Prix d'Ispahan


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The Prix d'Ispahan 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 1,850 metres (about 1 mile and 1¼ furlongs), and it is scheduled to take place each year in May.

History
The inaugural running of the Prix d'Ispahan was the showpiece event of a meeting held at Longchamp on 13 July 1873. The meeting had been hastily arranged to honour the Shah of Persia, Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, who was making an official visit to Paris. The race was named after Ispahan, the French name for Isfahan, a former capital city of Persia.

The Prix d'Ispahan was initially contested over 3,000 metres, and it was originally open to horses aged three or older. Its distance was cut to 2,400 metres in its second year, and it was further reduced to 2,200 metres in 1891, and to 2,100 metres in 1903.

The race was abandoned throughout World War I, with no running from 1915 to 1918. Its present length, 1,850 metres, was introduced in 1921. It was cancelled once during World War II, in 1940. It was run over 2,000 metres at Le Tremblay in 1943 and 1944.

The present system of race grading began in 1971, and the Prix d'Ispahan was classed at the highest level, Group 1. The minimum age of participating horses was raised to four in 1987. It was staged at Chantilly in 1991, and at this venue its distance was 1,800 metres. The race was opened to geldings in 2001.

In 2020, Prix d'Ispahan moved to July and three years old horses can run by one time basis.

Records
Most successful horse (2 wins):
 * Champaubert – 1897, 1898 (dead-heat)
 * La Camargo – 1903, 1904
 * Moulins la Marche – 1908, 1909
 * Renette – 1935, 1936
 * Hierocles – 1942, 1943
 * Coaraze – 1946, 1947
 * Fric – 1955, 1956
 * Crystal Glitters – 1983, 1984
 * Goldikova – 2010, 2011

Leading jockey (7 wins):
 * Yves Saint-Martin – La Sega (1962), Jour et Nuit (1964), Silver Shark (1966), Zeddaan (1968), La Troublerie (1973), Allez France (1974), Crystal Glitters (1983)

Leading trainer (10 wins):
 * André Fabre – Al Nasr (1982), Crystal Glitters (1984), Creator (1990), Arcangues (1993), Loup Sauvage (1998), Valixir (2005), Manduro (2007), Golden Lilac (2012), Persian King (2020), Mqse de Sevigne (2024)

Leading owner (8 wins):
 * Marcel Boussac – Goyescas (1933), Hierocles (1942, 1943), Priam (1945), Coaraze (1946, 1947), Dynamiter (1951), Arbele (1952)

Earlier winners

 * 1873: Campeche
 * 1874: Franc Tireur
 * 1875: Paradoxe
 * 1876: Saxifrage
 * 1877: Gavarni
 * 1878: Jongleur
 * 1879: Courtois
 * 1880: Castillon
 * 1881: Alphonsine
 * 1882: Poulet
 * 1883: Veston
 * 1884: Farfadet
 * 1885: Despote
 * 1886: Viennois
 * 1887: Cambyse
 * 1888: Embellie
 * 1889: Le Sancy
 * 1890: Yellow
 * 1891: Amazone
 * 1892: Gil Peres
 * 1893: Saint Ferjeux
 * 1894: Algarade
 * 1895: Honneur
 * 1896: Le Sagittaire
 * 1897: Champaubert
 * 1898: Champaubert / Cambridge
 * 1899: Fourire
 * 1900: Cravan
 * 1901: Dido
 * 1902: Exema
 * 1903: La Camargo
 * 1904: La Camargo
 * 1905: Caius
 * 1906: Phoenix
 * 1907: Ouadi Halfa
 * 1908: Moulins la Marche
 * 1909: Moulins la Marche
 * 1910: Goloss
 * 1911: Ossian
 * 1912: Rouble
 * 1913: Foxling
 * 1914: Amilcar
 * 1915–18: no race
 * 1919: Radames
 * 1920: Le Rapin
 * 1921: La Finette
 * 1922: Kircubbin
 * 1923: Épinard
 * 1924: Premontre
 * 1925: Condover
 * 1926: Coram
 * 1927: Kitty
 * 1928: Rialto
 * 1929: Kantar
 * 1930: Alcyon
 * 1931: Four in Hand
 * 1932: Lovelace
 * 1933: Goyescas
 * 1934: Rodosto
 * 1935: Renette
 * 1936: Renette
 * 1937: Sanguinetto
 * 1938: Bistolfi
 * 1939: Turbulent
 * 1940: no race
 * 1941: Panipat
 * 1942: Hierocles
 * 1943: Hierocles
 * 1944: Un Gaillard
 * 1945: Priam
 * 1946: Coaraze
 * 1947: Coaraze
 * 1948: Bel Amour
 * 1949: Menetrier
 * 1950: Fort Napoleon
 * 1951: Dynamiter
 * 1952: Arbele
 * 1953: Sadi
 * 1954: Florin
 * 1955: Fric
 * 1956: Fric
 * 1957: Chief
 * 1958: Blockhaus
 * 1959: Hamanet
 * 1960: Tobago
 * 1961: Javelot
 * 1962: La Sega
 * 1963: Manderley
 * 1964: Jour et Nuit
 * 1965: Esso
 * 1966: Silver Shark
 * 1967: Caldarello
 * 1968: Zeddaan