The Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère , formerly the Grand Critérium , is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies . It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,400 metres (about 7 furlongs), and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October.
7-535: It is France's oldest and most prestigious event for juvenile horses. It is the country's equal richest race for this age group, along with the Prix Morny . Each has a current purse of €400,000. The event was established in 1853, and it was originally called the Grand Critérium. It was initially contested over 1,500 metres at Chantilly . It was transferred to Longchamp in 1857, and extended to 1,600 metres in 1864. It
14-556: A former president of France Galop. The Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère was added to the Breeders' Cup Challenge series in 2011. The winner now earns an automatic invitation to compete in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf . Leading jockey (6 wins): Leading trainer (11 wins): Leading owner (9 wins): Prix Morny The Prix Morny is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies . It
21-536: Is run at Deauville over a distance of 1,200 metres (about 6 furlongs), and it is scheduled to take place each year in August. The event is named in memory of Auguste de Morny (1811–1865), the founder of Deauville Racecourse. It was established in 1865, and it was originally called the Prix de Morny. The inaugural race was over 1,000 metres, and the prize for the winning owner was 9,150 francs. The second and third runnings of
28-487: The Prix de Morny were contested over 1,200 metres. It was extended to 1,300 metres in 1868, and to 1,400 metres in 1870. The race became known as the Prix de Deux Ans in 1871, and its distance was cut to 1,200 metres in 1887. It was renamed the Prix Morny, a shortened version of its original title, in 1911. The Prix Morny was abandoned from 1914 to 1918, and again in 1940. Its usual venue was closed during World War II, so it
35-474: Was cut to 1,400 metres and moved to the same day as the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. The latter event is traditionally held on the first Sunday in October. The distance was increased to 1,600 metres again in 2015 and dropped back to 1,400 in 2020 as part of a two-year trial. The race was given its present title in 2003, in memory of Jean-Luc Lagardère (1928–2003). Lagardère was a successful racehorse owner/breeder and
42-540: Was held at Le Tremblay in 1943 and 1944. The present system of race grading was introduced in 1971, and the Grand Critérium was classed at the highest level, Group 1. For a period it took place in mid-October. It was brought forward to the Saturday of Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe weekend in 1989, and returned to its previous schedule in 1995. France Galop , the governing body of French horse racing, restructured its program of Group 1 juvenile races in 2001. The Grand Critérium
49-535: Was not run in 1870, because of the Franco-Prussian War . The race was abandoned throughout World War I, with no running from 1914 to 1918. A substitute event called the Critérium des Deux Ans was staged at Maisons-Laffitte in 1918. The Grand Critérium was cancelled in 1939 and 1940, due to World War II. On the second occasion it was substituted by a race at Auteuil , again titled the Critérium des Deux Ans. It
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