The Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil, sometimes referred to as the French Champion Hurdle, is a Group 1 hurdle race in France which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Auteuil over a distance of 5,100 metres (about 3 miles and 1½ furlongs), and it is scheduled to take place each year in May.
History The race was first run on May 25, 1874, the same day as the inaugural running of the Grand National de France (now the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris). It was originally open to horses aged four or older, and it was initially contested over 4,000 metres. This was increased to 4,800 metres in its second year, and to 5,000 metres in 1880. The race was given a new date in 1882 – it was moved to the Wednesday after the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris, which continued to be run on the last Sunday in May. The following year saw the launch of a new steeplechase at Auteuil, the Prix des Drags, and this was scheduled for the Friday of the same week. This week of top class jump races became known as the Grande Semaine d'Auteuil. The Grande Course de Haies was run as a handicap until 1889, but since then it has held weight for age conditions.
The race was abandoned throughout World War I, with no running from 1915 to 1918. During World War II it was cancelled only once, in 1940. The minimum age was raised to five in 1961, when a new hurdle race, the Grande Course de Haies des 4 Ans (later titled the Prix Alain du Breil), was introduced specifically for four-year-olds. The distance of the Grande Course de Haies was extended to 5,100 metres in 1969. This was cut to 4,100 metres in 1975, and then restored to 5,100 metres in 1979.
Four horses have won both this event and the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris. These are Blagueur II, Loreto, Ubu III and Mid Dancer. The 1947 winner of the Grande Course de Haies, Le Paillon, later won the most prestigious flat race in France, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. The 1984 winner, Dawn Run (a mare trained in Ireland), also won both the Champion Hurdle and the Cheltenham Gold Cup in England. She returned to Auteuil to attempt a repeat victory in 1986, but during the race she misjudged a hurdle, fell, and died almost instantly.
In 2010, the race was won by flat jockey Christophe Soumillon.
Records Leading jockey (4 wins): John Boon – Vertige (1894), Charlatan (1895), Grandlieu (1898), Kerym (1899)
Leading trainer (8 wins): William Head – Evohe II (1937, 1938), Royal Kidney (1939), Ludovic le More (1943), Vatelys (1946), Le Paillon (1947), Septieme Ciel (1948), Friendship (1959)
Leading owner (6 wins): Daniel Wildenstein – Gopal (1969), Top Gear (1977), Paiute (1979, 1980), World Citizen (1982), Vaporetto (1999)
Winners since 1970 Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner 1970 Samour 5 Christian Mahé Jean Laumain Mrs Hubert Seutet 1971 Le Pontet 6 François Bonni Gérard Philippeau Josette Rossi 1972 Hardatit 6 C. Fornaroli René Pelat Charles Sweeny 1973 Hardatit 7 Pierre Costes René Pelat Charles Sweeny 1974 Baby Taine 5 Ronny Dupon André Adèle Georges Blizniansky 1975 Mazel Tov 5 Serge Roux André Adèle Mrs Julien Décrion 1976 Les Roseaux 7 Daniel Merle Gérard Boeuf Nicole Sarmant 1977 Top Gear 5 Dominique Costard Georges Pelat Daniel Wildenstein 1978 Roselier 5 Serge Bérard Léon Gaumondy Mrs Léon Gaumondy 1979 Paiute 6 Martin Blackshaw Georges Pelat Daniel Wildenstein 1980 Paiute 7 Dominique Costard Jack Barbe Daniel Wildenstein 1981 Bison Fute 5 Dominique Costard Jacques de Chevigny Mrs Jean Couturié 1982 World Citizen 5 Noel Péguy Patrick Rago Daniel Wildenstein 1983 Melinoir 5 Denis Bailliez Jack Barbe Francis Wintz 1984 Dawn Run 6 Tony Mullins Paddy Mullins Charmian Hill 1985 Le Rheusois 5 Roger Duchêne Patrick Rago Claude Ouyoucef 1986 Le Rheusois 6 Denis Leblond Patrick Rago Claude Ouyoucef 1987 Claude le Lorrain 8 Patrick-Alain Sauvat Loïc Audon André Bergalet 1988 Goodea 8 Béatrice Marie Jean-Paul Gallorini Prosper Elmoznino 1989 Sire Rochelais 5 Loïc Manceau Guy Chérel Jean-Claude Evain 1990 Tongan 7 Dominique Vincent Gérard Collet Wladimir Nikolic 1991 Rose or No 7 Vincent Sartori Philippe Demercastel Ecurie Jules Ouaki 1992 Ubu III 6 Adam Kondrat François Doumen Marquesa de Moratalla 1993 Ubu III 7 Adam Kondrat François Doumen Marquesa de Moratalla 1994 Le Roi Thibault 5 Yannick Fouin Georges Doleuze Haras du Reuilly 1995 Matchou 6 Didier Mescam Jean Lesbordes Muriel Montauban 1996 Earl Grant 7 Jean-Yves Beaurain Bernard Sécly Louis Gautier 1997 Bog Frog 8 Jean-Yves Beaurain Bernard Sécly Mrs David Scarisbrick 1998 Mantovo 6 François Benech Marcel Rolland Frank McNulty 1999 Vaporetto 6 Thierry Majorcryk Jean-Paul Gallorini Daniel Wildenstein 2000 Le Sauvignon 6 Dominique Bressou Jean Bertran de Balanda David J. Jackson 2001 Le Sauvignon 7 Dominique Bressou Jean Bertran de Balanda David J. Jackson 2002 Laveron 7 Thierry Doumen François Doumen Dirk Grauert 2003 Nobody Told Me 5 David Casey Willie Mullins Amber Syndicate 2004 Rule Supreme 8 David Casey Willie Mullins John J. Fallon 2005 Lycaon de Vauzelle 6 Boris Chameraud Jean Bertran de Balanda Francis Wintz 2006 Mid Dancer 5 Christophe Pieux Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé Sean Mulryan 2007 Zaiyad 6 Jacques Ricou Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé Sean Mulryan 2008 Oeil du Maitre 6 Steven Colas Jean-Paul Gallorini Alexandrine Berger 2009 Questarabad 5 Regis Schmidlin Marcel Rolland Mrs Roger Polani 2010 Mandali 6 Christophe Soumillon Jean-Paul Gallorini Ecurie Zingaro 2011 Thousand Stars 7 Ruby Walsh Willie Mullins Hammer & Trowel Syndicate 2012 Thousand Stars 8 Ruby Walsh Willie Mullins Hammer & Trowel Syndicate 2013 Gemix 5 David Cottin Nicolas Bertran de Balanda Mme Francis Teboul 2014 Gemix 6 David Cottin Nicolas Bertran de Balanda Mme Francis Teboul 2015 Un Temps Pour Tout 6 James Reveley David Pipe Tisdall / Drew 2016 Ptit Zig 7 Sam Twiston-Davies Paul Nicholls Fulton / Giles / Webb 2017 L'Ami Serge 7 Daryl Jacob Nicky Henderson Simon Munir & Isaac Souede 2018 De Bon Coeur 5 Kevin Nabet Francois Nicolle Jacques Detre & Haras de Saint-Voir 2019 Benie des Dieux 8 Paul Townend Willie Mullins Susannah Ricci 2020 Paul's Saga 6 Kevin Nabet David Cottin Gerald Laroche 2021 L'Autonomie 6 Angelo Zuliani Francois Nicolle Catherine Coiffier 2022 Hermes Baie 5 Bertrand Lestrade Francois Nicolle Mme Patrick Papot 2023 Thélème 6 Gaetan Masure Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé JDG Bloodstock Services 2024 Losange Bleu 5 Johnny Charron Dominique Bressou Mme Patrick Papot 2025 El Clavel 5 James Reveley Noel George & Amanda Zetterholm Misol Racing & Ecurie De Roebeck 2026 Losange Bleu 7 Johnny Charron Dominique Bressou Mme Patrick Papot
Earlier winners
1874 - Jackal 1875 - Borely 1876 - Vichnou 1877 - Miss Lizzie 1878 - Patriarche 1879 - Paul's Cray 1880 - Doublon 1881 - Seaman 1882 - Marc Antony 1883 - Beatus 1884 - Baudres 1885 - Newmarket 1886 - Jannock 1887 - Kersage 1888 - Aladdin 1889 - Vanille 1890 - Saint Claude 1891 - Augure 1892 - Le Gourzy 1893 - Ranville 1894 - Vertige 1895 - Charlatan 1896 - Count Schomberg 1897 - Soliman 1898 - Grandlieu 1899 - Kerym 1900 - General Peace 1901 - Monsieur Piperlin 1902 - Bebe * 1903 - Nivolet 1904 - Hipparque 1905 - Karakoul 1906 - Fragilite 1907 - Chi Lo Sa 1908 - Ingenu 1909 - Herisson II 1910 - Blagueur II 1911 - Carpe Diem 1912 - Balscadden 1913 - Galafron 1914 - Lilium 1915–18 - no race 1919 - Saint Tudwal 1920 - Chaud 1921 - Forearm 1922 - Fauche le Pre 1923 - Onyx II 1924 - Arrowhead 1925 - Rocking Chair 1926 - Histoire de Rire 1927 - Lannilis 1928 - Don Zuniga 1929 - Largo 1930 - Le Bouif 1931 - Baoule 1932 - Pour le Roi 1933 - Lands End 1934 - Lord Byron 1935 - Robin des Bois 1936 - Cerealiste 1937 - Evohe II 1938 - Evohe II * 1939 - Royal Kidney 1940 - no race 1941 - Short 1942 - Lycoming 1943 - Ludovic le More 1944 - Wild Risk 1945 - Wild Risk 1946 - Vatelys 1947 - Le Paillon 1948 - Septieme Ciel 1949 - Nigra 1950 - Amati 1951 - Verdi 1952 - Prince Hindou 1953 - Frascati 1954 - Sicie 1955 - Elegant 1956 - Mehariste 1957 - Romantisme 1958 - Loreto 1959 - Friendship 1960 - Poutje Elday 1961 - Choute 1962 - Miror 1963 - Ouf 1964 - Santo Pietro 1965 - Ketch 1966 - Pansa 1967 - Rivoli 1968 - Orvilliers 1969 - Gopal
* Mr Quilp finished first in 1902 but was disqualified.* Porthos finished first in 1938 but was relegated to third place following a Stewards' Inquiry.
See also List of French jump horse races
References
France-Galop / Racing Post: , , , , , , , ,, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
galop.courses-france.com: 1874–1889, 1890–1919, 1920–1949, 1950–1979, 1980–present
france-galop.com – A Brief History: Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil. pedigreequery.com – Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil – Auteuil. galopp-sieger.de - Grand Course de Haies d'Auteuil