The Prix du Gros Chêne is a Group 2 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Chantilly over a distance of 1,000 metres (about 5 furlongs), and it is scheduled to take place each year in late May or early June.

History The event was established in 1857, and it was originally contested over 800 metres. Its title refers to a large oak tree which stood in the grounds of the racecourse – the English translation of Gros Chêne is "Great Oak". The race was abandoned because of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. It was extended to 1,000 metres in 1881.

The Prix du Gros Chêne was cancelled throughout World War I, with no running from 1915 to 1918. The first two post-war editions were run over 1,100 metres at Longchamp.

The race was abandoned once during World War II, in 1940. It was staged at Maisons-Laffitte from 1941 to 1943, and at Auteuil with a distance of 900 metres in 1944. It returned to Maisons-Laffitte in 1945, and it was transferred to Longchamp in 1946. Five successive runnings during the wartime period were won by one horse, Fine Art. The race returned to its original venue, Chantilly, in 1957.

The present system of race grading was introduced in 1971, and for a period the Prix du Gros Chêne held Group 3 status. It was promoted to Group 2 level in 1988. The race is now held on the same day as the Prix du Jockey Club.

Records Most successful horse (5 wins): Fine Art – 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946

Leading jockey (9 wins): Roger Poincelet – Fine Art (1944, 1945, 1946), Kalpack (1954), Palariva (1956), Jini (1957), Sly Pola (1960), High Bulk (1961), L'Epinay (1963)

Leading trainer (7 wins): François Mathet – Joshua (1953), Edellic (1958, 1959), Texanita (1964), Farhana (1967), Rockcress (1969), Adraan (1980) Robert Collet - Kind Music (1982), Last Tycoon (1986), Sainte Marine (1988, 1989), Beauty Is Truth (2007), Wizz Kid (2011, 2012)

Leading owner (5 wins): Claude-Joachim Lefèvre – Alaric (1872), Regane (1873), Octave (1883), Feuillage (1886), Frapotel (1888) Pierre Wertheimer – Epinard (1923), La Fayette (1929), Quartz (1933), Sanguine (1951), Kalpack (1954) Louis de La Rochette – Fine Art (1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946)

Winners since 1980 Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Time 1980 Adraan 3 Yves Saint-Martin François Mathet HH Aga Khan IV 1981 Sonoma 3 Freddy Head Criquette Head Haras d'Etreham 1982 Kind Music 3 Cash Asmussen Robert Collet Bendar bin M. Al Kabir 0:55.2 1983 Gem Diamond 5 Alain Badel C. da Meda Mrs Pierre Poinsot 1984 Royal Hobbit 6 Guy Guignard Mick Bartholomew Seamus McGrath 1985 Parioli 4 Maurice Philipperon John Cunnington, Jr. Danny Arnold 1986 Last Tycoon 3 Yves Saint-Martin Robert Collet Richard C. Strauss 0:56.6 1987 Tenue de Soiree 3 Gary W. Moore Criquette Head Haras d'Etreham 0:57.6 1988 Glifahda 5 Freddy Head David Smaga Baron Thierry van Zuylen 0:59.6 1989 Viva Zapata 3 Tony Cruz Jonathan Pease Ecurie I. M. Fares 0:58.8 1990 Nabeel Dancer 5 Pat Eddery Alex Scott Maktoum Al Maktoum 0:58.8 1991 Divine Danse 3 Freddy Head Criquette Head Ecurie Aland 0:58.2 1992 Monde Bleu 4 Dominique Boeuf André Fabre Daniel Wildenstein 0:59.1 1993 Surprise Offer 3 Bruce Raymond Richard Hannon, Sr. 7th Earl of Carnarvon 0:58.6 1994 Spain Lane 3 Walter Swinburn André Fabre Maktoum Al Maktoum 0:58.7 1995 Millyant 5 Cash Asmussen Rae Guest Chris Mills 0:57.8 1996 Anabaa 4 Freddy Head Criquette Head Ghislaine Head 1:00.0 1997 Titus Livius 4 Cash Asmussen Jonathan Pease Niarchos Family 0:59.5 1998 Sainte Marine 3 Dominique Boeuf Robert Collet Richard C. Strauss 0:58.8 1999 Sainte Marine 4 Cash Asmussen Robert Collet Richard C. Strauss 0:59.5 2000 Nuclear Debate 5 Gérald Mossé John Hammond Bob Chester 0:58.7 2001 Dananeyev 5 Olivier Doleuze Carlos Laffon-Parias Wertheimer et Frère 0:58.4 2002 Porlezza 3 Christophe Soumillon Yves de Nicolay Erika Hilger 0:57.4 2003 Porlezza 4 Olivier Peslier Yves de Nicolay Erika Hilger 0:56.8 2004 Avonbridge 4 Steve Drowne Roger Charlton Daniel Deer 0:58.1 2005 The Trader 7 Ted Durcan Michael Blanshard Caroline Ward 0:58.6 2006 Moss Vale 5 Kieren Fallon David Nicholls Lady O'Reilly 0:56.9 2007 Beauty Is Truth 3 Thierry Thulliez Robert Collet Richard C. Strauss 0:57.3 2008 Marchand d'Or 5 Davy Bonilla Freddy Head Carla Giral 0:57.2 2009 Tax Free 7 Adrian Nicholls David Nicholls Ian Hewitson 0:56.7 2010 Planet Five 4 Christophe Lemaire Pascal Bary Niarchos Family 0:58.6 2011 Wizz Kid 3 Ioritz Mendizabal Robert Collet Maeve Mahony 0:58.4 2012 Wizz Kid 4 Gérald Mossé Robert Collet Maeve Mahony 0:59.5 2013 Spirit Quartz 5 Jamie Spencer Robert Cowell Qatar Racing Limited 0:57.63 2014 Rangali 3 Fabrice Veron Henri-Alex Pantall Henri-Alex Pantall 0:57.32 2015 Muthmir 5 Paul Hanagan William Haggas Hamdan Al Maktoum 0:58.22 2016 Son Cesio 5 Vincent Cheminaud Henri-Alex Pantall Yves Borotra 0:59.58 2018 Finsbury Square 6 Olivier Peslier Mauricio Delcher Sanchez Berend Van Dalfsen 0:57.91 2019 Inns Of Court 5 Mickael Barzalona André Fabre Godolphin 0:57.64 2020 Tour To Paris 5 Christophe Soumillon Pia Brandt Jathiere / Augustin-Normand 0:55.81 2021 Pradaro 6 Aurélien Lemaitre Sofie Lanslots Stal Vie En Rose 0:57.83 2022 Brostaigh 3 Dylan Browne McMonagle Joseph O'Brien Scott C Heider 0:58.59 2023 Game Run 4 Marvin Grandin Patrice Cottier Stephane Grandin & Michel Nikitas 0:55.81 2024 Ponntos 6 Mickael Barzalona Miroslav Nieslanik Dr Eva Nieslanikova 0:57.72 2025 Monteille 4 Cristian Demuro Mario Baratti Gerard Augustin-Normand 0:56.69 2026 Sajir 5 Oisin Murphy André Fabre Prince A A Faisal 0:56:46

Earlier winners

1857: Brassia 1858: 1859: Phenix 1860: Geologie 1861: 1862: Sauterelle 1863: Gentilhomme 1864: Partisan 1865: 1866: Anglo Saxon 1867: Czar 1868: Dragon 1869: Turco 1870: Manette 1871: no race 1872: Alaric 1873: Regane 1874: Tabellion 1875: Pensacola 1876: Pensacola 1877: Pensacola 1878: Gladia 1879: Porcelaine 1880: Mademoiselle Mars 1881: Feuille de Frene 1882: Beausejour 1883: Octave 1884: Richelieu 1885: Directrice 1886: Feuillage 1887: Oviedo 1888: Frapotel 1889: Lugano 1890: Eclair 1891: Reveille 1892: Reveille 1893: Hoche 1894: Hoche 1895: Soberano 1896: 1897: Double Tour 1898: Valparaiso 1899: Railleur 1900: Avant Garde 1901: Calapita 1902: Zulma 1903: Romulus 1904: 1905: Mandarin 1906: Chanaan 1907: Go to Bed 1908: Syphon 1909: 1910: Fils du Vent 1911: Racine 1912: Gilles de Rai 1913: Turlupin 1914: Mont d'Or 1915–18: no race 1919: Setauket 1920: Glorious 1921: Phusla 1922: Phusla 1923: Epinard 1924: Niceas 1925: Faraway 1926: Mackwiller 1927: Titan 1928: Songe 1929: La Fayette 1930: Baoule 1931: 1932: Lovelace 1933: Quartz 1934: Shining Tor 1935: Renette 1936: Limac 1937: Limac 1938: 1939: Romeo 1940: no race 1941: Thread 1942: Fine Art 1943: Fine Art 1944: Fine Art 1945: Fine Art 1946: Fine Art 1947: Thiercelin 1948: Solina 1949: Boree 1950: Skylarking 1951: Sanguine 1952: Luzon 1953: Joshua 1954: Kalpack 1955: Dictaway 1956: Palariva 1957: Jini 1958: Edellic 1959: Edellic 1960: Sly Pola 1961: High Bulk 1962: L'Épinay 1963: L'Épinay 1964: Texanita 1965: Holborn 1966: Yours 1967: Farhana 1968: Be Friendly / Klaizia 1969: Rockcress 1970: Balidar 1971: Montgomery 1972: Montgomery 1973: Saulingo 1974: Flirting Around 1975: Realty 1976: Kala Shikari 1977: Madang 1978: Polyponder 1979: Sigy

See also List of French flat horse races

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

france-galop.com – A Brief History: Prix du Gros Chêne. galopp-sieger.de – Prix du Gros Chêne. horseracingintfed.com – International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Prix du Gros-Chêne (2016). pedigreequery.com – Prix du Gros Chêne – Chantilly.