The Prix Gontaut-Biron is a Group 3 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 2,000 metres (about 1¼ miles), and it is scheduled to take place each year in August.

History The event is named in memory of Antoine de Gontaut-Biron (died 1917), a member of the Société des Courses de Deauville, a former governing body at the venue. The race was established in 1919, and it was originally open to horses aged three or older. The inaugural running was contested over 1,600 metres, and it was extended to 2,400 metres in 1920.

Deauville Racecourse was closed during World War II, and the Prix Gontaut-Biron was cancelled in 1940. For the remainder of this period it was switched between Maisons-Laffitte (1941–43, 1945) and Auteuil (1944).

The distance of the race was increased to 2,600 metres in 1955, and cut to 2,000 metres in 1956. It was restored to 2,400 metres in 1958, and from this point the race was closed to three-year-olds. Its current spell over 2,000 metres began in 1964.

The Prix Gontaut-Biron has been sponsored by the Hong Kong Jockey Club since 2009.

Records Most successful horse (2 wins): Hernando – 1994, 1995 Wally - 2021, 2022

Leading jockey (4 wins): Roger Brethès – Rabican (1927), Ping Pong (1935), Samovar (1936), Morosini (1941) Alfred Gibert – Jefferson (1971), Nemr (1981), Great (1982), Arc (1987) Olivier Peslier – Agol Lack (2000), Slew the Red (2001), Carnival Dancer (2003), Vision d'Etat (2010)

Leading trainer (5 wins): André Fabre – Cariellor (1985), Agol Lack (2000), Slew the Red (2001), Crossharbour (2009), New Bay (2016)

Leading owner (3 wins): Ralph B. Strassburger – Berthe (1948), Montaval (1956), Rumesnil (1957) Mahmoud Fustok – Nemr (1981), Great (1982), Over the Ocean (1986) Khalid Abdullah – General Holme (1983), Crossharbour (2009), New Bay (2016)

Winners since 1979 Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Time 1979 Rusticaro 4 Yves Saint-Martin Richard Carver Jr. Brendan Kelly 1980 Armistice Day 4 Yves Saint-Martin C. de Watrigant Luis Urbano Sanabria 1981 Nemr 4 Alfred Gibert Mitri Saliba Mahmoud Fustok 1982 Great 4 Alfred Gibert Mitri Saliba Mahmoud Fustok 1983 General Holme 4 Freddy Head Olivier Douieb Khalid Abdullah 1984 Bedtime 4 Brian Taylor Dick Hern 3rd Earl of Halifax 1985 Cariellor 4 Lester Piggott André Fabre Suzy Volterra 1986 Over the Ocean 4 Alain Badel Georges Mikhalidès Mahmoud Fustok 1987 Arc 4 Alfred Gibert Peter Lautner Stall Weissenhof 1988 Ruffle 4 Maurice Philipperon Edouard Bartholomew Sir Robin McAlpine 2:05.80 1989 Emmson 4 Willie Carson Dick Hern Sir Michael Sobell 2:10.40 1990 Mister Riv 5 Thierry Jarnet Antonio Spanu Jean-Bernard Fetoux 2:08.60 1991 Muroto 5 Gérald Mossé François Boutin Gerry Oldham 2:06.70 1992 Corrupt 4 Frankie Dettori Peter Chapple-Hyam Fathi Kalla 2:14.40 1993 Urban Sea 4 Cash Asmussen Jean Lesbordes David Tsui 2:06.30 1994 Hernando 4 Cash Asmussen François Boutin Stavros Niarchos 2:10.00 1995 Hernando 5 Cash Asmussen John Hammond Stavros Niarchos 2:07.30 1996 Carling 4 Thierry Thulliez Corine Barande-Barbe Teruya Yoshida 2:09.30 1997 Lord of Men 4 Sylvain Guillot John Gosden Sheikh Mohammed 2:08.60 1998 Running Stag 4 Ray Cochrane Philip Mitchell Richard Cohen 2:05.50 1999 Dream Well 4 Sylvain Guillot Pascal Bary Niarchos Family 2:20.4 2000 Agol Lack 4 Olivier Peslier André Fabre Sultan Al Kabeer 2:01.40 2001 Slew the Red 4 Olivier Peslier André Fabre Maktoum Al Maktoum 2:11.90 2002 Wellbeing 5 Thierry Thulliez Pascal Bary Plantation Stud 2:06.50 2003 Carnival Dancer 5 Olivier Peslier Amanda Perrett Cheveley Park Stud 2:10.00 2004 Special Kaldoun 5 Dominique Boeuf David Smaga Ecurie Chalhoub 2:13.20 2005 Sweet Stream 5 Stéphane Pasquier John Hammond Team Valor 2:07.90 2006 Atlantic Air 4 Thierry Thulliez Yves de Nicolay Antonia Devin 2:12.40 2007 Echo of Light 5 Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin 2:05.40 2008 Boris de Deauville 5 Dominique Boeuf Stéphane Wattel Bryant / Haegel 2:06.70 2009 Crossharbour 5 Stéphane Pasquier André Fabre Khalid Abdullah 2:04.00 2010 Vision d'Etat 5 Olivier Peslier Eric Libaud Detré / Libaud 2:12.10 2011 Cirrus des Aigles 5 Franck Blondel Corine Barande-Barbe J. C. A. Dupouy 2:08.60 2012 Don Bosco 5 Gregory Benoist David Smaga Omar El Sharif 2:06.29 2013 Petit Chevalier 5 Maxime Guyon William Mongil Rennstall Gestut Hachstee 2:08.00 2014 Cocktail Queen 4 Alexis Badel Myriam Bollack-Badel Jeff Smith 2:09.90 2015 Bello Matteo 4 Alexis Badel Romain Le Gal Rocco Stasi 2:07.50 2016 New Bay 4 Vincent Cheminaud André Fabre Khalid Abdullah 2:12.67 2017 First Sitting 6 Gérald Mossé Chris Wall Bringloe & Clarke 2:06.11 2018 Talismanic 5 Mickael Barzalona André Fabre Godolphin 2:09.72 2019 Olmedo 4 Cristian Demuro Jean-Claude Rouget Caro / Augustin-Normand 2:06.05 2020 Skalleti 5 Pierre-Charles Boudot Jerome Reynier Jean-Claude Seroul 2:12.51 2021 Wally 4 Cristian Demuro Jean-Claude Rouget Ecurie Jean-Pierre Barjon 2:07.27 2022 Wally 5 Cristian Demuro Jean-Claude Rouget Ecurie Jean-Pierre Barjon 2:06.16

Earlier winners

1919: Saint Souplet 1920: Take a Step 1921: Nephthys 1922: Grillemont 1923: Keror 1924: Almaviva 1925: Cerfeuil 1926: Aethelstan 1927: Rabican 1928: Huntersdale 1929: Grock 1930: Hotweed 1931: Folio 1932: Bievres 1933: Minestrone 1934: Astronomer 1935: Ping Pong 1936: Samovar 1937: Paix des Dames 1938: Ker Flobert 1939: Palais Cardinal 1940: no race 1941: Morosini 1942: Legende 1943: Chateauroux 1944: Sabran 1945: 1946: 1947: Cappielluca 1948: Berthe 1949: Fleury 1950: Kilette 1951: Lacaduv 1952: Vamos 1953: Frere Georges 1954: 1955: Rosati 1956: Montaval 1957: Rumesnil 1958: 1959: Etwild 1960: Sheshoon 1961: Hautain 1962: Liberty Truck 1963: 1964: Frontin 1965: Tobrouk 1966: Sigebert 1967: Caldarello 1968: Frontal 1969: Grandier 1970: Shoemaker 1971: Jefferson 1972: Boreen 1973: Folkestone 1974: Ksar 1975: Record Run 1976: Larkhill 1977: Iron Duke 1978: Gairloch

See also List of French flat horse races

References

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

france-galop.com – A Brief History: Prix Gontaut-Biron. galop.courses-france.com – Prix Gontaut-Biron – Palmarès depuis 1980. galopp-sieger.de – Prix Gontaut-Biron. horseracingintfed.com – International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Prix Gontaut-Biron (2017). pedigreequery.com – Prix Gontaut-Biron – Deauville.