The Prix Penelope is a Group 3 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run over a distance of 2,100 metres (about 1 mile and 2½ furlongs) at Saint-Cloud in March or April.

History The event is named after two different horses called Penelope – a leading British broodmare foaled in 1798, and the winner of the Prix Royal foaled in 1820.

The Prix Penelope was established in 1905, and it was originally staged at Maisons-Laffitte. It was initially contested over 2,000 metres.

The race was abandoned throughout World War I, with no running from 1915 to 1919. It was held at Saint-Cloud in 1921, and moved there more permanently in 1927.

The Prix Penelope took place at Longchamp from 1940 to 1942, and switched to Maisons-Laffitte in 1943. It was extended to 2,100 metres in 1944. It returned to Saint-Cloud and reverted to 2,000 metres in 1946. It was restored to 2,100 metres in 1950.

The present race grading system was introduced in 1971, and the Prix Penelope was subsequently classed at Group 3 level.

The Prix Penelope can serve as a trial for the Prix de Diane. The last horse to win both events was Pawneese in 1976.

Records Leading jockey (5 wins): George Stern – Muskerry (1905), Sais (1906), Roselys (1914), Samic (1921), Zariba (1922) Rae Johnstone – La Futaie (1940), Sylphide (1947), Corseira (1950), Arbele (1952), Sun Cap (1954) Thierry Jarnet – Madame Est Sortie (1988), Wemyss Bight (1993), Diamond Dance (1994), Tulipa (1996), La Sylphide (1999)

Leading trainer (10 wins): André Fabre – Trampoli (1992), Wemyss Bight (1993), Diamond Dance (1994), Muncie (1995), Tulipa (1996), Gagnoa (2008), Waldlerche (2012), Philomene (2021), Agave (2022), Pensee Du Jour (2023)

Leading owner (10 wins): Marcel Boussac – Samic (1921), Zariba (1922), Diademe (1930), Canzoni (1939), Esmeralda (1942), Corseira (1950), Arbele (1952), Adarca (1953), Janiari (1956), Demia (1977)

Winners since 1981 Year Winner Jockey Trainer Owner Time 1981 Last Love Serge Gorli Patrick Biancone Serge Lederman 1982 All Along Serge Gorli Patrick Biancone Daniel Wildenstein 2:23.40 1983 Smuggly Alain Badel Olivier Douieb Edward Seltzer 1984 Pampa Bella Alain Badel Jean-François Daubin Mrs A. Daubin 1985 Blue Tip Cash Asmussen Freddie Palmer David d'Albis 1986 Termienne Dominique Boeuf Jean-Paul Gallorini Philippe Faucampre 1987 Productive Freddy Head J. C. Cunnington George Ohrstrom 1988 Madame Est Sortie Thierry Jarnet Yann-Marie Porzier Gerald Levi 2:34.20 1989 Behera Tony Cruz Alain de Royer-Dupré HH Aga Khan IV 2:16.10 1990 Air de Rien Alain Badel Myriam Bollack-Badel Jacques Berès 2:13.50 1991 La Monalisa Dominique Boeuf Élie Lellouche Edgard Zorbibe 2:15.30 1992 Trampoli Sylvain Guillot André Fabre Paul de Moussac 2:18.70 1993 Wemyss Bight Thierry Jarnet André Fabre Khalid Abdullah 2:20.50 1994 Diamond Dance Thierry Jarnet André Fabre Jean-Luc Lagardère 2:18.70 1995 Muncie Olivier Peslier André Fabre Daniel Wildenstein 2:21.30 1996 Tulipa Thierry Jarnet André Fabre Sheikh Mohammed 2:15.70 1997 Brilliance Sylvain Guillot Pascal Bary Ecurie Skymarc Farm 2:17.90 1998 Abbatiale Frédéric Sanchez Dominique Sépulchre Georges Coude 2:27.60 1999 La Sylphide Thierry Jarnet Nicolas Clément Sibylle Egloff 2:28.20 2000 Volvoreta Thierry Thulliez Carlos Lerner Maria-Soledad Vidal 2:21.90 2001 Baldwina François-Xavier Bertras François Rohaut Bernard Cazenave 2:41.30 2002 Ombre Legere Stéphane Pasquier Élie Lellouche Ecurie Ferdane 2:19.50 2003 Humouresque Thierry Thulliez Sir Mark Prescott Cheveley Park Stud 2:17.90 2004 Ask for the Moon Ioritz Mendizabal Jean-Claude Rouget Jean-Pierre Dubois 2:17.10 2005 Perfect Hedge Thierry Thulliez Nicolas Clément NP Bloodstock Ltd 2:22.10 2006 Germance Ioritz Mendizabal Jean-Claude Rouget Nelson Radwan 2:20.10 2007 Mrs Lindsay Stéphane Pasquier François Rohaut Bettina Jenney 2:17.20 2008 Gagnoa Stéphane Pasquier André Fabre Smith / Tabor / Magnier 2:23.10 2009 Celimene Yann Lerner Carlos Lerner Gérard Laboureau 2:21.30 2010 Dariole Grégory Benoist Pascal Bary Helen Barbe 2:19.90 2011 Don't Hurry Me Ioritz Mendizabal Jean-Claude Rouget Jean-François Gribomont 2:17.20 2012 Waldlerche Maxime Guyon André Fabre Gestüt Bernried 2:19.80 2013 Ferevia Olivier Peslier Carlos Laffon-Parias Leonidas Marinopoulos 2:23.40 2014 Goldy Espony Fabrice Veron Henri-Alex Pantall Henri-Alex Pantall 2:17.16 2015 Queen's Jewel Maxime Guyon Freddy Head Wertheimer et Frère 2:18.19 2016 Camprock Maxime Guyon Pia Brandt Ecurie du Grand Chene 2:23.01 2017 Sistercharlie Maxime Guyon Henri-Alex Pantall Mme Jacques Cygler 2:19.06 2018 Luminate Olivier Peslier Freddy Head Highclere Thoroughbred Racing 2:13.08 2019 Cartiem Cristian Demuro Jean-Claude Rouget G Augustin-Normand et al. 2:16.14 no race 2020 2021 Philomene Mickael Barzalona André Fabre Godolphin / Monceaux / Skymarc 2:15.68 2022 Agave Olivier Peslier André Fabre Exors of the late K Abdullah 2:18.15 2023 Pensee Du Jour Bauyrzhan Murzabayev André Fabre Ballymore Thoroughbred Ltd 2:14.30 2024 Making Dreams Alexis Pouchin Karl Burke Bradley Racing / Burke 2:37.71 2025 Tajlina Mickael Barzalona Francis-Henri Graffard Al Asayl France 2:18.91

Earlier winners

1905: Muskerry 1906: Sais 1907: All Mine 1908: Scarlet 1909: Pierre Benite 1910: Madeleine 1911: La Becasse 1912: Mongolie 1913: Sweetness 1914: Roselys 1915–19: no race 1920: Flowershop 1921: Samic 1922: Zariba 1923: Fiasque 1924: Isola Bella 1925: Gandourah 1926: Briseis 1927: Carmelite 1928: Tanais 1929: Tour Eiffel 1930: Diademe 1931: Brulette 1932: Incessu Patuit 1933: Bipearl 1934: Rarity 1935: Clairvoyante 1936: Royalebuchy 1937: Sylvanire 1938: Feerie 1939: Canzoni 1940: La Futaie 1941: Longthanh 1942: Esmeralda 1943: Folle Nuit 1944: Chambriere 1945: Raita 1946: Pirette 1947: Sylphide 1948: Princesse Kara 1949: Cretonne 1950: Corseira 1951: Simonetta 1952: Arbele 1953: Adarca 1954: Sun Cap 1955: Senones 1956: Janiari 1957: Piriere 1958: Dushka 1959: Favreale / Ma Princesse 1960: Timandra 1961: Hermieres 1962: Monade 1963: Maintenon 1964: Carolle II 1965: Cassette 1966: Kaliopi 1967: Straight On 1968: Roseliere 1969: Saraca 1970: Hether 1971: Cigaline 1972: Rescousse 1973: Brave Ketty 1974: Pale Ale 1975: Petit Monstre 1976: Pawneese 1977: Demia 1978: Tempus Fugit 1979: Saloon 1980: Good to Beat

See also List of French flat horse races

References

France Galop / Racing Post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , galop.courses-france.com: 1905–1919, 1920–1949, 1950–1979, 1980–present france-galop.com – A Brief History: Prix Pénélope. galopp-sieger.de – Prix Penelope. ifhaonline.org – International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Prix Penelope (2019). pedigreequery.com – Prix Penelope – Saint-Cloud.