Prix Marcel Boussac

The Prix Marcel Boussac is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,600 metres (about 1 mile), and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October.

Prix Marcel Boussac
Critérium des Pouliches

Class	Group 1
Location	Longchamp Racecourse Paris, France
Inaugurated	1969
Race type	Flat / Thoroughbred
Sponsor	Qatar
Website	france-galop.com
Race information
Distance	1,600 metres (1 mile)[1]
Surface	Turf
Track	Right-handed[1]
Qualification	Two-year-old fillies[1]
Weight	56 kg[1]
Purse	€400,000 (2021) 1st: €228,560[1]

Prix Marcel Boussac

2024
Vertical Blue	Zarigana	Exactly

Previous years
2023
Opera Singer	Rose Bloom	Les Pavots
2022
Blue Rose Cen	Gan Teorainn	Never Ending Story
2021
Zellie	Times Square	Oscula

2020-2011
2020
Tiger Tanaka	Tasmania	Rougir
2019
Albigna	Marieta	Flighty Lady
2018
Lily's Candle	Matematica	Star Terms
2017
Wild Illusion	Polydream	Mission Impassible
2016
Wuheida	Promise To Be True	Dabyah
2015
Ballydoyle	Turret Rocks	Qemah
2014
Found	Ervedya	Jack Naylor
2013
Indonesienne	Lesstalk In Paris	Queen Catrine
2012
Silasol	Topaze Blanche	Alterite
2011
Elusive Kate	Fire Lily	Zantenda

2010-2001
2010
Misty For Me	Helleborine	Rainbow Springs
2009
Rosanara	On Verra	Joanna
2008
Proportional	Elusive Wave	Copperbeech
2007
Zarkava	Conference Call	Mad About You
2006
Finsceal Beo	Darrfonah	Legerete
2005
Rumplestiltskin	Quiet Royal	Deveron
2004
Divine Proportions	Titian Time	Fraloga
2003
Denebola	Green Noon	Tulipe Royale
2002
Six Perfections	Etoile Montante	Luminata
2001
Sulk	Danseuse D'Etoile	Kournakova

2000-1991
2000
Amonita	Karasta	Choc Ice
1999
Lady Of Chad	New Story	Lady Vettori
1998
Juvenia	Crystal Downs	Blue Cloud
1997
Loving Claim	Isle De France	Plaisir Des Yeux
1996
Miss Tahiti	Shake The Yoke	Solar Crystal
1996
Ryafan	Yashmak	Family Tradition
1995
Miss Tahiti	Shake The Yoke	Solar Crystal
1994
Macoumba	Piquetnol	Chrysalu
1993
Sierra Madre	Flagbird	Mehthaaf
1992
Gold Splash	Kindergarten	Love Of Silver
1991
Culture Vulture	Hatoof	Verveine

1990-1982
1990
Shadayid	Caerlina	Sha Tha Ex Sabana
1989
Salsabil	Houseproud	Alchi
1988
Mary Linoa	Rose De Crystal	Reine Du Ciel
1987
Ashayer	Riviere d'Or	Harmless Albatross
1986
Miesque	Milligram	Sakura Reiko
1985
Midway Lady	Fieldy	Riverbride
1984
Triptych	Silvermine	Coup de Folie
1983
Almeira	Masarika	Feerie Boreale
1982
Goodbye Shelley	Mysterieuse Etoile	L'Attrayante

It is France's only Group 1 event exclusively for juvenile fillies. The leading participants usually become major contenders for the following year's fillies' Classics.

History

The event was established in 1969, and it was originally called the Critérium des Pouliches. The best two-year-old fillies had previously competed against male horses in the Grand Critérium.

The race was given its present title in 1980, in memory of Marcel Boussac (1889–1980). Boussac was a highly successful owner/breeder, and he served as chairman of the sport's former governing body in France, the Société d'Encouragement.

The Prix Marcel Boussac took place on Longchamp's middle course (moyenne piste) until 1986. It was switched to the main course (grande piste) in 1987.

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

Records

Leading jockey (3 wins):

• Lester Piggott – Vela (1969), Play It Safe (1981), Midway Lady (1985)
• Yves Saint-Martin – Allez France (1972), Theia (1975), Aryenne (1979)
• Alain Lequeux – Tropicaro (1980), Triptych (1984), Mary Linoa (1988)
• Willie Carson – Ashayer (1987), Salsabil (1989), Shadayid (1990)
• Olivier Peslier – Miss Tahiti (1995), Lady Of Chad (1999), Silasol (2012)

Leading trainer (5 wins):

• Pascal Bary – Sierra Madre (1993), Amonita (2000), Six Perfections (2002), Denebola (2003), Divine Proportions (2004)
• Criquette Head-Maarek – Gold Splash (1992), Macoumba (1994), Loving Claim (1997), Juvenia (1998), Proportional (2008)
• Aidan O'Brien – Rumplestiltskin (2005), Misty for Me (2010), Found (2014), Ballydoyle (2015), Opera Singer (2023)

Leading owner (4 wins): (includes part ownership)

• Niarchos Family – Six Perfections (2002), Denebola (2003), Divine Proportions (2004), Rumplestiltskin (2005)
• Michael Tabor - Rumplestiltskin (2005), Misty For Me (2010), Found (2014), Ballydoyle (2015)
• Susan Magnier – Rumplestiltskin (2005), Misty For Me (2010), Found (2014), Ballydoyle (2015)

Winners

Year	Winner	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time
1969	Vela	Lester Piggott	Richard Carver, Jr.	S. Sokolov	1:40.30
1970	Two to Paris	Jean-Claude Desaint	John Cunnington, Jr.	L. P. Doherty	1:42.10
1971	Dark Baby	Georges Doleuze	Jean Laumain	Maurice Fournier	1:39.50
1972	Allez France	Yves Saint-Martin	Albert Klimscha	Daniel Wildenstein	1:38.00
1973	Hippodamia	Bill Pyers	Maurice Zilber	Nelson Bunker Hunt	1:43.00
1974	Oak Hill	Y. Josse	Georges Bridgland	Mrs Serge Houyvet	1:47.80
1975	Theia	Yves Saint-Martin	Raymond Touflan	S. de Lopez-Tarragoya	1:44.30
1976	Kamicia	F. Flachi	Jean Laumain	Mrs Henri Rabatel	1:49.70
1977	Tarona	Philippe Paquet	François Boutin	Gerry Oldham	1:41.90
1978	Pitasia	Alfred Gibert	Aage Paus	Sir Douglas Clague	1:48.30
1979	Aryenne	Yves Saint-Martin	John Fellows	D. G. Volkert	1:41.30
1980	Tropicaro	Alain Lequeux	Maurice Zilber	Benjamin Coates	1:43.40
1981	Play It Safe	Lester Piggott	François Boutin	Diana Firestone	1:46.90
1982	Goodbye Shelley	John Lowe	Steve Norton	Mrs S. R. Brook	1:47.40
1983	Almeira	Dominique Vincent	J. C. Cunnington	Countess Batthyany	1:38.80
1984	Triptych	Alain Lequeux	David Smaga	Alan Clore	1:46.70
1985	Midway Lady	Lester Piggott	Ben Hanbury	Harry Ranier	1:37.90
1986	Miesque	Freddy Head	François Boutin	Stavros Niarchos	1:37.50
1987	Ashayer	Willie Carson	John Dunlop	Hamdan Al Maktoum	1:37.40
1988	Mary Linoa	Alain Lequeux	David Smaga	David Smaga	1:41.20
1989	Salsabil	Willie Carson	John Dunlop	Hamdan Al Maktoum	1:40.30
1990	Shadayid	Willie Carson	John Dunlop	Hamdan Al Maktoum	1:40.70
1991	Culture Vulture	Richard Quinn	Paul Cole	Chris Wright	1:40.60
1992	Gold Splash	Gérald Mossé	Criquette Head	Jacques Wertheimer	1:44.90
1993	Sierra Madre	Gérald Mossé	Pascal Bary	Jean-Louis Bouchard	1:45.40
1994	Macoumba	Freddy Head	Criquette Head	Haras d'Etreham	1:43.80
1995	Miss Tahiti	Olivier Peslier	André Fabre	Daniel Wildenstein	1:40.20
1996	Ryafan	Frankie Dettori	John Gosden	Khalid Abdullah	1:39.80
1997	Loving Claim	Olivier Doleuze	Criquette Head	Maktoum Al Maktoum	1:37.60
1998	Juvenia	Olivier Doleuze	Criquette Head	Wertheimer et Frère	1:43.00
1999	Lady of Chad	Olivier Peslier	Richard Gibson	John Martin	1:44.90
2000	Amonita	Thierry Jarnet	Pascal Bary	Mrs Paul de Moussac	1:36.30
2001	Sulk	Frankie Dettori	John Gosden	James Wigan	1:43.00
2002	Six Perfections	Thierry Thulliez	Pascal Bary	Niarchos Family	1:37.90
2003	Denebola	Christophe Lemaire	Pascal Bary	Niarchos Family	1:40.90
2004	Divine Proportions	Christophe Lemaire	Pascal Bary	Niarchos Family	1:36.70
2005	Rumplestiltskin	Kieren Fallon	Aidan O'Brien	Magnier / Tabor et al.	1:37.30
2006	Finsceal Beo	Kevin Manning	Jim Bolger	Michael Ryan	1:34.90
2007	Zarkava	Christophe Soumillon	Alain de Royer-Dupré	HH Aga Khan IV	1:37.00
2008	Proportional	Stéphane Pasquier	Criquette Head-Maarek	Khalid Abdullah	1:36.00
2009	Rosanara	Christophe Soumillon	Alain de Royer-Dupré	HH Aga Khan IV	1:37.20
2010	Misty for Me	Johnny Murtagh	Aidan O'Brien	Tabor / Smith / Magnier	1:42.50
2011	Elusive Kate	William Buick	John Gosden	Magnolia Racing / Hood	1:38.10
2012	Silasol	Olivier Peslier	Carlos Laffon-Parias	Wertheimer et Frère	1:44.62
2013	Indonesienne	Flavien Prat	Christophe Ferland	Wertheimer et Frère	1:38.74
2014	Found	Ryan Moore	Aidan O'Brien	Tabor / Smith / Magnier	1:37.45
2015	Ballydoyle	Ryan Moore	Aidan O'Brien	Tabor / Smith / Magnier	1:35.44
2016	Wuheida[a]	William Buick	Charlie Appleby	Godolphin	1:35.85
2017	Wild Illusion[a]	James Doyle	Charlie Appleby	Godolphin	1:37.47
2018	Lily's Candle	Pierre-Charles Boudot	Fabrice Vermeulen	Martin S Schwartz Racing	1:38.98
2019	Albigna	Shane Foley	Jessica Harrington	Niarchos family	1:41.26
2020	Tiger Tanaka	Jessica Marcialis	Charley Rossi	Miguel Castro Megias	1:43.13
2021	Zellie	Oisin Murphy	André Fabre	Al Wasmiyah Farm	1:42.67
2022	Blue Rose Cen	Aurelien Lemaitre	Christopher Head	Yeguada Centurion SL	1:40.45
2023	Opera Singer	Ryan Moore	Aidan O'Brien	Tabor / Smith / Magnier / Westerberg	1:36.40
2024	Vertical Blue	Alexis Pouchin	Francis Henri Graffard	Gemini Stud & Argella Racing	1:38.60

1. The 2016 & 2017 runnings took place at Chantilly while Longchamp was closed for redevelopment

See also

• List of French flat horse races
• Recurring sporting events established in 1969 – this race is included under its original title, Critérium des Pouliches.