The Prix du Cadran is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 4,000 metres (about 2 miles), and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October.
It is France's most prestigious race for "stayers" – horses which specialise in racing over long distances. It is the French equivalent of the Gold Cup, the leading stayers' race in Great Britain.
History
The event is named after a clock face (cadran) at the École Militaire, a building located alongside its original venue, the Champ de Mars. It was first run in 1837, and was initially contested over one and a quarter laps of the track, about 2,500 metres.
The race was extended to 4,000 metres in 1843, and increased to 4,200 metres in 1846. It was held at Versailles in 1848, due to that year's French Revolution. It was not run in 1850, and its distance changed several times in the following decade. It was restricted to four-year-olds in 1854. It was transferred to Longchamp in 1857, and reverted to 4,200 metres in 1858. It was cancelled in 1871, because of the Franco-Prussian War.
The Prix du Cadran was re-opened to horses aged five or older and cut to 4,000 metres in 1913. It was abandoned throughout World War I, with no running from 1915 to 1918. It was cancelled once during World War II, in 1940. It was staged at Le Tremblay over 4,100 metres from 1943 to 1945. It was abandoned because of student protests in 1968.
The present system of race grading was introduced in 1971, and the Prix du Cadran was classed at the highest level, Group 1. For a period it took place in late May. It was opened to geldings in 1986.
The race was moved to the Saturday of Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe weekend in 1991. It was later switched to the same day as the "Arc", usually the first Sunday in October.
Records Most successful horse (4 wins): Marsyas – 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947
Leading jockey (5 wins): Yves Saint-Martin – Waldmeister (1965), Danseur (1967), Recupere (1974), Buckskin (1977, 1978)
Leading trainer (15 wins): Tom Jennings – La Cloture (1851), Hervine (1852), Papillon (1854), Monarque (1856), Compiegne (1862), Alerte (1863), Beatrix (1865), La Fortune (1866), Auguste (1867), Longchamps (1868), Le Sarrazin (1869), Boulogne (1870), Saint Christophe (1878), Rayon d'Or (1880), Milan (1881) (note: the trainers of some of the early winners are unknown)
Leading owner (11 wins): Frédéric de Lagrange – Compiegne (1862), Alerte (1863), Beatrix (1865), La Fortune (1866), Auguste (1867), Longchamps (1868), Le Sarrazin (1869), Boulogne (1870), Saint Christophe (1878), Rayon d'Or (1880), Milan (1881)
Winners since 1969 Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Time 1969 Levmoss 4 Bill Williamson Seamus McGrath Seamus McGrath 4:42.70 1970 Le Chouan 4 Bill Pyers Maurice Zilber Daniel Wildenstein 4:28.70 1971 Ramsin 4 Henri Samani Geoffroy Watson Thierry van Zuylen 4:49.00 1972 Rock Roi 5 Duncan Keith Peter Walwyn Roger Hue-Williams 4:30.60 1973 Lassalle 4 Jimmy Lindley Richard Carver Jr. Zenya Yoshida 4:40.50 1974 Recupere 4 Yves Saint-Martin Gilles Delloye Alan Clore 4:40.50 1975 Le Bavard 4 Alfred Gibert Max Bonaventure Henry Aubert 4:40.00 1976 Sagaro 5 Philippe Paquet François Boutin Gerry Oldham 4:20.90 1977 Buckskin 4 Yves Saint-Martin Angel Penna Daniel Wildenstein 4:36.00 1978 Buckskin 5 Yves Saint-Martin Peter Walwyn Daniel Wildenstein 4:38.10 1979 El Badr 4 Henri Samani Mitri Saliba Mahmoud Fustok 4:17.30 1980 Shafaraz 7 Maurice Philipperon Pierre Biancone Yurk Skalka 4:17.40 1981 Gold River 4 Freddy Head Alec Head Jacques Wertheimer 4:38.00 1982 El Badr 7 Alfred Gibert Mitri Saliba Mahmoud Fustok 5:19.10 1983 Karkour 5 Freddy Head Joseph Audon Ecurie Manhattan 4:49.60 1984 Neustrien 5 Éric Legrix Patrick Biancone Naji Pharaon 4:45.50 1985 Balitou 6 Éric Legrix Patrick Biancone Daniel Wildenstein 4:17.90 1986 Air de Cour 4 Éric Legrix Patrick Biancone Daniel Wildenstein 4:21.10 1987 Royal Gait 4 Olindo Mongelluzzo Gerardo Villarta Manuel Pereira-Arias 4:28.90 1988 Yaka 5 Cash Asmussen Alain Chelet Mrs Arthur Dewez 4:34.00 1989 Trebrook 5 Éric Legrix Jean Lesbordes Georges Blizniansky 4:23.10 1990 Mercalle 4 Maurice Bouland Maurice Bouland Raymond Le Poder 4:19.20 1991 Victoire Bleue 4 Thierry Jarnet André Fabre Daniel Wildenstein 4:27.00 1992 Sought Out 4 Cash Asmussen John Hammond Lord Weinstock 4:41.10 1993 Assessor 4 John Reid Richard Hannon Sr. Bjorn Nielsen 4:38.20 1994 Molesnes 4 Olivier Peslier Marcel Rolland Mitaab bin Abdullah 4:27.50 1995 Always Earnest 7 Alain Badel Myriam Bollack-Badel Mrs Claude Bourg 4:36.50 1996 Nononito 5 Thierry Jarnet Jean Lesbordes Patrick Sebagh 4:31.50 1997 Chief Contender 4 Olivier Doleuze Peter Chapple-Hyam Sue Magnier 4:16.40 1998 Invermark 4 Richard Hughes James Fanshawe Sir David Wills 4:47.80 1999 Tajoun 5 Gérald Mossé Alain de Royer-Dupré HH Aga Khan IV 4:51.80 2000 San Sebastian 6 Davy Bonilla John Dunlop Mrs Michael Watt 4:14.10 2001 Germinis 7 Renaud Janneau Patrice Chevillard Robert Sallet 4:46.30 2002 Give Notice 5 Johnny Murtagh John Dunlop Stewart-Brown / Meacock 4:23.80 2003 Westerner 4 Dominique Boeuf Élie Lellouche Ecurie Wildenstein 4:37.50 2004 Westerner 5 Olivier Peslier Élie Lellouche Ecurie Wildenstein 4:19.80 2005 Reefscape 4 Christophe Soumillon André Fabre Khalid Abdullah 4:36.00 2006 Sergeant Cecil 7 Frankie Dettori Rod Millman Terry Cooper 4:20.90 2007 Le Miracle 6 Dominique Boeuf Werner Baltromei R'stall Gestüt Hachtsee 4:29.80 2008 Bannaby 5 Christophe Soumillon M. Delcher Sánchez Cuadra Miranda SL 4:22.20 2009 Alandi 4 Michael Kinane John Oxx HH Aga Khan IV 4:12.70 2010 Gentoo 6 Gérald Mossé Alain Lyon Serge Tripier-Mondancin 4:40.80 2011 Kasbah Bliss 9 Gérald Mossé François Doumen Henri de Pracomtal 4:30.52 2012 Molly Malone 4 Umberto Rispoli Mikel Delzangles Dieter Bürkle 4:43.60 2013 Altano 7 Eduardo Pedroza Andreas Wohler Frau Dr I Hornig 4:24.38 2014 High Jinx 6 Ryan Moore James Fanshawe Mr & Mrs W. J. Williams 4:12.22 2015 Mille Et Mille 5 Thierry Thulliez Carlos Lerner Nicolas Saltiel 4:22.61 2016 Quest For More 6 George Baker Roger Charlton Sultan Ahmad Shah 4:23.57 2017 Vazirabad 5 Christophe Soumillon Alain de Royer-Dupré HH Aga Khan IV 4:34.60 2018 Call The Wind 4 Aurelien Lemaitre Freddy Head George Strawbridge 4:24.41 2019 Holdthasigreen 7 Tony Piccone Bruno Audouin Jean Gilbert & Claude Le Lay 4:41.83 2020 Princess Zoe 5 Joey Sheridan Anthony Mullins Patrick Kehoe & Mrs P Crampton 4:38.88 2021 Trueshan 5 James Doyle Alan King Singula Partnership 4:28.10 2022 Kyprios 4 Ryan Moore Aidan O'Brien Moyglare Stud / Smith / Magnier / Tabor 4:31.62 2023 Trueshan 7 Hollie Doyle Alan King Singula Partnership 4:19.52 2024 Kyprios 6 Ryan Moore Aidan O'Brien Moyglare Stud / Smith / Magnier / Tabor 4:25.36 2025 Caballo De Mar 4 Tom Marquand George Scott Victorious Forever 4:34.74 2026 Caballo De Mar 5 Oisin Murphy George Scott Victorious Forever 4:18.94
Earlier winners
1837: Miss Annette 1838: Franck 1839: Nautilus 1840: Nautilus 1841: Deception 1842: Nautilus 1843: Annetta 1844: Nativa 1845: Edwin 1846: Tomate 1847: Liverpool 1848: Morok 1849: Nanetta 1850: no race 1851: La Cloture 1852: Hervine 1853: Trust 1854: Papillon 1855: Remuneration 1856: Monarque 1857: Nat 1858: Potocki 1859: Martel en Tete 1860: Geologie 1861: Pretendant 1862: Compiegne 1863: Alerte 1864: Guillaume le Taciturne 1865: Beatrix 1866: La Fortune 1867: Auguste 1868: Longchamps 1869: Le Sarrazin 1870: Boulogne 1871: no race 1872: Veranda 1873: Revigny 1874: Boiard 1875: Saltarelle 1876: Saint Cyr 1877: Enguerrande 1878: Saint Christophe 1879: Clocher 1880: Rayon d'Or 1881: Milan 1882: Bariolet 1883: Seigneur 1884: Regain 1885: Archiduc 1886: Lapin 1887: Sauterelle 1888: Krakatoa 1889: Siberie 1890: Clover 1891: Mirabeau 1892: Berenger 1893: Chene Royal 1894: Fousi Yama 1895: Excuse 1896: Omnium II 1897: Olmutz 1898: Chambertin 1899: Le Roi Soleil 1900: Perth 1901: Ivoire 1902: La Camargo 1903: Astronome 1904: Camisole 1905: Gouvernant 1906: Strozzi 1907: Ris Orangis 1908: Kalisz 1909: Sauge Pourpree 1910: Aveu 1911: La Francaise 1912: Combourg 1913: Predicateur 1914: Nimbus 1915–18: no race 1919: Bridaine 1920: Samourai 1921: Odol 1922: Ksar 1923: Le Prodige 1924: Filibert de Savoie 1925: Cadum 1926: Priori 1927: Asteroide 1928: Nino 1929: Cacao 1930: Hotweed 1931: Chateau Bouscaut 1932: Brulette 1933: Gris Perle 1934: Thor 1935: Brantôme 1936: Chaudiere 1937: Fantastic 1938: Dadji 1939: Foxlight 1940: no race 1941: Maurepas 1942: Nepenthe 1943: Hern the Hunter 1944: Marsyas 1945: Marsyas 1946: Marsyas 1947: Marsyas 1948: Arbar 1949: Turmoil 1950: Ciel Etoile 1951: Ysard 1952: Mat de Cocagne 1953: Feu du Diable * 1954: Silex 1955: Elpenor 1956: Bewitched 1957: Cambremer 1958: Scot 1959: Tello 1960: Le Loup Garou 1961: Puissant Chef 1962: Taine 1963: Taine 1964: Azincourt 1965: Waldmeister 1966: Fantomas 1967: Danseur 1968: no race
* Vamos finished first in 1953, but he was disqualified.
See also List of French flat horse races
References
France Galop (1979–1989) / Racing Post (1990–present) : , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , galop.courses-france.com: 1837–1859, 1860–1889, 1890–1919, 1920–1949, 1950–1979, 1980–2009
france-galop.com – A Brief History: Prix du Cadran. galopp-sieger.de – Prix du Cadran. horseracingintfed.com – International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Prix du Cadran (2018). pedigreequery.com – Prix du Cadran – Longchamp. tbheritage.com – Prix du Cadran.