The Prix Vermeille is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.

History The event is named after a filly foaled in 1853. She was initially known as Merveille, but was later renamed Vermeille. She did not have a remarkable racing career, but was highly successful as a broodmare.

The Prix Vermeille was established in 1897, and was originally restricted to fillies aged three. Due to World War I, it was abandoned from 1914 to 1918.

The event was cancelled twice during World War II, in 1939 and 1940. It was temporarily switched to Le Tremblay in 1943 and 1944.

The race was opened to four-year-old fillies in 2004, and to older mares in 2006.

Preceded by the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and the Prix de Diane, the Prix Vermeille is the final leg of France's fillies' Triple Crown. The feat of winning all three has been achieved by six horses, most recently Zarkava in 2008.

The Prix Vermeille is held three weeks before the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and it sometimes serves as a trial for that event. The 2024 winner, Bluestocking was the seventh horse to win both races in the same year.

Records

Most successful horse (2 wins): Treve – 2013, 2015

Leading jockey (7 wins): Yves Saint-Martin – Golden Girl (1963), Casaque Grise (1967), Saraca (1969), Allez France (1973), Paulista (1974), Sharaya (1983), Darara (1986)

Leading trainer (7 wins): Alain de Royer-Dupré – Sharaya (1983), Darara (1986), Daryaba (1999), Shawanda (2005), Mandesha (2006), Zarkava (2008), Shareta (2012)

Leading owner (7 wins): Marcel Boussac – Durban (1921), Merry Girl (1928), La Circe (1933), Corteira (1948), Janiari (1956), Arbencia (1957), Astola (1961, dead-heat) HH Aga Khan – Sharaya (1983), Darara (1986), Daryaba (1999), Shawanda (2005), Mandesha (2006), Zarkava (2008), Shareta (2012)

Winners since 1965 Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Time 1965 Aunt Edith 3 Lester Piggott Noel Murless John Hornung 2:31.50 1966 Haltilala 3 Jean Deforge Geoffroy Watson Guy de Rothschild 2:34.40 1967 Casaque Grise 3 Yves Saint-Martin François Mathet Mrs François Dupré 2:43.70 1968 Roseliere 3 Yann Josse Georges Bridgland Mrs Georges Bridgland 2:45.40 1969 Saraca 3 Yves Saint-Martin François Mathet Arpad Plesch 2:38.80 1970 Highest Hopes 3 Joe Mercer Dick Hern Brook Holliday 2:29.20 1971 Pistol Packer 3 Freddy Head Alec Head Ghislaine Head 2:34.70 1972(dh) PaysanneSan San 33 Jean DeforgeJean Cruguet Geoffroy WatsonAngel Penna Guy de RothschildCountess Batthyany 2:35.60 1973 Allez France 3 Yves Saint-Martin Albert Klimscha Daniel Wildenstein 2:43.40 1974 Paulista 3 Yves Saint-Martin Angel Penna Daniel Wildenstein 2:33.60 1975 Ivanjica 3 Gary W. Moore Alec Head Jacques Wertheimer 2:34.70 1976 Lagunette 3 Philippe Paquet François Boutin Marius Berghgracht 2:40.20 1977 Kamicia 3 Alain Badel Jean Laumain Mrs Henri Rabatel 2:30.50 1978 Dancing Maid 3 Freddy Head Alec Head Jacques Wertheimer 2:34.00 1979 Three Troikas 3 Freddy Head Criquette Head Ghislaine Head 2:30.30 1980 Mrs Penny 3 John Matthias Ian Balding Eric Kronfeld 2:34.90 1981 April Run 3 Philippe Paquet François Boutin Diana Firestone 2:32.90 1982 All Along 3 Greville Starkey Patrick Biancone Daniel Wildenstein 2:29.90 1983 Sharaya 3 Yves Saint-Martin Alain de Royer-Dupré Aga Khan IV 2:42.10 1984 Northern Trick 3 Cash Asmussen François Boutin Stavros Niarchos 2:40.90 1985 Walensee 3 Éric Legrix Patrick Biancone Daniel Wildenstein 2:32.70 1986 Darara 3 Yves Saint-Martin Alain de Royer-Dupré Aga Khan IV 2:38.70 1987 Bint Pasha 3 Pat Eddery Paul Cole Fahd Salman 2:31.70 1988 Indian Rose 3 Tony Cruz Jean-Marie Béguigné Guy de Rothschild 2:28.80 1989 Young Mother 3 Alain Badel Jean-Marie Béguigné Jean-Marie Béguigné 2:33.10 1990 Salsabil 3 Willie Carson John Dunlop Hamdan Al Maktoum 2:29.60 1991 Magic Night 3 Alain Badel Philippe Demercastel Mrs P. Demercastel 2:27.80 1992 Jolypha 3 Pat Eddery André Fabre Khalid Abdullah 2:32.80 1993 Intrepidity 3 Thierry Jarnet André Fabre Sheikh Mohammed 2:36.80 1994 Sierra Madre 3 Gérald Mossé Pascal Bary Jean-Louis Bouchard 2:35.30 1995 Carling 3 Thierry Thulliez Corine Barande-Barbe Ecurie Delbart 2:32.80 1996 My Emma 3 Cash Asmussen Rae Guest Matthews Breeding 2:31.30 1997 Queen Maud 3 Olivier Peslier Jean de Roualle Gary Tanaka 2:28.20 1998 Leggera 3 Richard Quinn John Dunlop Hildegard Focke 2:41.40 1999 Daryaba 3 Gérald Mossé Alain de Royer-Dupré Aga Khan IV 2:30.60 2000 Volvoreta 3 Michael Kinane Carlos Lerner Maria-Soledad Vidal 2:26.30 2001 Aquarelliste 3 Dominique Boeuf Élie Lellouche Daniel Wildenstein 2:29.40 2002 Pearly Shells 3 Christophe Soumillon François Rohaut 6C Racing Ltd 2:26.00 2003 Mezzo Soprano 3 Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin 2:26.10 2004 Sweet Stream 4 Thierry Gillet John Hammond Team Valor 2:29.50 2005 Shawanda 3 Christophe Soumillon Alain de Royer-Dupré Aga Khan IV 2:32.00 2006 Mandesha 3 Christophe Soumillon Alain de Royer-Dupré Zahra Aga Khan 2:29.20 2007 Mrs Lindsay 3 Johnny Murtagh François Rohaut Bettina Jenney 2:27.00 2008 Zarkava 3 Christophe Soumillon Alain de Royer-Dupré Aga Khan IV 2:26.00 2009 Stacelita 3 Christophe Lemaire Jean-Claude Rouget Schwartz / Monastic 2:29.10 2010 Midday 4 Tom Queally Henry Cecil Khalid Abdullah 2:32.40 2011 Galikova 3 Olivier Peslier Freddy Head Wertheimer et Frère 2:34.38 2012 Shareta 4 Christophe Lemaire Alain de Royer-Dupré Aga Khan IV 2:29.06 2013 Treve 3 Frankie Dettori Criquette Head-Maarek Sheikh Joaan al Thani 2:36.82 2014 Baltic Baroness 4 Maxime Guyon André Fabre Gestut Ammerland 2:28.22 2015 Treve 5 Thierry Jarnet Criquette Head-Maarek Al Shaqab Racing 2:34.09 2016 Left Hand 3 Maxime Guyon Carlos Laffon-Parias Wertheimer et Frère 2:33.23 2017 Bateel 5 Pierre-Charles Boudot Francis-Henri Graffard Al Asayl Bloodstock 2:32.90 2018 Kitesurf 4 Mickael Barzalona André Fabre Godolphin 2:26.39 2019 Star Catcher 3 Frankie Dettori John Gosden Anthony Oppenheimer 2:27.63 2020 Tarnawa 4 Christophe Soumillon Dermot Weld Aga Khan IV 2:26.42 2021 Teona 3 Olivier Peslier Roger Varian Ali Saeed 2:31.99 2022 Sweet Lady 4 Grégory Benoist Francis-Henri Graffard Gemini Stud 2:35.50 2023 Warm Heart 3 James Doyle Aidan O'Brien Magnier /Tabor / Smith / Westerberg 2:31.29 2024 Bluestocking 4 Rossa Ryan Ralph Beckett Juddmonte 2:31.53 2025 Aventure 4 Maxime Guyon Christophe Ferland Wertheimer et Frère 2:29.34 2026 Friendly Soul 5 James Doyle John & Thady Gosden George Strawbridge 2:25.46

Earlier winners

1897: Ortie Blanche 1898: Melina 1899: Sesara 1900: Semendria 1901: La Camargo 1902: Ophelia 1903: Mater 1904: Profane 1905: Brienne 1906: Bethsaida 1907: Claudia 1908: Medeah 1909: Ronde de Nuit 1910: Basse Pointe 1911: Tripolette 1912: Reveuse 1913: Moia 1914–18: no race 1919: Stearine 1920: Meddlesome Maid 1921: Durban 1922: Sainte Ursule 1923: Quoi 1924: Isola Bella 1925: La Habanera 1926: Dorina 1927: Samphire 1928: Merry Girl 1929: Calandria 1930: Commanderie 1931: Pearl Cap 1932: Kiddie 1933: La Circe 1934: Mary Tudor 1935: Crisa 1936: Mistress Ford 1937: Tonnelle 1938: Ma Normandie 1939–40: no race 1941: Longthanh 1942: Vigilance 1943: Folle Nuit 1944: La Belle du Canet 1945: Nikellora 1946: Pirette 1947: Procureuse 1948: Corteira 1949: Bagheera 1950: Kilette 1951: Orberose 1952: La Mirambule 1953: Radio 1954: Philante 1955: Wild Miss 1956: Janiari 1957: Arbencia 1958: Bella Paola 1959: Mi Carina 1960: Lezghinka 1961: Anne la Douce / Astola 1962: Monade 1963: Golden Girl 1964: Astaria

See also List of French flat horse races

References

France Galop / Racing Post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , galop.courses-france.com: 1897–1919, 1920–1949, 1950–1979, 1980–present france-galop.com – A Brief History: Prix Vermeille. galopp-sieger.de – Prix Vermeille. horseracingintfed.com – International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Prix Vermeille (2018). pedigreequery.com – Prix Vermeille – Longchamp.