Prix du Bois

Turf race infobox
class = Group 3
horse race = Prix du Bois


caption =
location = Maisons-Laffitte
France
inaugurated = 1925
race type = Thoroughbred - Flat race
website = [http://www.france-galop.com/All-the-races.233+M52087573ab0.0.html?&course_id=1583&no_cache=1&numero_id=133 France-Galop.com]
distance = 1,000 metres (5f)
track = Turf, straight
qualification = Two-year-olds
weight = 56 kg
Allowances
1½ kg for fillies
Penalties
3 kg for Group winners
purse = €80,000 "(2008)"
Distribution
1st: 50%, 2nd: 20%, 3rd: 15%
4th: 10%, 5th: 5%
bonuses = The Prix du Bois is a Group 3 flat horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 1,000 metres (approximately 5 furlongs) and takes place annually in late June or early July, presently at Maisons-Laffitte Racecourse.

It was first run in 1925 at Longchamp in Paris and takes its name from both the Bois de Boulogne, where the racecourse is located, and the "Avenue du Bois" (which later became the Avenue Foch) which leads towards the racecourse from the Place de l'Étoile.

The race was cancelled throughout World War II but it otherwise continued to be run at Longchamp until 1994. The following year it took place at Chantilly and it then returned to Longchamp for a solitary running in 1996. After this it switched between Deauville (1997–98, 2003) and Chantilly (1999–2002, 2004–05) before arriving at its present venue in 2006.

Irrespective of the venue, the distance of the Prix du Bois has always remained at 1,000 metres. The fastest winning time is 0m 56.3s, recorded by Percolator in 2008.

Since obtaining Group 3 status in 1982 the race has been the earliest Group race of the year in France which is restricted to two-year-olds. Horses which perform well in the race often appear next in the Prix Robert Papin. The most recent winner of both races is Natagora in 2007.

Records

Leading jockey (10 wins):
* Roger Poincelet – "Chesterfield (1946), Arbace (1948), Dahabi (1949), Lets Fly (1953), Polamia (1957), Dan Cupid (1958), High Bulk (1960), Mr Brookwood (1961), Spy Well (1962), Timmy Lad (1963)"----Leading trainer (6 wins):
* François Mathet – "Taoutcha (1952), Calshot (1966), Zeddaan (1967), Rockcress (1968), Myosotis (1974), Adraan (1979)"
* Etienne Pollet – "Polamia (1957), Dan Cupid (1958), High Bulk (1960), Mr Brookwood (1961), Spy Well (1962), Timmy Lad (1963)"
* Pascal Bary – "Export Price (1986), Rich and Famous (1989), Imperfect World (1998), Much Faster (2003), Divine Proportions (2004), Natagora (2007)"----Leading owner (5 wins):
* Gertrude Widener – "Polamia (1957), Dan Cupid (1958), Mr Brookwood (1961), Spy Well (1962), Timmy Lad (1963)"

Winners since 1978

Earlier winners

* 1925 - Tatters
* 1926 -
* 1927 - Erica
* 1928 - La Rocque
* 1929 - Advertencia
* 1930 -
* 1931 - Sisterari
* 1932 - Asterisk
* 1933 - Corindon
* 1934 - Puits d'Amour
* 1935 -
* 1936 - Le Radjah
* 1937 - Pamir
* 1938 - Courteille
* 1939 -
* 1940–45 - "no race"

* 1946 - Chesterfield
* 1947 - Primeur
* 1948 - Arbace
* 1949 - Dahabi
* 1950 - Idas
* 1951 - Pharaos
* 1952 - Taoutcha
* 1953 - Lets Fly
* 1954 - Americ
* 1955 - Reine Martiale
* 1956 - L'Astrologue
* 1957 - Polamia
* 1958 - Dan Cupid
* 1959 - Barbaresque
* 1960 - High Bulk
* 1961 - Mr Brookwood

* 1962 - Spy Well
* 1963 - Timmy Lad
* 1964 - Fair Portion
* 1965 - Nursery Song
* 1966 - Calshot
* 1967 - Zeddaan
* 1968 - Rockcress
* 1969 - Baroque
* 1970 - My Swallow
* 1971 - Daring Display
* 1972 - Benthose
* 1973 - Lianga
* 1974 - Myosotis
* 1975 - Dacani
* 1976 - Juge de Paix
* 1977 - Soudromont

References

* [http://www.france-galop.com/All-the-races.233+M52087573ab0.0.html?&course_id=1583&no_cache=1&numero_id=133 France-Galop.com]
* [http://www.pedigreequery.com/index.php?search_bar=stakes&query_type=stakes&field=view&id=887 PedigreeQuery.com]
* Racing Post:
** [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=91604&r_date=1988-6-25 1988] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=95675&r_date=1989-6-24 1989] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=100521&r_date=1990-7-8 1990] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=105214&r_date=1991-7-3 1991] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=110016&r_date=1992-7-1 1992] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=115033&r_date=1993-6-30 1993] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=119991&r_date=1994-6-23 1994] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=125522&r_date=1995-6-30 1995] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=205689&r_date=1996-7-6 1996] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=241198&r_date=1997-7-5 1997]
** [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=254963&r_date=1998-7-4 1998] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=270041&r_date=1999-7-2 1999] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=284443&r_date=2000-7-4 2000] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=303887&r_date=2001-7-3 2001] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=319622&r_date=2002-6-28 2002] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=336514&r_date=2003-7-5 2003] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=355415&r_date=2004-6-28 2004] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=388780&r_date=2005-7-3 2005] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=413229&r_date=2006-7-2 2006] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=436792&r_date=2007-7-1 2007]
** [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=462458&r_date=2008-7-6 2008]
* [http://galop.courses-france.com/plat/courses/Prix-du-Bois-1980-2009.php galop.courses-france.com]

ee also

* List of French flat horse races