ENGLISH TEXTS
de l’ Arc de Triomphe.
The double, two years in a row, to begin In 1976, Freddy Head did it again, winning the colts’ race with Red Lord and the fillies’ race with Riverqueen. While Red Lord would not be heard of again, Riverqueen went on to win the Prix Saint-Alary, then a Group 1, and beat her elders in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, after finishing second to Madélia in the Prix de Diane. In 1978, another Poule d’ Essai des Pouliches came with Dancing Maid, who would then narrowly fail in the Epsom Oaks, but go on to win the Prix Vermeille and finish third in the Arc. In 1979, it was Three Troikas’ turn to claim the Poule. Like Ivanjica, she would later provide Freddy Head with a Prix de l’ Arc de Triomphe – as well as the Prix Saint-Alary and Prix Vermeille – in a season during which she recorded four Group 1 victories, missing a fifth by a nose – that of Dunette – in the Prix de Diane.
From Three Troikas to Miesque All these successes were family affairs, in the sense that they were achieved with horses trained by Christiane, Freddy’ s sister, or by their father Alec, or even by his trusted assistant Christian Datessen. Likewise, Silvermine in 1985, Matiara in 1995 and Always Loyal in 1997 were prepared by Christiane Head, before the job was completed by her brother on the track, resulting in three
further victories in the Poule d’ Essai des Pouliches. But in between came Miesque, with whom Freddy Head won the 1987 Poule d’ Essai des Pouliches, as well as nine other Group 1 races, including two Breeders’ Cup Miles in the United States. Perhaps the horse of his life as a jockey.
Within the family, but not only However, Miesque was no longer the product of a family collaboration, but of a partnership that lasted several years with trainer François Boutin, to whom Freddy Head also owes four Poules d’ Essai des Poulains in five years, from Blushing John in 1988 to Shanghai in 1992, via Linamix in 1990 and Hector Protector in 1991. With the latter, Freddy Head also recorded four other toplevel victories, in the Prix Morny, Prix de la Salamandre, Prix Jacques Le Marois and the Grand Critérium, under the same Niàrchos colours as Miesque and Shanghai.
HIS EIGHT POULES D’ ESSAI DES POULICHES
1975: Ivanjica( Sir Ivor); owner: Jacques Wertheimer; trainer: Alec Head. 1976: Riverqueen( Luthier); owner: Mrs Alec Head; trainer: Christian Datessen. 1978: Dancing Maid( Lyphard); owner: Jacques Wertheimer; trainer: Alec Head. 1979: Three Troikas
( Lyphard); owner: Mrs Alec Head; trainer: Christiane Head. 1985: Silvermine( Bellypha); owner: Mrs Alec Head; trainer: Christiane Head. 1987: Miesque( Nureyev); owner: Stàvros Niàrchos; trainer: François Boutin. 1995: Matiara( Béring); owner: Ecurie Aland; trainer: Christiane Head. 1997: Always Loyal( Zilzal); owner: Maktoum Al Maktoum; trainer: Christiane Head.
HIS SIX POULES D’ ESSAI DES POULAINS
1975: Green Dancer( Nijinsky); owner: Jacques Wertheimer; trainer: Alec Head. 1976: Red Lord( Red God); owner: Jacques Wertheimer; trainer: Alec Head. 1988: Blushing John( Blushing Groom); owner: Allen E. Paulson; trainer: François Boutin. 1990: Linamix( Mendez); owner: Jean-Luc Lagardère; trainer: François Boutin. 1991: Hector Protector( Woodman); owner: Stàvros Niàrchos; trainer: François Boutin. 1992: Shanghai( Procida); owner: Stàvros Niàrchos; trainer: François Boutin.
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