The Prix Vicomtesse Vigier 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 3,100 metres (about 1 mile and 7½ furlongs), and it is scheduled to take place each year in May.

History The event was established in 1859 and named after the Viscountess Vigier. It was originally the second leg of a pair of races called the Prix Biennal. The first leg, for three-year-olds, was created a year earlier. The version for older horses was initially contested over 3,200 metres. It was cancelled because of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871, and it was cut to 3,000 metres in 1897. It was abandoned throughout World War I, with no running from 1915 to 1918.

Both legs of the Prix Biennal were given a new title, the Prix Jean Prat, in 1940. This was in memory of Jean Prat (1847–1940), a successful racehorse owner and breeder. The older horses' version was held at Maisons-Laffitte from 1943 to 1945, and on the first occasion it was contested over 3,100 metres. It returned to Longchamp in 1946, and its regular distance was extended to 3,100 metres in 1955.

The Prix Jean Prat for older horses was renamed the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier in 1985. This was in honour of Vicomtesse Vigier, Madeleine Double de Saint-Lambert (1869–1970), the niece of Jean Prat, who inherited her uncle's stable upon his death. The version for three-year-olds continued with the title Prix Jean Prat.

The Prix Vicomtesse Vigier used to be held several weeks before the Prix du Cadran, but that race was switched from May to October in 1991. The leading contenders often go on to compete in the latter event, and the last to win both in the same year was Vazirabad in 2017.

Records Most successful horse (3 wins): Vazirabad – 2016, 2017, 2018

Leading jockey (6 wins): Yves Saint-Martin – Cirio (1963), Danseur (1967), Zamazaan (1969), Paseo (1970), Recupere (1974), Buckskin (1977) Freddy Head – Hallez (1971), Midshipman (1978), Campero (1979), Gold River (1981), Starski (1982), Dadarissime (1993)

Leading trainer (7 wins): Alain de Royer-Dupré – Starski (1982) Tajoun (1998), Shamdala (2006), Ivory Land (2012), Vazirabad (2016, 2017, 2018) André Fabre - Magwal (1984), Amilynx (2000), Coastal Path (2008), Americain (2009), Brigantin (2011), Sober (2023), Sevenna's Knight (2024)

Leading owner (5 wins): Henri Delamarre – Pauvre Here (1861), Angus (1862), Clotaire (1872), Boiard (1874), Clio (1883) Marcel Boussac – Marsyas (1944, 1945), Arbar (1948), Marveil (1950), Scratch (1951) Aga Khan IV – Tajoun (1998), Shamdala (2006), Vazirabad (2016, 2017, 2018)

Winners since 1979 Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Time 1979 Campero 6 Freddy Head Maurice Zilber J. Moreno 3:16.80 1980 Hard to Sing 4 Georges Doleuze Charlie Milbank N. Lathom-Sharp 3:24.90 1981 Gold River 4 Freddy Head Alec Head Jacques Wertheimer 3:39.90 1982 Starski 4 Freddy Head Alain de Royer-Dupré Marquesa de Moratalla 3:28.40 1983 Kelbomec 7 Jean-Claude Desaint J. C. Cunnington Mrs Jacques Barker 3:37.30 1984 Magwal 5 Alfred Gibert André Fabre Mahmoud Fustok 3:17.20 1985 Balitou 6 Éric Legrix Patrick Biancone Daniel Wildenstein 3:32.20 1986 Air de Cour 4 Éric Legrix Patrick Biancone Daniel Wildenstein 3:42.20 1987 Tale Quale 5 Tony Cruz Patrick Biancone Daniel Wildenstein 3:25.70 1988 Royal Gait 5 Alfred Gibert John Fellows Manuel Pereira-Arias 3:28.00 1989 Rachmaninov 4 Cash Asmussen Élie Lellouche Jean-Claude Abecassis 3:37.30 1990 Turgeon 4 Tony Cruz Jonathan Pease George Strawbridge 3:26.30 1991 Turgeon 5 Cash Asmussen Jonathan Pease George Strawbridge 3:20.00 1992 Commendable 4 Pat Eddery Henri-Alex Pantall Khalid Abdullah 3:23.80 1993 Dadarissime 4 Freddy Head Georges Bridgland Sir James Goldsmith 3:20.80 1994 Molesnes 4 Olivier Peslier Marcel Rolland Michel Perret 3:27.90 1995 The Little Thief 4 Alain Junk Eric Danel George Ohrstrom 3:29.70 1996 Double Eclipse 4 Jason Weaver Mark Johnston Middleham Partnership 3:28.20 1997 Stretarez 4 Frédéric Sanchez Dominique Sépulchre Jean-Luc Lagardère 3:28.80 1998 Tajoun 4 Gérald Mossé Alain de Royer-Dupré HH Aga Khan IV 3:18.50 1999 Kayf Tara 5 Sylvain Guillot Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin 3:22.90 2000 Amilynx 4 Olivier Peslier André Fabre Jean-Luc Lagardère 3:27.20 2001 Speedmaster 4 Dominique Boeuf François Doumen Horst Rapp 3:19.30 2002 Wareed 4 Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin 3:15.80 2003 Cut Quartz 6 Thierry Jarnet Richard Gibson Antoinette Kavanagh 3:32.70 2004 Forestier 4 Christophe Lemaire Eric Danel Mrs René J. Wattinne 3:29.90 2005 Westerner 6 Olivier Peslier Élie Lellouche Ecurie Wildenstein 3:15.80 2006 Shamdala 4 Christophe Soumillon Alain de Royer-Dupré HH Aga Khan IV 3:22.50 2007 Lord du Sud 6 Christophe Lemaire Jean-Claude Rouget Béatrice Hermelin 3:33.60 2008 Coastal Path 4 Stéphane Pasquier André Fabre Khalid Abdullah 3:18.60 2009 Americain 4 Olivier Peslier André Fabre Wertheimer et Frère 3:28.78 2010 Kite Wood 4 Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin 3:20.00 2011 Brigantin 4 Pierre-Charles Boudot André Fabre Team Valor 3:31.60 2012 Ivory Land 5 Stéphane Pasquier Alain de Royer-Dupré Eduardo Fierro 3:26.69 2013 Domeside 7 Christophe Soumillon Mauricio Delcher-Sanchez Safsaf Canarias Srl 3:27.01 2014 Fly With Me 4 Maxime Guyon Eric Libaud Jean Luck 3:32.22 2015 Bathyrhon 5 Maxime Guyon Pia Brandt Avaz Ismoilov 3:20.74 2016 Vazirabad 4 Christophe Soumillon Alain de Royer-Dupré Aga Khan IV 3:35.96 2017 Vazirabad 5 Christophe Soumillon Alain de Royer-Dupré Aga Khan IV 3:37.11 2018 Vazirabad 6 Christophe Soumillon Alain de Royer-Dupré Aga Khan IV 3:14.46 2019 Called To The Bar 5 Theo Bachelot Pia Brandt Fair Salinia / Pia Brandt 3:12.23 2020 San Huberto 4 Pierre-Charles Boudot Fabrice Chappet OTI Racing 3:10.34 2021 Skazino 5 Mickael Barzalona Cedric Rossi La Haras de la Gousserie 3:27.19 2022 Skazino 6 Mickael Barzalona Richard Chotard La Haras de la Gousserie 3:22.99 2023 Sober 4 Maxime Guyon André Fabre Wertheimer et Frère 3:21.98 2024 Sevenna's Knight 4 Mickael Barzalona André Fabre OTI Racing 3:21.15 2025 Candelari 4 Clement Lecoeuvre Francis-Henri Graffard Aga Khan Studs SCEA 3:19.09 2026 Caballo De Mar 5 Oisin Murphy George Scott Victorious Forever 3:21.11

Earlier winners

1859: Tippler 1860: Light 1861: Pauvre Here 1862: Angus 1863: Grande Puissance 1864: Guillaume le Taciturne 1865: Fille de l'Air 1866: Fumee 1867: Fleurette 1868: Nemea 1869: Mortemer 1870: Cerdagne 1871: no race 1872: Clotaire 1873: Revigny 1874: Boiard 1875: Bieville 1876: Solo 1877: Mondaine 1878: Jongleur 1879: Mourle 1880: Vignemale 1881: Beauminet / Le Destrier 1882: Forum 1883: Clio 1884: Satory 1885: Archiduc 1886: Lapin 1887: Alger 1888: Brisolier 1889: Galaor 1890: Pourtant 1891: Alicante 1892: Gouverneur 1893: Perdican 1894: Lagrange 1895: Canigou 1896: Quelus 1897: 1898: Patriarche 1899: Riverain 1900: Germain 1901: Codoman 1902: La Camargo 1903: 1904: Nordenskjold 1905: Gouvernant 1906: Genial 1907: Querido 1908: Elysee 1909: Sauge Pourpree 1910: Oversight 1911: Sablonnet 1912: Joyeux 1913: Predicateur 1914: Nimbus 1915–18: no race 1919: Gave 1920: Juveigneur 1921: Odol 1922: Harpocrate 1923: Sens 1924: Massine 1925: Cadum 1926: Tomy 1927: Bois Josselyn 1928: Sachet 1929: Kantar 1930: Cabire 1931: Amfortas 1932: Dark Agnes 1933: Gris Perle 1934: Casterari 1935: Admiral Drake 1936: Quorn 1937: Fantastic 1938: Malkowicze 1939: Messines 1940: Birikil 1941: Maurepas 1942: Le Pampre 1943: Tornado 1944: Marsyas 1945: Marsyas 1946: Chanteur 1947: Souverain 1948: Arbar 1949: Espace Vital 1950: Marveil 1951: Scratch 1952: Mat de Cocagne 1953: Feu du Diable 1954: Savoyard 1955: Banassa 1956: Polar 1957: Oroso 1958: Vacarme 1959: Wallaby 1960: Bel Baraka 1961: Puissant Chef 1962: Taine 1963: Cirio 1964: Celadon 1965: White Label 1966: Alyscamps 1967: Danseur 1968: Pardallo 1969: Zamazaan 1970: Paseo 1971: Hallez 1972: Parnell 1973: Parnell 1974: Recupere 1975: Le Bavard 1976: Citoyen 1977: Buckskin 1978: Midshipman

See also List of French flat horse races Recurring sporting events established in 1859 – this race is included under its original title, Prix Biennal.

References

France Galop / Racing Post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

galop.courses-france.com: 1859–1889, 1890–1919, 1920–1949, 1950–1979, 1980–present

External links france-galop.com – A Brief History: Prix Vicomtesse Vigier. ifhaonline.org – International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Prix Vicomtesse Vigier (2019). pedigreequery.com – Prix Vicomtesse Vigier – Longchamp.