Top Ville (5 April 1976 – November 13, 1998) was an Irish-bred, French-trained

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 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 pr ...

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 the autumn of 1978, the colt established himself as one of the leading two-year-old colts in France with wins in the

Prix Saint-Roman The Prix Saint-Roman was a Group 3 flat horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. For much of its history it was run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,800 metres (about 1⅛ miles), and it was scheduled to take place each year in l ...

, Prix de Condé. In the following year, he took his winning run to six with victories in the

Prix de Guiche The Prix de Guiche is a Group 3 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts. It is run over a distance of 1,800 metres (about 1⅛ miles) at Chantilly in May. H ...

Prix Lupin The Prix Lupin was a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It was run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,100 metres (about 1 mile and 2½ furlongs), and it was scheduled to take place each year in ...

and

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 ...

, beating top-class opponents including

Irish River {{Infobox racehorse , horsename = Irish River , image = , caption = , sire = Riverman , grandsire = Never Bend , dam = Irish Star , damsire = Klairon , sex = Stallion , foaled = 1976 , country = France , colour = Chestnut , breede ...

and

Le Marmot Le Marmot (14 May 1976 – 1981) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He won two of his three race as a two-year-old in 1978 including the Prix La Rochette before emerging as a top-class performer in the following year when he won ...

. He was beaten in his two remaining races and was retired to stud, where he became a successful and influential breeding stallion.

Background

Top Ville was a dark-coated bay horse with a white

star A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by its gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked ...

and a white

sock A sock is a piece of clothing worn on the feet and often covering the ankle or some part of the calf. Some types of shoes or boots are typically worn over socks. In ancient times, socks were made from leather or matted animal hair. In the late ...

on his left hind leg bred in Ireland by his owner

Aga Khan IV Shāh Karim al-Husayni (born 13 December 1936), known by the religious title Mawlānā Hazar Imam by his Ismaili followers and elsewhere as Aga Khan IV, is the 49th and current Imam of Nizari Ismailis, a denomination within Shia Islam. He ha ...

. He was sired by

High Top The high-top is a shoe that extends slightly over the wearer's ankle. It is commonly an athletic shoe, particularly for basketball. It is sometimes confused with the slightly shorter mid-top, which typically extends no higher than the wearer's a ...

, who won the

2000 Guineas The 2000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) and scheduled to take place each year at ...

in 1972 and later became a successful breeding stallion. High Top's other progeny included the

Oaks Stakes The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 yards (2 ...

winner

Circus Plume Circus Plume (1981–1996) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare best known for winning the classic Oaks Stakes in 1984. After winning once from three starts in 1983, Circus Plume improved to become one of the best staying fill ...

and the

St Leger The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a d ...

winner

Cut Above Cut Above (19 April 1978 – ca. 1991) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire best known for his upset win in the 1981 St Leger Stakes. As a two-year-old he showed useful form despite being beaten in both of his races and won the Wh ...

. Top Ville's dam, Sega Ville who was bred and owned by the widow of

François Dupré François Louis Jules Dupré (; 3 December 1888 – 26 June 1966) was a French, hotelier, art collector, and owner of the Thoroughbred horse breeding and racing farm, Haras d'Ouilly. He was a grandson of the painter Jules Dupré. Dupré s ...

, was a successful racehorse who won the

Prix de Flore The Prix de Flore is a French literary prize founded in 1994 by Frédéric Beigbeder. The aim of the prize is to reward youthful authors and is judged by a panel of journalists. It is awarded yearly in November, at the Café de Flore in Paris. The ...

in 1971, and a daughter of the outstanding racemare La Sega, who won the

Poule d'Essai des Pouliches The Poule d'Essai des Pouliches is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run over a distance of 1,600 metres (about 1 mile) at ...

and 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 1962. Top Ville was her second foal. Top Ville was trained by the veteran François Mathet at

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 ...

. Mathet had trained many of the best French racehorses of the 20th century including

Tantieme Tantième (1947–1966) was a French Thoroughbred horse racing champion and prominent sire who twice won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, France's most prestigious horse race. He also won several other important conditions races including the Gran ...

Relko Relko (1960–1982) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a racing career which lasted from 1962 until 1964 he ran thirteen times and won nine races. His most notable win came in the 1963 Derby. Background Relko was a "strong, com ...

, and Reliance.

Racing career

1978: two-year-old season

In his first two races, Top Ville finished third in the Prix de Grisy over 1200

metres The metre (British spelling) or meter (American spelling; see spelling differences) (from the French unit , from the Greek noun , "measure"), symbol m, is the primary unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), though its prefi ...

and second in the Prix de Saint-Maximin over 1400m. The colt was then moved up in distance and recorded his first success in a

maiden race In horse racing a maiden race is an event for horses that have not won a race. Horses that have not won a race are referred to as maidens. Maiden horse races are held over a variety of distances and under conditions with eligibility based on the se ...

over 1600m at

Chantilly Racecourse Chantilly Racecourse (In French: "Hippodrome de Chantilly") is a Thoroughbred turf racecourse for flat racing in Chantilly, Oise, France, about north of the centre of the city of Paris. Chantilly Racecourse is located in the country's main hors ...

in September. Later in the month, he was moved up in class and distance for the

Group Three AP Films or APF, later becoming Century 21 Productions, was a British independent film production company of the 1950s until the early 1970s. The company became internationally known for its imaginative children's action-adventure marionette tel ...

Prix Saint-Roman over 1800m at

Longchamp Racecourse The Longchamp Racecourse (french: Hippodrome de Longchamp) is a 57 hectare horse-racing facility located on the Route des Tribunes at the Bois de Boulogne in Paris, France. It is used for flat racing and is noted for its variety of interlaced tr ...

. Ridden by Henri Samani, the colt raced in second place before taking the lead in the straight and winning by two lengths from the odds-on favourite Polynikis. On 22 October, Top Ville started the 2/5 favourite for the Group Three Prix de Condé over 2000m at Longchamp. He took the lead in the straight and drew clear of the field to win by four lengths from Look Fast and Dear Henry.

1979: three-year-old season

In 1979,

Yves Saint-Martin Yves Saint-Martin (born 8 September 1941 in Agen, Lot-et-Garonne, France) is a retired champion jockey in French Thoroughbred horse race, Thoroughbred horse racing. He is widely considered one of the greatest riders in French racing history. ...

took over from Henri Samani as Top Ville's regular jockey. The colt made his first appearance of the season in the Prix de Guiche over 1950m on soft ground at Longchamp on 16 April. Starting the 2/5 favourite, he took the lead soon after the start and held off the late challenge of Bellypha to win by half a length with Look Fast four lengths back in third. On 13 May, Top Ville ran in the Prix Lupin over 2100m at Longchamp in which he was matched against Irish River, the top-rated French colt of 1978 and the winner of four Group One races. Top Ville raced just behind his

pacemaker An artificial cardiac pacemaker (or artificial pacemaker, so as not to be confused with the natural cardiac pacemaker) or pacemaker is a medical device that generates electrical impulses delivered by electrodes to the chambers of the heart eith ...

Silver Do before moving up on the inside rail and taking the lead approaching the last 200m. He was challenged by Sharpman and Irish River but stayed on strongly and was beginning to draw away from his rivals at the finish, winning by a length from Sharpman, with Irish River three quarters of a length away in third. The winning time of 2:09.3 was a new record for the race. Top Ville started the 13/10 favourite in a field of eleven colts for the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly on 3 June. He was opposed by a strong field which included Sharpman and his reportedly superior stable companion

as well as Bellypha and High Sierra, winner of the

Prix Noailles The Prix Noailles is a Group 3 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run over a distance of 2,100 metres (about 1 mile and 2½ furlon ...

. Top Ville demonstrated what Timeform described as "tremendous power" to take the lead in the straight and open up a decisive advantage before holding off the late run of Le Marmot to win by a length, with Sharpman five lengths back in third and Bellypha in fourth. For the second time in succession, Top Ville set a new race record, covering the 2400m distance in a time of 2:25.2. After a break of three months, Top Ville returned on 9 September for the

Prix Niel The Prix Niel is a Group 2 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 is scheduled to ...

over 2400m at Longchamp in September. He was made the 2/5 favourite (coupled with his stable companion Kamaridaan) despite carrying top weight but finished fourth of the six runners behind Le Marmot. On 7 October, Top Ville (and Kamaridaan) started the 23/4 second favourite for the 58th running of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He was never in contention and finished seventeenth of the twenty-two runners behind

Three Troikas Three Troikas (foaled 1976) was a French Thoroughbred champion racehorse who was owned, trained, and raced by three members of the famous Head family. The highlight of her career came in an impressive victory in the 1979 Prix de l'Arc de Triomp ...

. Saint-Martin reported that Top Ville had been disconcerted by the noise of the crowd.

Assessment

In 1978, Top Ville was given a rating of 120 by the independent Timeform organisation, fourteen pounds behind their top-rated two-year-old

Tromos Tromos (10 March 1976 – October 1982) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In the autumn of 1978 he won the Clarence House Stakes by thirteen lengths and the Dewhurst Stakes by three. As a result of these performances he was r ...

. In the inaugural International Classification, a collaboration between the official handicappers of France, Ireland and the United Kingdom, Top Ville was rated nine pounds below Tromos and was the equal-third best French-trained two-year-old colt behind

and

Bellypha Bellypha (28 February 1976 – 12 August 2002) was an Irish-bred, French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Despite never winning a Group One race, Bellypha was one of the highest-rated racehorses of his generation in Europe at both two ...

. In 1979, he was rated 129 by Timeform, eight pounds behind their leading three-year-old colt,

Troy Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in prese ...

. In the International Classification, he was rated the third-best three-year-old colt in Europe and the fifth best horse of any age, behind Three Troikas, Troy, Ile de Bourbon and Le Marmot.

Stud record

Top Ville was syndicated with a value of £3 million to become a breeding stallion at the Aga Khan's Haras de Bonneval in Normandy. He also stood at the

Dalham Hall Dalham Hall is a country house and estate, located in the village of Dalham, Suffolk, near Newmarket, and west of Bury St Edmunds. Owners of the Dalham estate have included: *c.1050-1240 Peche Family *1240-1320 English Crown Estate (from 1 ...

Stud in England before returning to Normandy. He was retired from stud duty in 1994. Top Ville was a sire of several major winners including: * Princess Pati, 1981, won

Irish Oaks The Irish Oaks is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs (2,414 metres), and it is s ...

Shardari Shardari (1 May 1982 – ca. 1999) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was unraced as a two-year-old before winning four of his six races as a three-year-old in 1985 including the Cumberland Lodge Stakes ...

, 1982, won

International Stakes The International Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 56 yards (2, ...

* Saint Estephe, 1982, won

Coronation Cup The Coronation Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 yards (2, ...

Darara Darara (11 May 1983 – June 2012) was an Irish-bred, French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. Her racing career was restricted to six races between June and November 1983 and included three wins including the Prix Vermeille an ...

, 1983, won

Prix Vermeille The Prix Vermeille is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), an ...

*Un Desperado, 1983, won

Prix Eugène Adam The Prix Eugène Adam is a Group 2 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Maisons-Laffitte over a distance of 2,000 metres (about 1 miles), and it is scheduled to ta ...

, sire of

Best Mate Best Mate (28 January 1995 – 1 November 2005) was an Irish-bred, English-trained racehorse and three-time winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. He was considered one of the most loved horses in the history of horse racing in the UK, with his ...

*Top Sunrise, 1985, won

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), an ...

*Pistolet Bleu, 1988, won

Critérium de Saint-Cloud The Critérium de Saint-Cloud is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Saint-Cloud over a distance of 2,000 metres (about 1¼ miles), and it is sche ...

Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud The Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Saint-Cloud over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and it is sc ...

Toulon Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...

, 1988, won

St Leger Stakes The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a d ...

Top Ville was also the damsire of

Montjeu Montjeu (4 April 1996 – 29 March 2012) was an Irish-bred, French-trained thoroughbred horse racing racehorse and sire. In a racing career which lasted from September 1998 to November 2000, he ran sixteen times and won eleven races, including ...

, Ameerat, Belmez,

Winged Love Winged Love (foaled 15 April 1992, died 2015) is an Irish-bred, French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire best known for his win in the 1995 Irish Derby. After winning one of his two races as a juvenile in 1994, the colt showed steady imp ...

(

Irish Derby The Irish Derby (Irish: Dearbaí na hÉireann) is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 ...

), Caerlina (Prix de Diane), Egyptband (Prix de Diane),

Yeats William Butler Yeats (13 June 186528 January 1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and became a pillar of the Irish liter ...

, and

Dar Re Mi Dar Re Mi (foaled 2005 in Great Britain) is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse. In a racing career lasting from 2007 to 2010 she won six times, including three at Group One level. Since retiring from racing she has become a very successful brood ...

Pedigree

References

{{reflist 1976 racehorse births 1998 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Ireland Racehorses trained in France Thoroughbred family 8-i