Prix Minerve

Turf race infobox
class = Group 3
horse race = Prix Minerve


caption =
location = Deauville Racecourse
Deauville, France
inaugurated = 1925
race type = Thoroughbred - Flat race
sponsor = Shadwell
website = [http://www.france-galop.com/All-the-races.233+M52087573ab0.0.html?&course_id=1565&no_cache=1&numero_id=151 France-Galop.com]
distance = 2,500 metres (1m 4½f)
track = Turf, right-handed
qualification = Three-year-old fillies
excluding Group 1 winners
from earlier in same year
weight = 55 kg
Penalties
3 kg for Group 2 winners *
2 kg for Group 3 winners *
* "since January 1"
purse = €80,000 "(2008)"
Distribution
1st: 50%, 2nd: 20%, 3rd: 15%
4th: 10%, 5th: 5%
bonuses = The Prix Minerve is a Group 3 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run over a distance of 2,500 metres (approximately 1 mile 4½ furlongs) at Deauville Racecourse, and it takes place annually in August.

It was first run in 1925 as the Prix de Minerve, which was shortened to the present title, without the "de", in 1987. It is named after Minerva (French name "Minerve"), the Roman goddess of crafts and wisdom. Races for fillies in France have traditionally been given the names of such mythological figures – others have included "Astarté", "Diane" and "Pomone".

For the early part of its history the race's usual venue was Tremblay. Due to World War II it was cancelled in 1940 and then switched temporarily to Maisons-Laffitte (1941–43) and Auteuil (1944). Thereafter, with the exception of a three-year spell at Longchamp (1948–50), the race continued at Tremblay until the closure of the racecourse in 1967.

In 1968 the Prix de Minerve moved to Chantilly, where it was run for five years. It was then transferred to a new home, Evry, upon the opening of that racecourse in 1973. Aside from a single running at Saint-Cloud in 1993, the race remained at Evry until the venue closed in 1996. The following year the race arrived at Deauville, the eighth track to have staged the event.

From its launch until 1975 the race was mostly run over a distance of 2,000 metres, with intermittent periods over 2,100 metres (1941–45, 1949–50). It has since been extended twice – to 2,400 metres in 1976 and to the present length, 2,500 metres, in 1997.

Records

Leading jockey (7 wins):
* Yves Saint-Martin – "Red Flame (1963), Flaming Heart (1966), Paulista (1974), Acoma (1976), Rajpoura (1983), Sharaniya (1986), Daralinsha (1987)"----Leading trainer (7 wins):
* André Fabre – "Colorado Dancer (1989), Wajd (1990), Bright Moon (1993), Isle de France (1998), Prairie Runner (1999), Oiseau Rare (2005), Synopsis (2007)"----Leading owner (8 wins):
* HH Aga Khan IV – "Flaming Heart (1966), Rajpoura (1983), Sharaniya (1986), Daralinsha (1987), Linnga (1992), Sharamana (1994), Kassana (1997), Oiseau Rare (2005)"

Winners since 1980

Earlier winners

* 1925 - Lucide
* 1926 - Carissima / Miss McKinley *
* 1927 - Bellecour
* 1928 - Tanais
* 1929 - Kantara
* 1930 - La Savoyarde
* 1931 - Pearl Cap
* 1932 - Broadway Melody / Kiddie *
* 1933 - La Souriciere
* 1934 - Anatolie
* 1935 - Blue Bell
* 1936 - Capella
* 1937 - Sylvanire
* 1938 - Argolide
* 1939 - Kaligoussa
* 1940 - "no race"
* 1941 - La Barka
* 1942 - Gold and Blue
* 1943 - Calonice

* 1944 - La Belle du Canet
* 1945 - Red Sky
* 1946 - Pastourelle
* 1947 - Love
* 1948 - Reine des Etoiles
* 1949 - Musette
* 1950 - Nuit de Folies
* 1951 - Maitrise
* 1952 - Abeille
* 1953 - Avenida
* 1954 - Yvrande
* 1955 - Cassilda
* 1956 - Sees
* 1957 - Great Success
* 1958 - Lady Djebel
* 1959 - Mandolina
* 1960 - Valrose
* 1961 - Parbel
* 1962 - Peisqueira

* 1963 - Red Flame
* 1964 - Astaria
* 1965 - Irish Lass
* 1966 - Flaming Heart
* 1967 - Armoricana
* 1968 - Valya
* 1969 - Insulaire
* 1970 - Gleam
* 1971 - Cambrizzia
* 1972 - Paysanne
* 1973 - El Mina
* 1974 - Paulista
* 1975 - Raise a Baby
* 1976 - Acoma
* 1977 - Trillion
* 1978 - I Will Follow
* 1979 - Anifa

* The 1926 and 1932 races were dead-heats and have joint winners.

References

* [http://www.france-galop.com/All-the-races.233+M52087573ab0.0.html?&course_id=1565&no_cache=1&numero_id=151 France-Galop.com]
* [http://www.pedigreequery.com/index.php?search_bar=stakes&query_type=stakes&field=view&id=758 PedigreeQuery.com]
* Racing Post:
** [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=92297&r_date=1988-7-23 1988] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=96395&r_date=1989-7-22 1989] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=100878&r_date=1990-7-21 1990] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=105675&r_date=1991-7-20 1991] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=110482&r_date=1992-7-18 1992] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=115592&r_date=1993-7-20 1993] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=120710&r_date=1994-7-18 1994] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=126085&r_date=1995-7-18 1995] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=205975&r_date=1996-7-16 1996] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=241603&r_date=1997-7-14 1997]
** [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=255276&r_date=1998-7-14 1998] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=270404&r_date=1999-7-14 1999] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=284671&r_date=2000-7-9 2000] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=306012&r_date=2001-8-24 2001] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=321763&r_date=2002-8-23 2002] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=338558&r_date=2003-8-26 2003] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=357833&r_date=2004-8-24 2004] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=391051&r_date=2005-8-23 2005] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=415466&r_date=2006-8-17 2006] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=439230&r_date=2007-8-16 2007]
** [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=464535&r_date=2008-8-14 2008]
* [http://galop.courses-france.com/plat/courses/Prix-Minerve-1980-2009.php galop.courses-france.com]

ee also

* List of French flat horse races
* " – this race is included under its original title, Prix de Minerve."