ENGLISH VERSION
Coaraze in 1945, Sandjar in 1947, Scratch in 1950, Auriban in 1952, and Philius in 1956. Moreover, with the exception of Ramus, all these winners were bred by Marcel Boussac and were often sons of his own stallions, themselves already winners of the championship for three-year-olds. Thus, Cillas and Coaraze were sons of Tourbillon, while Sandjar was by Goya, Tourbillon’ s successor. As for Ardan, Scratch, Auriban and Philius, all four were by Pharis. It should also be noted that in 1950 Marcel Boussac won not only the“ Jockey Club” with Scratch, but also the Epsom Derby with Galcador and the Oaks with Asména, topping the owners’ and breeders’ lists on both sides of the Channel that year and the next. In 1956, he also achieved the Prix du Jockey Club / Prix de Diane double with Philius and Apollonia.
Scratch vs Tantième: The Contested Stewards’ Verdict In 1950, Scratch’ s victory over Tantième caused a great deal of controversy, as the two colts fought out an extremely close duel and crossed the finish line together. At the time, however, there was no photo-finish and, although Scratch was declared the winner by the officials, doubt remained within the entourage of the runner-up, as well as among several observers. The incident proved significant, since it quickly led to the introduction of photo-finish technology in order to avoid any future disputes. Scratch confirmed his Chantilly success a few months later by winning the St. Leger at Doncaster, while Tantième would go on to inscribe his name twice on the roll of honor of the Prix de l’ Arc de Triomphe.
Auriban Starts the Wrong Way … but Wins! In 1952, Marcel Boussac’ s champion was Auriban. Overflowing with talent, having won the Prix Robert Papin and Prix Morny at two, he was nevertheless temperamental and missed his starts more often than not. In the Prix du Jockey Club, despite all precautions taken, he once again played up and attempted to set off in the opposite direction, spinning around and losing considerable ground— up to twenty lengths( editor’ s note: starting stalls were not yet in use at the time). Put back on the right path by his jockey, the legendary Rae Johnstone, he gradually rejoined the field, calmly making up his deficit, and, continuing his progress, took the lead in the straight to win without serious opposition. An unforgettable comeback!
Acamas’ s Recovery: As if Time Stood Still It was another incident, overcome by the champion of the moment— namely Acamas in 1978— that brought the Boussac saga in the Prix du Jockey Club to a close. Crack jockey Yves Saint-Martin— record holder for victories in the race with nine successes— was the architect of this spectacular recovery. His horse had just won the Prix Lupin, formerly a Group 1 stepping stone to the“ Jockey Club,” and started as favorite at Chantilly. Everything went smoothly until the entrance to the straight, where Saint- Martin and Acamas were forced out of contention following severe interference that carried them wide into the middle of the track, far from the rail, causing them to concede some fifty meters to the leaders; at first glance, all chance seemed lost … But the jockey kept his cool, giving his colt time to regain his balance and relaunch his effort. Then he drove him forward and, sensing the possible feat, rode him with force. Still detached in last place three hundred meters from the post, Acamas, now properly balanced, began closing rapidly, steadily making up the lost ground and, with a sharp finishing burst, swept down on Frère Basile— who nevertheless seemed destined for glory— and beat him by a nose on the line, without his rider even using the whip … A timeless finish indeed!
From Boussac to the Aga Khan: A Long-Term Affair Prince Karim Aga Khan’ s green jacket, red epaulettes and green cap are the second most successful silks of the modern era in the Prix du Jockey Club, with eight victories from 1960 to 2022. These range from Charlottesville’ s triumph to Vadeni’ s, including those of Top Ville in 1979, Darshaan in 1984, Mouktar in 1985, Natroun in
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