Prix du Pin

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


caption =
location = Longchamp Racecourse
Paris, France
inaugurated = 1883
race type = Thoroughbred - Flat race
website = [http://www.france-galop.com/All-the-races.233+M52087573ab0.0.html?&course_id=1577&no_cache=1&numero_id=139 France-Galop.com]
distance = 1,400 metres (7f)
track = Turf, right-handed
qualification = Three-years-old and up
excluding G1 & G2 winners
from earlier in same year
weight = 56 kg (3yo); 57½ kg (4yo+)
Allowances
1½ kg for fillies and mares
Penalties
2 kg for Group 3 winners *
* "since January 1"
purse = €80,000 "(2008)"
Distribution
1st: 50%, 2nd: 20%, 3rd: 15%
4th: 10%, 5th: 5%
bonuses = The Prix du Pin is a Group 3 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds which are three-years-old or above. It is run over a distance of 1,400 metres (approximately 7 furlongs) at Longchamp Racecourse, and it takes place annually in September.

It takes its name from the oldest horse breeding establishment in France, which is located at Le Pin-au-Haras in the Orne department. The construction of this stud farm was authorised by King Louis XIV shortly before his death in 1715. The first horses it accommodated, mostly mares and their foals, were transferred from the previous Royal Stud at Saint-Léger-en-Yvelines in 1717.

The earliest version of the Prix du Pin, introduced at Chantilly in 1883, bears little resemblance to the event which takes place presently. Contested over 3,000 metres in late October, the race was initially designed to test the aptitudes of horses for carrying unusually high weights. The burden for four-year-olds was 78½ kg (173 lb), while that for older horses was 80 kg (176 lb).

In 1904 the distance of the race was cut to 2,000 metres. The event was cancelled in 1906 as an indirect result of public disorder at Longchamp. Three meetings scheduled to have taken place at Longchamp were transferred to Chantilly, and to make way for the extra races the Prix du Pin was dropped. The following year the race moved to its present venue, Longchamp, and its distance was restored to 3,000 metres. Throughout World War I the race was abandoned.

The original weight conditions of the Prix du Pin were maintained until 1928. From this point both four-year-olds and their elders carried a basic weight of 60 kg (132 lb). During World War II the race was cancelled twice, in 1939 and 1940. It was temporarily switched to Maisons-Laffitte in 1943 and to Tremblay in 1944.

The distance of the Prix du Pin continued at 3,000 metres until 1949. This was followed by a period of frequent change, which eventually led to the present version of the race. During the 1950s it was contested over 2,500 metres (1950–51), 1,850 metres (1952–55), 2,600 metres (1956) and 2,000 metres (1957–59). The rapid changes continued into the 1960s, when it was run over 1,850 metres (1960–61), 2,100 metres (1962–63), 2,000 metres (1964) and 1,800 metres (1965–69). The present distance, 1,400 metres, was introduced in 1970.

Due to an improvement in the quality of its participants, the race was promoted to Group 3 status in 2004.

Records

Leading jockey (4 wins):
* Edouard Watkins – "Avoir (1893), Boissiere (1894), Champaubert (1897), Cazabat (1899)"
* George Stern – "Ivoire (1901), La Camargo (1902), Chatou (1909), Cadet Roussel (1911)"
* Yves Saint-Martin – "Johannesburg (1974), Nurabad (1976), Kaldoun (1979), Allius (1987)"----Leading trainer (7 wins):
* Criquette Head-Maarek – "Made of Pearl (1986), Bitooh (1988), Malaspina (1989), Neverneyev (1994), Vert Val (1997), Midnight Foxtrot (1999), Etoile Montante (2003)"----Leading owner (5 wins):
* Daniel Wildenstein – "Perpetual (1969), Johannesburg (1974), Nurabad (1976), Poplar Bluff (1995), Alamo Bay (1998)"

Winners since 1980

note label|1997|1|1 Keos finished first in 1997 but was relegated to third place following a Stewards' Inquiry.

Earlier winners

* 1883 - Athala
* 1884 -
* 1885 - Fra Diavolo
* 1886 - Barberine
* 1887 - Presta
* 1888 - Bavarde
* 1889 - Bocage
* 1890 -
* 1891 - Le Glorieux
* 1892 - Fitz Roya
* 1893 - Avoir
* 1894 - Boissiere
* 1895 - Mamiano
* 1896 - Mamiano
* 1897 - Champaubert
* 1898 - General Albert
* 1899 - Cazabat
* 1900 - Fourire
* 1901 - Ivoire
* 1902 - La Camargo
* 1903 -
* 1904 - Hebron
* 1905 - Presto
* 1906 - "no race"
* 1907 - Moulins la Marche
* 1908 -
* 1909 - Chatou
* 1910 - Ronde de Nuit
* 1911 - Cadet Roussel
* 1912 -
* 1913 - Afgar

* 1914–18 - "no race"
* 1919 - Marmouset
* 1920 - Simpri
* 1921 - As des As
* 1922 - Bassan
* 1923 - Bolet Satan
* 1924 -
* 1925 - Catalin
* 1926 - Winner
* 1927 - Wonderful
* 1928 - Orange Pip
* 1929 - Mondovi / Suzerain *
* 1930 - Nil
* 1931 -
* 1932 -
* 1933 - Barneveldt
* 1934 -
* 1935 - Porthos
* 1936 -
* 1937 - Porthos
* 1938 - Vent du Nord
* 1939–40 - "no race"
* 1941 - Chambord
* 1942 - Threw
* 1943 - Kilbiri
* 1944 - Garde a Vous
* 1945 - Derio / Esope *
* 1946 -
* 1947 -
* 1948 - Diable Gris
* 1949 - Finaud

* 1950 - Petite Main
* 1951 - Templier
* 1952 - Minoutchehr
* 1953 -
* 1954 - Damelot
* 1955 - Hathor
* 1956 - Valcares
* 1957 - Chippendale
* 1958 -
* 1959 - Theodebert
* 1960 -
* 1961 - Succes
* 1962 - Esmar
* 1963 -
* 1964 - Aravios
* 1965 - Le Fabuleux
* 1966 -
* 1967 - Adjar
* 1968 - Iranovo
* 1969 - Perpetual
* 1970 - Moi Meme
* 1971 -
* 1972 -
* 1973 -
* 1974 - Johannesburg
* 1975 - Northern Taste
* 1976 - Nurabad
* 1977 -
* 1978 - Kaldoun
* 1979 - Kaldoun

* The 1929 and 1945 races were dead-heats and have joint winners.

References

* [http://www.france-galop.com/All-the-races.233+M52087573ab0.0.html?&course_id=1577&no_cache=1&numero_id=139 France-Galop.com]
* [http://www.pedigreequery.com/index.php?search_bar=stakes&query_type=stakes&field=view&id=4671 PedigreeQuery.com]
* Racing Post:
** [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=107097&r_date=1991-9-22 1991] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=111981&r_date=1992-9-20 1992] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=117011&r_date=1993-9-19 1993] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=122157&r_date=1994-9-18 1994] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=127619&r_date=1995-9-17 1995] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=231030&r_date=1996-9-22 1996] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=243878&r_date=1997-9-20 1997] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=257493&r_date=1998-9-19 1998] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=272759&r_date=1999-9-18 1999] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=291108&r_date=2000-9-16 2000]
** [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=307071&r_date=2001-9-23 2001] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=322728&r_date=2002-9-22 2002] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=339543&r_date=2003-9-20 2003] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=358907&r_date=2004-9-18 2004] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=391809&r_date=2005-9-8 2005] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=416635&r_date=2006-9-7 2006] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=440648&r_date=2007-9-9 2007] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=465929&r_date=2008-9-7 2008]
* [http://www.haras-national-du-pin.com/en/le-haras-national-du-pin-se-devoile/history.html haras-national-du-pin.com]

ee also

* List of French flat horse races