The Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil, sometimes referred to as the French Champion Hurdle, is a Group 1 hurdle race in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

which is open to

horses The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 milli ...

aged five years or older. It is run at Auteuil over a distance of 5,100 metres (about 3 miles and 1½ furlongs), and it is scheduled to take place each year in May.

History

The race was first run on May 25, 1874, the same day as the inaugural running of the Grand National de France (now the

Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris The Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris is a Group 1 steeplechase in France which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Auteuil over a distance of 6,000 metres, and during its running there are tw ...

). It was originally open to horses aged four or older, and it was initially contested over 4,000 metres. This was increased to 4,800 metres in its second year, and to 5,000 metres in 1880. The race was given a new date in 1882 – it was moved to the Wednesday after the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris, which continued to be run on the last Sunday in May. The following year saw the launch of a new

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at Auteuil, the Prix des Drags, and this was scheduled for the Friday of the same week. This week of top class jump races became known as the ''Grande Semaine d'Auteuil''. The Grande Course de Haies was run as a handicap until 1889, but since then it has held

weight for age {{use dmy dates, date=October 2022 Weight for Age (WFA) is a term in thoroughbred horse racing which is one of the conditions for a race. History The principle of WFA was developed by Henry John Rous, Admiral Rous, a handicapper with the English ...

conditions. The race was abandoned throughout

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, with no running from 1915 to 1918. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

it was cancelled only once, in 1940. The minimum age was raised to five in 1961, when a new hurdle race, the Grande Course de Haies des 4 Ans (later titled the Prix Alain du Breil), was introduced specifically for four-year-olds. The distance of the Grande Course de Haies was extended to 5,100 metres in 1969. This was cut to 4,100 metres in 1975, and then restored to 5,100 metres in 1979. Four horses have won both this event and the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris. These are Blagueur II, Loreto, Ubu III and Mid Dancer. The 1947 winner of the Grande Course de Haies, Le Paillon, later won the most prestigious

flat race National Hunt flat races, informally known as bumper races, are a type of flat racing but run under National Hunt racing rules in Britain and Ireland. National Hunt flat races were created on 15 July 1891 when a conference between the stewards of ...

in France, 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 over a distance ...

. The 1984 winner,

Dawn Run Dawn Run (1978–1986) was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and the most successful mare in the history of National Hunt racing. She won the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 1984 and the Cheltenham Gold Cup over fences at the festi ...

mare A mare is an adult female horse or other equidae, equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more th ...

trained in Ireland), also won both the

Champion Hurdle The Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt racing, National Hunt Hurdling (horse race), hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to Horse racing, horses aged four years ...

and the

Cheltenham Gold Cup The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt horse race run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse in England, over a distance of about 3 miles 2½ furlon ...

in England. She returned to Auteuil to attempt a repeat victory in 1986, but during the race she misjudged a hurdle, fell, and died almost instantly. In 2010, the race was won by flat jockey

Christophe Soumillon Christophe Soumillon (born 4 June 1981) is a Belgian jockey based in France. Career Coming from a racing background, Soumillon is the son of jump jockey Jean-Marc Soumillon. He rode in pony races and left Belgium aged fifteen to go to the racin ...

Records

Leading

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), 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 ...

(4 wins): * John Boon – ''Vertige (1894), Charlatan (1895), Grandlieu (1898), Kerym (1899)'' ---- Leading trainer (8 wins): * William Head – ''Evohe II (1937, 1938), Royal Kidney (1939), Ludovic le More (1943), Vatelys (1946), Le Paillon (1947), Septieme Ciel (1948), Friendship (1959)'' ---- Leading owner (6 wins): *

Daniel Wildenstein Daniel Leopold Wildenstein (11 September 1917 – 23 October 2001) was a French art dealer, historian and owner-breeder of thoroughbred and standardbred race horses. He was the third member of the family to preside over Wildenstein & Co., one of ...

– ''Gopal (1969), Top Gear (1977), Paiute (1979, 1980), World Citizen (1982), Vaporetto (1999)''

Winners since 1970

Earlier winners

* 1874 - Jackal * 1875 - Borely * 1876 - Vichnou * 1877 - Miss Lizzie * 1878 - Patriarche * 1879 - Paul's Cray * 1880 - Doublon * 1881 -

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* 1882 - Marc Antony * 1883 - Beatus * 1884 - Baudres * 1885 - Newmarket * 1886 - Jannock * 1887 - Kersage * 1888 - Aladdin * 1889 - Vanille * 1890 - Saint Claude * 1891 - Augure * 1892 - Le Gourzy * 1893 - Ranville * 1894 - Vertige * 1895 - Charlatan * 1896 - Count Schomberg * 1897 - Soliman * 1898 - Grandlieu * 1899 - Kerym * 1900 - General Peace * 1901 - Monsieur Piperlin * 1902 - Bebe * * 1903 - Nivolet * 1904 - Hipparque * 1905 - Karakoul * 1906 - Fragilite * 1907 - Chi Lo Sa * 1908 - Ingenu * 1909 - Herisson II * 1910 - Blagueur II * 1911 - Carpe Diem * 1912 - Balscadden * 1913 - Galafron * 1914 - Lilium * 1915–18 - ''no race'' * 1919 - Saint Tudwal * 1920 - Chaud * 1921 - Forearm * 1922 - Fauche le Pre * 1923 - Onyx II * 1924 - Arrowhead * 1925 -

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* 1926 - Histoire de Rire * 1927 - Lannilis * 1928 - Don Zuniga * 1929 - Largo * 1930 - Le Bouif * 1931 - Baoule * 1932 - Pour le Roi * 1933 - Lands End * 1934 - Lord Byron * 1935 - Robin des Bois * 1936 - Cerealiste * 1937 - Evohe II * 1938 - Evohe II * * 1939 - Royal Kidney * 1940 - ''no race'' * 1941 - Short * 1942 - Lycoming * 1943 - Ludovic le More * 1944 -

Wild Risk Wild Risk (1940–1967) was a French-bred thoroughbred Horse racing, racehorse who became a leading sire and Professional Dosage Index, Chef-de-race. Background Wild Risk was a medium-to-small horse. His right front hoof tended towards being a ...

* 1945 -

* 1946 - Vatelys * 1947 - Le Paillon * 1948 - Septieme Ciel * 1949 - Nigra * 1950 - Amati * 1951 - Verdi * 1952 - Prince Hindou * 1953 - Frascati * 1954 - Sicie * 1955 - Elegant * 1956 - Mehariste * 1957 - Romantisme * 1958 - Loreto * 1959 -

Friendship Friendship is a Interpersonal relationship, relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an "acquaintance" or an "association", such as a classmate, neighbor, coworker, or colleague. Althoug ...

* 1960 - Poutje Elday * 1961 - Choute * 1962 - Miror * 1963 - Ouf * 1964 - Santo Pietro * 1965 - Ketch * 1966 - Pansa * 1967 - Rivoli * 1968 - Orvilliers * 1969 - Gopal * Mr Quilp finished first in 1902 but was disqualified.
*

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finished first in 1938 but was relegated to third place following a Stewards' Inquiry.

References

* France-Galop /

Racing Post ''Racing Post'' is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing, and sports betting publisher published in print and digital formats. It is printed in tabloid format from Monday to Sunday. , it has an average daily circulation of 60,629 ...

: ** , , , , , , , ,, ** , , , , , , , , , ** , , , , , , , , , ** , , , , , , , , , ** , , , , ---- * galop.courses-france.com: *
1874–18891890–19191920–19491950–19791980–present
----

– ''A Brief History: Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil.''
pedigreequery.com
– ''Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil – Auteuil.''
galopp-sieger.de
- ''Grand Course de Haies d'Auteuil'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Grande Course Haies Auteuil Horse races in France Recurring events established in 1874 National Hunt hurdle races

History

Records

Winners since 1970

Earlier winners

See also

References