The Prix d'Ispahan is a
Group 1 flat horse race in France open to
thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...
s aged four years or older. It is run at
Longchamp over a distance of 1,850 metres (about 1 mile and 1¼ furlongs), and it is scheduled to take place each year in May.
History
The inaugural running of the Prix d'Ispahan was the showpiece event of a meeting held at Longchamp on 13 July 1873. The meeting had been hastily arranged to honour the
Shah of Persia,
Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, who was making an official visit to Paris. The race was named after Ispahan, the French name for
Isfahan
Isfahan or Esfahan ( ) is a city in the Central District (Isfahan County), Central District of Isfahan County, Isfahan province, Iran. It is the capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is located south of Tehran. The city ...
, a former capital city of
Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
.
The Prix d'Ispahan was initially contested over 3,000 metres, and it was originally open to horses aged three or older. Its distance was cut to 2,400 metres in its second year, and it was further reduced to 2,200 metres in 1891, and to 2,100 metres in 1903.
The race was abandoned throughout World War I, with no running from 1915 to 1918. Its present length, 1,850 metres, was introduced in 1921. It was cancelled once during World War II, in 1940. It was run over 2,000 metres at
Le Tremblay in 1943 and 1944.
The present system of race grading began in 1971, and the Prix d'Ispahan was classed at the highest level, Group 1. The minimum age of participating horses was raised to four in 1987. It was staged at
Chantilly in 1991, and at this venue its distance was 1,800 metres. The race was opened to
gelding
A gelding (Help:IPA/English, /ˈɡɛldɪŋ/) is a castration, castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. The term is also used with certain other animals and livestock, such as domesticated Camelidae, camels. By compa ...
s in 2001.
In 2020, Prix d'Ispahan moved to July and three years old horses can run by one time basis.
French racing to restart with four Group races and Monday slot for the Guineas
/ref>
Records
Most successful horse (2 wins):
* Champaubert – ''1897, 1898 (dead-heat)''
* La Camargo – ''1903, 1904''
* Moulins la Marche – ''1908, 1909''
* Renette – ''1935, 1936''
* Hierocles – ''1942, 1943''
* Coaraze – ''1946, 1947''
* Fric – ''1955, 1956''
* Crystal Glitters – ''1983, 1984''
*
Goldikova – ''2010, 2011''
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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 ...
(7 wins):
*
Yves Saint-Martin – ''La Sega (1962), Jour et Nuit (1964), Silver Shark (1966), Zeddaan (1968), La Troublerie (1973), Allez France (1974), Crystal Glitters (1983)''
----
Leading
trainer (11 wins):
*
André Fabre – ''Al Nasr (1982), Crystal Glitters (1984), Creator (1990), Arcangues (1993), Loup Sauvage (1998), Valixir (2005), Manduro (2007), Golden Lilac (2012), Persian King (2020), Sosie (2025)''
----
Leading owner (8 wins):
*
Marcel Boussac – ''Goyescas (1933), Hierocles (1942, 1943), Priam (1945), Coaraze (1946, 1947), Dynamiter (1951), Arbele (1952)''
Winners since 1969
Earlier winners
* 1873: Campeche
* 1874: Franc Tireur
* 1875: Paradoxe
* 1876: Saxifrage
* 1877: Gavarni
* 1878: Jongleur
* 1879: Courtois
* 1880: Castillon
* 1881: Alphonsine
* 1882: Poulet
* 1883: Veston
* 1884: Farfadet
* 1885: Despote
* 1886: Viennois
* 1887: Cambyse
* 1888: Embellie
* 1889: Le Sancy
* 1890: Yellow
* 1891: Amazone
* 1892: Gil Peres
* 1893: Saint Ferjeux
* 1894: Algarade
* 1895: Honneur
* 1896: Le Sagittaire
* 1897: Champaubert
* 1898: Champaubert / Cambridge
* 1899: Fourire
* 1900: Cravan
* 1901: Dido
* 1902: Exema
* 1903: La Camargo
* 1904: La Camargo
* 1905: Caius
* 1906: Phoenix
* 1907: Ouadi Halfa
* 1908: Moulins la Marche
* 1909: Moulins la Marche
* 1910: Goloss
* 1911: Ossian
* 1912: Rouble
* 1913: Foxling
* 1914: Amilcar
* 1915–18: ''no race''
* 1919: Radames
* 1920: Le Rapin
* 1921: La Finette
* 1922: Kircubbin
* 1923: Épinard
Épinard (1920–1942) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and sire.
Background
Epinard was a chestnut stallion owned and bred by Pierre Wertheimer.
He sired by Badajoz from Epine Blanche by the British Triple Crown winner Rock Sand. Epine ...
* 1924: Premontre
* 1925: Condover
* 1926: Coram
* 1927: Kitty
* 1928: Rialto
* 1929: Kantar
* 1930: Alcyon
* 1931: Four in Hand
* 1932: Lovelace
* 1933: Goyescas
* 1934: Rodosto
* 1935: Renette
* 1936: Renette
* 1937: Sanguinetto
* 1938: Bistolfi
* 1939: Turbulent
* 1940: ''no race''
* 1941: Panipat
* 1942: Hierocles
* 1943: Hierocles
* 1944: Un Gaillard
* 1945: Priam
* 1946: Coaraze
* 1947: Coaraze
* 1948: Bel Amour
* 1949: Menetrier
* 1950: Fort Napoleon
* 1951: Dynamiter
* 1952: Arbele
* 1953: Sadi
* 1954: Florin
* 1955: Fric
* 1956: Fric
* 1957: Chief
* 1958: Blockhaus
* 1959: Hamanet
* 1960: Tobago
* 1961: Javelot
* 1962: La Sega
* 1963: Manderley
* 1964: Jour et Nuit
* 1965: Esso
* 1966: Silver Shark
* 1967: Caldarello
* 1968: Zeddaan
See also
* List of French flat horse races
References
* France Galop / Racing Post:
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* galop.courses-france.com:
*
1873–18891890–19191920–19491950–19791980–present
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– ''A Brief History: Prix d'Ispahan.''
galopp-sieger.de
– ''Prix d'Ispahan.''
ifhaonline.org
– ''International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Prix d'Ispahan (2019).''
pedigreequery.com
– ''Prix d'Ispahan – Longchamp.''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prix Ispahan
Open mile category horse races
Longchamp Racecourse
Horse races in France
Horse races established in 1873
1873 establishments in France