2017 News
Top Three Finishers of Grade 1s Yasuda Kinen, Victoria Mile awarded Free Entry to Prix Jacques Le Marois (G1)
The Japan Racing Association (JRA) and France Galop announced on Tuesday, May 30 that the two mile Grade 1 races at Tokyo Racecourse this spring, Yasuda Kinen on June 4 and Victoria Mile on May 14, have been designated as races for free entry to the prestigious French Grade 1 mile race, the Prix du Haras de Fresnay-Le-Buffard Jacques Le Marois, to be run at Deauville Racecourse on Sunday, August 13.
The top three finishers of both the Yasuda Kinen and Victoria Mile will get a complimentary entry to the Prix Jacques Le Marois. The entry fee for the race is EUR4,540, or about JPY550,000.
A trio of four-year-old fillies dominated the top three placings in this year's Victoria Mile, with Admire Lead holding off her rivals to win her first Grade 1 title in the all fillies-and-mares race, followed by Denko Ange and Jour Polaire. The Yasuda Kinen will be held at the same venue and distance on June 4.
The Prix Jacques Le Marois, first run in 1921, is open to 3 years old and up, to both colts and fillies. Its rating makes it one of the best European mile races with an average rating of 121 between 2013 thru 2015, according to Longines world's race ranking sources.
Winners of thePrix Jacques Le Marois include horses which have left their mark on the history of racing and breeding. In the male division, champions such as Dubai Millennium, Dubawi, Manduro, Hector Protector, Kingman or Makfi have become some of the best stallions. Mares such as Miesque, Goldikova, Six Perfections and East of the Moon have graced the Deauville turf.
In 1998, Taiki Shuttle set an unprecedented feat in becoming the first Japanese horse to win a triple crown over the mile with the Prix Jacques Le Marois, the Yasuda Kinen and the Mile Championship.This feat,which remains unequalled, earned him the JRA Horse of the Year award.
The race is run during the summer Deauville meeting on the coast of Normandy, whose beaches and great entertainment make the resort a much sought holiday destination. Moreover, the world famous yearling sales in mid-August attract many buyers.
Olivier Delloye, Managing Director of France Galop:
“We are really happy to further strengthen the ties between JRA and France Galop through this operation. France is greatly honored to host Japanese runners for the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe race every year and sometimes to see them win other good races such as the Prix d'Ispahan won last year by A Shin Hikari. A few years ago, the sensation was to see a Japanese horse winning the Prix Jacques Le Marois, Taiki Shuttle. Twenty years later, the race is still at the top of international rankings over the mile. The honor roll includes great champions such as Miesque, Goldikova, Dubawi or Makfi and the fact that the best European milers of all ages compete in this race is a real ‘plus' for any future stallion career. We would be more than happy to consolidate the international status of this major race with one or more Japanese contenders this year.”
Masayuki Goto, President & CEO of Japan Racing Association:
“I am delighted to announce with great honor that the first three finishers of the spring mile Grade 1 races, Victoria Mile and Yasuda Kinen, will be granted entry to the Prix du Haras de Fresnay-Le-Buffard Jacques Le Marois. The Prix Jacques Le Marois, run over a straight course, is one of the most highly-regarded mile races in the world, and I still remember, in 1986, Gallop Dyna challenging this race for the first time as a Japan-trained horse, and in 1998, Taiki Shuttle winning the prestigious race. Both horses took part in the Prix Jacques Le Marois after winning the Yasuda Kinen, and thus, I think this alliance is naturally well-balanced for both parties. I feel thankful for the strong bond between France and Japan, and am looking forward to strengthening this partnership in years to come.”
