The Prix Messidor is a Group 3 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Maisons-Laffitte over a distance of 1,600 metres (about 1 mile), and it is scheduled to take place each year in July.
History The event was established in 1949, and it was originally held at Saint-Cloud. It was initially called the Prix de Messidor, a name derived from messis, the Latin word for "harvest". The present title, without the "de", was introduced in 1955.
For a period the race was switched between Maisons-Laffitte (1963–65, 1968–69) and Saint-Cloud (1966–67, 1970–72). It began a longer spell at Maisons-Laffitte in 1973.
The race was transferred to Deauville in 1997. It returned to Maisons-Laffitte in 2005.
Records Most successful horse (2 wins): Catilina – 1962, 1963
Leading jockey (6 wins): Yves Saint-Martin – Catilina (1962, 1963), Cripton (1964), Irish Minstrel (1969), Tassmoun (1980), Ya Zaman (1981)
Leading trainer (13 wins): André Fabre – Mille Balles (1984), Fitzwilliam Place (1987), Mill Native (1988), Polish Precedent (1989), Acteur Francais (1991), Fanmore (1993), Neuilly (1997), Dansili (1999), Valixir (2005), Intello (2013), Fractional (2015), Vadamos (2016), Impulsif (2019)
Leading owner (4 wins): Aga Khan IV – Cripton (1964), Tassmoun (1980), Valixir (2005), Alnadana (2009)
Winners since 1978 Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Time 1978 Cosmopolitan 3 Philippe Paquet François Boutin Robert Jolibois 1979 American Prince 3 Willie Carson Stuart Murless Burt Bacharach 1980 Tassmoun 4 Yves Saint-Martin François Mathet Aga Khan IV 1981 Ya Zaman 4 Yves Saint-Martin Mitri Saliba Mahmoud Fustok 1:36.20 1982 Noalcoholic 5 George Duffield Gavin Pritchard-Gordon William du Pont III 1983 Pampabird 4 Maurice Philipperon John Cunnington Jr. Paul de Moussac 1:35.20 1984 Mille Balles 4 Freddy Head André Fabre Enzo di Nella 1:37.30 1985 Comrade in Arms 3 Alfred Gibert Philippe Lallié D. W. Molins 1:36.10 1986 Gay Minstrel 5 Gary W. Moore Criquette Head Jacques Wertheimer 1:37.00 1987 Fitzwilliam Place 3 Dominique Boeuf André Fabre Bruce McNall 1:34.50 1988 Mill Native 4 Cash Asmussen André Fabre Paul de Moussac 1:34.20 1989 Polish Precedent 3 Cash Asmussen André Fabre Sheikh Mohammed 1:36.30 1990 Septieme Ciel 3 Freddy Head Criquette Head Johnny Jones 1:41.30 1991 Acteur Francais 3 Thierry Jarnet André Fabre Paul de Moussac 1:36.08 1992 Take Risks 3 Mathieu Boutin Jean Lesbordes David Tsui 1:41.00 1993 Fanmore 5 Thierry Jarnet André Fabre Khalid Abdullah 1:36.30 1994 Jeune Homme 4 Cash Asmussen François Boutin Yoshio Asakawa 1:39.10 1995 Nec Plus Ultra 4 Thierry Gillet Alain de Royer-Dupré Marquesa de Moratalla 1:36.50 1996 Grey Risk 3 Sylvain Guillot Philippe Demercastel Ecurie Bader 1:40.50 1997 Neuilly 3 Alain Junk André Fabre Mrs Paul de Moussac 1:37.10 1998 Fly to the Stars 4 Daragh O'Donohoe Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin 1:36.60 1999 Dansili 3 Olivier Peslier André Fabre Khalid Abdullah 1:33.70 2000 Faberger 4 L. Hammer-Hansen Erika Mäder Wiesenhof Bloodstock 1:39.50 2001 Panis 3 Thierry Thulliez Pascal Bary Ecurie J. L. Bouchard 1:38.40 2002 Altieri 4 Gabriele Bietolini Vittorio Caruso Scuderia Incolinx 1:40.30 2003 Special Kaldoun 4 Dominique Boeuf David Smaga Ecurie Chalhoub 1:34.60 2004 Ryono 5 Tony Castanheira Peter Lautner Hildegard Focke 1:39.60 2005 Valixir 4 Christophe Soumillon André Fabre Aga Khan IV 1:35.70 2006 Librettist 4 Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin 1:36.00 2007 Stormy River 4 Thierry Thulliez Nicolas Clément Ecurie Mister Ess A S 1:33.90 2008 Racinger 5 Davy Bonilla Freddy Head Hamdan Al Maktoum 1:35.70 2009 Alnadana 4 Christophe Soumillon Alain de Royer-Dupré Aga Khan IV 1:38.70 2010 Fuisse 4 Stéphane Pasquier Criquette Head-Maarek Haras du Quesnay 1:35.30 2011 Vagabond Shoes 4 Christophe Soumillon Yan Durepaire Javier Martinez Salmean 1:39.50 2012 Tin Horse 4 Thierry Jarnet Didier Guillemin Marquesa de Moratalla 1:35.45 2013 Intello 3 Olivier Peslier André Fabre Wertheimer et Frère 1:34.00 2014 Graphic 5 Frankie Dettori William Haggas Royal Ascot Racing Club 1:38.10 2015 Fractional 6 Mickael Barzalona André Fabre Godolphin 1:38.40 2016 Vadamos 5 Vincent Cheminaud André Fabre Haras de Saint Pair 1:35.10 2017 Taareef 4 Ioritz Mendizabal Jean-Claude Rouget Hamdan Al Maktoum 1:34.86 2018 Geniale 4 Yutaka Take Mikio Matsunaga Kieffers Co Ltd 1:37.62 2019 Impulsif 4 Mickael Barzalona André Fabre Godolphin 1:38.80 2020 Not run due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2021 Victor Ludorum 4 Mickael Barzalona André Fabre Godolphin 1:40.02 2022 Wally 5 Cristian Demuro Jean-Claude Rouget Ecurie Jean-Pierre Barjon 1:39.37 2023 Fast Raaj 5 Alexis Pouchin Yann Barberot Alain Jathiere, Ecurie Du Parc Monceau Et Al 1:36.81 2026 Silius 4 Maxime Guyon Christophe Ferland Wertheimer et Frère 1:36:01
The 2019 running moved to Deauville during unsafely track. The 2021 running moved to Chantilly due to the closure of Maisons-Laffitte. The 2022 running moved to Chantilly due to the closure of Maisons-Laffitte The 2023 running moved to Chantilly due to the closure of Maisons-Laffitte.
Earlier winners
1949: Beverly 1950: Philactis 1951: 1952: no race 1953: Pomare 1954: Phlox 1955: Chargeur 1956: Cigalon 1957–59: no race 1960: Fin Bec 1961: Pen Mane 1962: Catilina 1963: Catilina 1964: Cripton 1965: Red Slipper 1966: Agy 1967: Morris Dancer 1968: Fisc 1969: Irish Minstrel 1970: Brabant 1971: Joshua 1972: Arosa 1973: Martinmas 1974: El Toro 1975: Son of Silver 1976: Dona Barod 1977: Malecite
See also List of French flat horse races Recurring sporting events established in 1949 – this race is included under its original title, Prix de Messidor.
References France Galop / Racing Post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
france-galop.com – A Brief History: Prix Messidor. galop.courses-france.com – Prix Messidor – Palmarès depuis 1980. galopp-sieger.de – Prix Messidor. horseracingintfed.com – International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Prix Messidor (2016). pedigreequery.com – Prix Messidor.