Alec Head Alec Head (31 July 1924 – 22 June 2022) was a French horse trainer and breeder. Biography Head was the owner of Haras du Quesnay, located near Deauville. A descendant of the trainers who founded the English Racing Colony in Chantilly, Oise, He ...

Chantilly Chantilly may refer to: Places France *Chantilly, Oise, a city located in the Oise department **US Chantilly, a football club *Château de Chantilly, a historic château located in the town of Chantilly United States * Chantilly, Missou ...

Racing career

1955: two-year-old season

Lavandin did not appear on the racecourse until late autumn. He ran in a minor race at Maisons-Laffitte in November and finished second.

1956: three-year-old season

On his three-year-old debut, Lavandin was sent to Longchamp in April for the Prix de Boulogne over 1900m and recorded his first win. He was then moved up in class for the

Prix Hocquart The Prix Hocquart is a Group 2 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1 mile and 4 furlongs) at ...

over 2000m. He finished third, but appeared to be an unlucky loser, with his jockey

Roger Poincelet Roger Poincelet (3 March 1921 - 1 November 1977) was a French jockey who rode a total of over 3,000 winners in a long career on both the flat and, initially, jumps. He is regarded as one of the finest French jockeys ever. His first win came o ...

being blamed for his defeat. Lavandin was sent to England for the

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...

Epsom Epsom is the principal town of the Borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England, about south of central London. The town is first recorded as ''Ebesham'' in the 10th century and its name probably derives from that of a Saxon landowner. The ...

, with the Australian

Rae Johnstone William Raphael "Rae" Johnstone (13 April 1905 – 29 April 1964), was an Australian flat-race jockey. After enjoying considerable success in his native country, he relocated to Europe in 1932 and spent most of the rest of his life in France. He ...

taking over as his rider. The colt became Wertheimer’s first runner in the race after more than forty years of involvement in the sport. Despite driving rain, the race attracted an estimated crowd of 250,000, including the

Queen Mother A queen mother is a former queen, often a queen dowager, who is the mother of the reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since the early 1560s. It arises in hereditary monarchies in Europe and is also used to describe a number of ...

. In an open betting race, Lavandin started favourite at 7/1 in a field of twenty-seven. Having been held up in the early stages, Lavandin passed the long time leader Monterey a furlong from the finish and held off the strong- finishing Montaval to win by a neck. The fact that the first two horses were trained in France, following on from the victory of

Phil Drake Phil Drake (1952–1964) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a brief racing career which lasted from May to July 1955, Phil Drake ran five times and won three races, becoming the fifth and last horse to win both The Derby and ...

in the previous year, led some commentators to state that British racing had “hit rock bottom.” On his final start, Lavandin was injured when running unplaced behind Vattel in the

Grand Prix de Paris The Grand Prix de Paris is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and it ...

Assessment

In their book ''A Century of Champions'', John Randall and Tony Morris rated Lavandin a “poor” Derby winner.

Stud career

Lavandin retired to stud in France, where he stood as a stallion until being exported to Japan in 1963. The most notable of his European progeny was the filly Blabla who won the

Prix de Diane The Prix de Diane, sometimes referred to as the French Oaks, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Chantilly over a distance of 2,100 metre ...

in 1965.

Pedigree

References

External links

Newsreel of 1956 Derby from British Pathé
{{Epsom Derby Winners 1953 racehorse births 1978 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in France Racehorses trained in France Epsom Derby winners Thoroughbred family 4-p