La Coupe is a Group 3 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,000 metres (about 1¼ miles), and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.
History The event was established in 1865, and the first edition was won by Fille de l'Air. The race was named after its original trophy, which at that time was worth 10,000 francs. It was initially open to horses aged three or older and contested over 3,200 metres. It was shortened to 3,000 metres in 1895.
La Coupe was cancelled throughout World War I, with no running from 1915 to 1919. During World War II, it was temporarily switched to Le Tremblay (1943) and Maisons-Laffitte (1944–45).
The race was closed to three-year-olds and cut to 2,600 metres in 1969. It was held at Chantilly in 1980, and from this point its distance was 2,400 metres. It returned to Chantilly in 1982, 1983 and 1985.
The distance of the race was reduced to 2,100 metres in 1991. It was cut to 2,000 metres in 1993. The event was staged at Saint-Cloud in 1994, Évry in 1995, and Saint-Cloud again in 1996.
Records Most successful horse (2 wins): Nougat – 1875, 1876 Lutin – 1894, 1895 Elf – 1897, 1898 Lesotho – 1987, 1988
Leading jockey (7 wins): Christophe Soumillon – Aubonne (2004), Stacelita (2010), Narniyn (2014), Air Pilot (2016), Telecaster (2020), West Wind Blows (2023), Goliath (2025)
Leading trainer (9 wins): Tom Jennings – Fille de l'Air (1865), Gladiateur (1866), Nelusco (1868), Trocadero (1869), Mortemer (1870), Nougat (1875, 1876), Balagny (1878), Castillon (1880, dead-heat)
Leading owner (9 wins): Frédéric de Lagrange – Fille de l'Air (1865), Gladiateur (1866), Nelusco (1868), Trocadero (1869), Mortemer (1870), Nougat (1875, 1876), Balagny (1878), Castillon (1880, dead-heat)
Winners since 1980 Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Time 1980 Prove It Baby 4 Philippe Paquet François Boutin Walter Haefner 2:31.90 1981 Perrault 4 Yves Saint-Martin Pierre Pelat Thierry van Zuylen 2:49.40 1982 Terreno 4 Cash Asmussen François Boutin Gerry Oldham 2:39.70 1983 Zalataia 4 Freddy Head André Fabre Francis Baral 2:24.50 1984 Garde Royale 4 Gérard Dubroeucq André Fabre Ella Widener Wetherill 2:39.40 1985 Romildo 5 Cash Asmussen François Boutin Gerry Oldham 2:25.10 1986 Triptych 4 Yves Saint-Martin Patrick Biancone Alan Clore 2:38.40 1987 Lesotho 4 Gary W. Moore Criquette Head Khalid Abdullah 2:34.40 1988 Lesotho 5 Gary W. Moore Criquette Head Khalid Abdullah 2:30.00 1989 Athyka 4 Guy Guignard Criquette Head Jacques Wertheimer 2:36.50 1990 French Glory 4 Cash Asmussen André Fabre Khalid Abdullah 2:32.50 1991 Art Bleu 4 Dominique Boeuf Élie Lellouche Daniel Wildenstein 2:09.30 1992 Wiorno 4 Thierry Jarnet André Fabre Etti Plesch 2:15.20 1993 D'Arros 4 Cash Asmussen François Boutin Stavros Niarchos 2:07.60 1994 Flag Down 4 Gérald Mossé John Hammond Cheveley Park Stud 2:05.20 1995 Marildo 8 Guy Guignard David Smaga David Smaga 2:01.30 1996 Dance Treat 4 Olivier Doleuze Dominique Sépulchre Peter Pritchard 2:03.40 1997 For Valour 4 Thierry Gillet André Fabre Tony Richards 2:09.30 1998 Public Purse 4 Alain Junk André Fabre Khalid Abdullah 2:03.50 1999 Ultimately Lucky 4 Alain Junk Jean-Paul Gallorini Jocelyne Sénéchal 2:05.40 2000 Slickly 4 Sylvain Guillot Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin 2:04.70 2001 Slew the Red 4 Olivier Peslier André Fabre Maktoum Al Maktoum 2:06.70 2002 Equerry 4 Yutaka Take Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin 2:07.50 2003 Carnival Dancer 5 Olivier Peslier Amanda Perrett Cheveley Park Stud 2:06.60 2004 Aubonne 4 Christophe Soumillon Eric Libaud Ingeborg von Schubert 2:05.00 2005 Artiste Royal 4 Stéphane Pasquier Élie Lellouche Ecurie Wildenstein 2:07.00 2006 Blue Monday 5 Steve Drowne Roger Charlton Mountgrange Stud 2:10.50 2007 Stage Gift 4 Kerrin McEvoy Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin 2:06.60 2008 Crossharbour 4 Johan Victoire André Fabre Khalid Abdullah 2:02.00 2009 Stotsfold 6 Adam Kirby Walter Swinburn Peter Harris 2:05.10 2010 Stacelita 4 Christophe Soumillon Jean-Claude Rouget Martin Schwartz 2:08.90 2011 Cirrus des Aigles 5 Franck Blondel Corine Barande-Barbe Jean-Claude Dupouy 2:07.66 2012 No Risk at All 5 Ioritz Mendizabal Jean-Paul Gallorini Jean-Paul Gallorini 2:08.95 2013 Slow Pace 5 Olivier Peslier Freddy Head Wertheimer et Frère 2:09.24 2014 Narniyn 4 Christophe Soumillon Alain de Royer-Dupré HH Aga Khan 2:10.19 2015 Bello Matteo 4 Alexis Badel Romain Le Gal Rocci Stasi 2:04.80 2016 Air Pilot 7 Christophe Soumillon Ralph Beckett Lady Cobham 2:07.66 2017 Robin of Navan 4 Cristian Demuro Harry Dunlop Cross, Deal, Foden, Sieff 1:59.45 2018 Dallas Affair 4 Aurélien Lemaitre Freddy Head George Strawbridge Jr. 2:04.91 2019 Danceteria 4 Jamie Spencer David Menuisier Australian / Washbourn 2:09.63 2020 Telecaster 4 Christophe Soumillon Hughie Morrison Castle Down Racing 2:01.98 2021 Iresine 4 Mlle Marie Velon Jean-Pierre Gauvin Bertrand Milliere 2:06.25 2022 Monty 7 Olivier Peslier Andreas Schütz AB Racing Limited, Ecurie Ades Hazan & Davy Bonilla 2:08.13 2023 West Wind Blows 4 Christophe Soumillon Simon & Ed Crisford Abdulla Al Mansoori 2:02.72 2024 Calif 5 Alexis Pouchin C & Y Lerner Victorious 2:4.07 2025 Goliath 5 Christophe Soumillon Francis-Henri Graffard Resolute Bloodstock & Philip Baron von Ullman 2:08.62 2026 Nitoi 4 Stéphane Pasquier André Fabre Wertheimer et Frère 2:01:99
Earlier winners
1865: Fille de l'Air 1866: Gladiateur 1867: Normandie 1868: Nelusco 1869: Trocadero 1870: Mortemer 1871: no race 1872: Clotaire 1873: Barbillon 1874: Franc Tireur 1875: Nougat 1876: Nougat 1877: Stracchino 1878: Balagny 1879: Brie 1880: Castillon / Fitz Plutus 1881: Le Destrier 1882: Bariolet 1883: Mademoiselle de Senlis 1884: Formalite 1885: Fra Diavolo 1886: The Condor 1887: Alger 1888: Brisolier 1889: Fligny 1890: Prix Fixe 1891: Barberousse 1892: Amadis 1893: Medium 1894: Lutin 1895: Lutin 1896: Addy 1897: Elf 1898: Elf 1899: Rembrandt 1900: Apex 1901: 1902: Kakimono 1903: Sans Profit 1904: Iermak 1905: Rataplan 1906: Marsan 1907: Moulins la Marche 1908: L'Inconnu 1909: Drapeau 1910: Chulo 1911: Rire aux Larmes 1912: Corton 1913: Amadou 1914: Tortika 1915–19: no race 1920: Passebreul 1921: Lord Frey 1922: Binic 1923: Sens 1924: Rusa 1925: Hohneck 1926: The Wolf 1927: Bois Josselyn 1928: Mars en Careme 1929: Feb 1930: Zeus II 1931: Raeburn 1932: Taxodium 1933: Bleu Horizon 1934: Pons Legend 1935: Bokbul 1936: Le Vizir 1937: Cormery 1938: The Spy 1939: Sesterce 1940: 1941: Marjolet 1942: L'Aligote 1943: 1944: 1945: 1946: Flossie 1947: Diable Gris 1948: 1949: Bye Bye 1950: Miel Rosa 1951: Belphegor 1952: Ksiri 1953: Romantisme 1954: Ranchiquito 1955: Pasithee 1956: Jithaka 1957: 1958: Pepin le Bref 1959: Birum 1960: Norok 1961: Galoubet 1962: Saint Florent 1963: Darling Boy 1964: Waldmeister 1965: Fantomas 1966: Vleuten 1967: Timour 1968: Excalibur 1969: Taineval 1970: Park Top 1971: High Game 1972: Karoon 1973: Sang Bleu 1974: Balompie 1975: Campo Moro 1976: Beau Buck 1977: Palei 1978: Guadanini 1979: African Hope
See also List of French flat horse races
References
France Galop / Racing Post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
france-galop.com – A Brief History: La Coupe. galop.courses-france.com – La Coupe – Palmarès depuis 1980. galopp-sieger.de – La Coupe. ifhaonline.org – International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – La Coupe (2019). pedigreequery.com – La Coupe – Longchamp.