Prix de l'Opéra

Prix de l'Opéra

Group 1 race
Location	Longchamp Racecourse Paris, France
Inaugurated	1974
Race type	Flat / Thoroughbred
Sponsor	Longines
Website	france-galop.com
Race information
Distance	2,000 metres (1¼ miles)
Surface	Turf
Track	Right-handed
Qualification	Three-years-old and up fillies and mares
Weight	56 kg (3yo); 58 kg (4yo+)
Purse	€400,000 (2015) 1st: €228,560

The Prix de l'Opéra 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 2,000 metres (about 1¼ miles), and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October.

History

The event was established in 1974, and it was initially classed at Group 2 level. It was originally restricted to three and four-year-old fillies and contested over 1,850 metres.

The race was opened to older mares in 1990. It was extended to 2,000 metres and promoted to Group 1 status in 2000.

The Prix de l'Opéra was added to the Breeders' Cup Challenge series in 2011. The winner now earns an automatic invitation to compete in the same year's Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.^[1]

The race is currently held on the first Sunday in October, the same day as the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Records

Most successful horse (2 wins):

• Athyka – 1988, 1989

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Leading jockey (3 wins):

• Yves Saint-Martin – Sea Sands (1975), Waya (1977), Kilmona (1981)
• Walter Swinburn – Royal Heroine (1983), Bella Colora (1985), Hatoof (1992)
• Cash Asmussen – Secret Form (1986), Colour Chart (1990), Insight (1998)
• Christophe Soumillon - Terre a Terre (2001), Mandesha (2006), Dalkala (2013)

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Leading trainer (5 wins):

• Criquette Head-Maarek – Reine Mathilde (1984), Mona Stella (1987), Athyka (1988, 1989), Hatoof (1992)

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Leading owner (4 wins):

• HH Aga Khan IV – Timarida (1995), Shalanaya (2009), Ridasiyna (2012), Dalkala (2013)

Winners

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time
1974	Cheryl	3	Jean-Claude Desaint	Freddie Palmer	T. Kitano	2:00.50
1975	Sea Sands	3	Yves Saint-Martin	Miguel Clément	W. J. Salmon, Jr.	1:57.60
1976	Dona Barod	4	Maurice Philipperon	John Cunnington, Jr.	Antonio Blasco	2:02.20
1977	Waya	3	Yves Saint-Martin	Angel Penna	Daniel Wildenstein	1:53.50
1978	Cistus	3	Willie Carson	Dick Hern	Sir Michael Sobell	2:03.40
1979	Producer	3	Lester Piggott	Maurice Zilber	Roy Gottlieb	1:56.30
1980	Hortensia	3	Alain Lequeux	Olivier Douieb	Robert Sangster	1:52.20
1981	Kilmona	3	Yves Saint-Martin	Gérald Sauque	Mrs Léon Givaudan	2:01.90
1982	Dione	3	Willie Carson	John Dunlop	Daniel Prenn	1:59.70
1983	Royal Heroine	3	Walter Swinburn	Michael Stoute	Robert Sangster	1:50.10
1984	Reine Mathilde	3	Freddy Head	Criquette Head	Ecurie Aland	2:08.10
1985	Bella Colora	3	Walter Swinburn	Michael Stoute	Helena Springfield Ltd	1:53.50
1986	Secret Form	3	Cash Asmussen	Pascal Bary	Peter Goulandris	1:53.70
1987	Mona Stella	3	Gary W. Moore	Criquette Head	Jacques Wertheimer	1:56.50
1988	Athyka	3	Guy Guignard	Criquette Head	Jacques Wertheimer	1:52.00
1989	Athyka	4	Guy Guignard	Criquette Head	Jacques Wertheimer	1:56.30
1990	Colour Chart	3	Cash Asmussen	André Fabre	Sheikh Mohammed	1:54.60
1991	Martessa	3	Terence Hellier	Andreas Wöhler	Gestüt Hof Heidendom	1:56.30
1992	Hatoof	3	Walter Swinburn	Criquette Head	Maktoum Al Maktoum	2:02.50
1993	Verveine	4	Olivier Peslier	Elie Lellouche	Daniel Wildenstein	1:58.90
1994	Andromaque ^[a]	4	Pat Eddery	Roger Charlton	Carlos Stelling	1:53.90
1995	Timarida	3	Johnny Murtagh	John Oxx	HH Aga Khan IV	1:55.70
1996	Donna Viola	4	John Reid	Chris Wall	Kieran Scott	1:55.50
1997	Clodora	3	Thierry Jarnet	André Fabre	Jean-Luc Lagardère	1:51.10
1998	Insight	3	Cash Asmussen	John Hammond	Niarchos Family	1:58.60
1999	Diamond White	4	Tim Sprake	Mick Ryan	Peter Scott	2:02.30
2000	Petrushka	3	Johnny Murtagh	Sir Michael Stoute	Highclere Racing Ltd	2:02.00
2001	Terre a Terre	4	Christophe Soumillon	Eric Libaud	Devin / Ashbrooke	2:19.30
2002	Bright Sky	3	Dominique Boeuf	Elie Lellouche	Ecurie Wildenstein	2:02.30
2003	Zee Zee Top	4	Kieren Fallon	Sir Michael Stoute	Helena Springfield Ltd	2:08.00
2004	Alexander Goldrun	3	Kevin Manning	Jim Bolger	Miriam O'Callaghan	2:02.30
2005	Kinnaird	4	Kevin Darley	Patrick Haslam	Renata Jacobs	2:04.60
2006	Mandesha	3	Christophe Soumillon	Alain de Royer-Dupré	Zahra Aga Khan	2:00.90
2007	Satwa Queen	5	Thierry Thulliez	Jean de Roualle	Steven & Gillian Lamprell	2:03.80
2008	Lady Marian	3	Dominique Boeuf	Werner Baltromei	R'stall Gestüt Hachtsee	2:03.80
2009	Shalanaya	3	Maxime Guyon	Mikel Delzangles	HH Aga Khan IV	2:01.80
2010	Lily of the Valley	3	Ioritz Mendizabal	Jean-Claude Rouget	Bernard Barsi	2:09.80
2011	Nahrain	3	Frankie Dettori	Roger Varian	Ahmed Al Maktoum	2:02.74
2012	Ridasiyna	3	Christophe Lemaire	Mikel Delzangles	HH Aga Khan IV	2:11.13
2013	Dalkala	4	Christophe Soumillon	Alain de Royer-Dupré	HH Aga Khan IV	2:09.03
2014	We Are	3	Thierry Jarnet	Freddy Head	George Strawbridge, Jr.	2:02.43
2015	Covert Love	3	Pat Smullen	Hugo Palmer	Fomo Syndicate	2:04.43

^a Erin Bird finished first in 1994, but she was relegated to fifth place following a stewards' inquiry.

See also

• List of French flat horse races

References

1. "2012 Breeders' Cup Challenge Schedule" (PDF). breederscup.com. Retrieved 1 July 2012.

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• France Galop (1979-1989) / Racing Post (1990-present) :
  • 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988
  • 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998
  • 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
  • 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
• galop.courses-france.com:
  • 1974–1979, 1980–1999, 2000–2009

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• france-galop.com – A Brief History: Prix de l'Opéra.
• galopp-sieger.de – Prix de l'Opéra.
• horseracingintfed.com – International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Prix de l'Opéra (2015).
• pedigreequery.com – Prix de l'Opéra – Longchamp.