Corrida was a French Thoroughbred racehorse who won races in France, Belgium, Germany and England and is regarded as one of the top fillies of the 20th century worldwide. She is best known for her back-to-back wins in France's most prestigious horse race, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Marcel Boussac was a French entrepreneur best known for his ownership of the Maison Dior and one of the most successful thoroughbred race horse breeding farms in European history.
Stavros Spyrou Niarchos was a billionaire Greek shipping tycoon. Starting in 1952, he had the world's biggest supertankers built for his fleet. Propelled by both the Suez Crisis and an increasing demand for oil, he and rival Aristotle Onassis became giants in global petroleum shipping.
Dream Well is a retired champion Thoroughbred racehorse, bred by the Niarchos family. Dream Well was purchased at the Agence Francaise Yearling Sale in Deauville by Jean Louis Bouchard. He became best known for winning not only the Prix du Jockey Club, but also the Irish Derby Stakes in 1998 – a classic double which until that year was only completed by Assert and Old Vic in the 1980s.
Bago was the European Three-Year-Old Champion Thoroughbred race horse in 2004. Bred by the Niarchos family, Bago is best known for winning the 2004 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe amongst his five Group One successes.
The Prix Jacques Le Marois is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbred colts and fillies aged three years or older. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 1,600 metres, and it is scheduled to take place each year in August.
Djebel (1937–1958) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse, who won 15 of 22 races during 1939–1942 including the Prix d'Essai, 2000 Guineas and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He was later a leading sire in France and is responsible for the survival of the Byerley Turk sire line into the 21st century.
Marsyas was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was the dominant stayer in France in the mid-1940s winning four consecutive editions of the 4,000 metre Prix du Cadran between 1944 and 1947. He proved equally successful when campaigned in Britain in 1946. After winning seventeen of his twenty-seven races, he was retired to stud where he had limited success as a sire of winners.
Pharis (1936–1957) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse who is "considered one of the greatest French-bred runners of the century," according to Thoroughbred Heritage. Named for the Spartan town of Pharis, he was owned and bred by leading French horseman, Marcel Boussac.
Nureyev (1977–2001) was an American-bred, French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and champion sire. As a racehorse, he was best known as the disqualified "winner" of the 2000 Guineas in 1980.
Ardan (1941–1959) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse. In a racing career which lasted from 1943 until 1946 he ran twenty-three times and won sixteen races. He was the leading racehorse in France in 1944 when his wins included the Prix du Jockey Club and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He was retired to stud at the end of the 1946 season and had limited success as a stallion.
Tourbillon (1928–1954) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and Champion sire.
Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard was a Thoroughbred horse breeding farm in Neuvy-au-Houlme in the Orne department in Lower Normandy purchased by Marcel Boussac in 1919. Widely respected, Marcel Boussac was called "the greatest of French breeders" by John P. Sparkman, an editor with Thoroughbred Times. Boussac's highly successful operation produced a number of racing champions through its numerous top foundation broodmares and world class sires.
Ambiorix (1946–1975) was a French Champion Two-Year-Old Thoroughbred racehorse who became a leading sire.
Dansili is a British Thoroughbred racehorse. He won five races, including the Prix du Muguet. After retiring from racing he became a successful stallion, with his progeny including Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Rail Link and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Harbinger. He also became Champion sire in France in 2006.
Caracalla was a French racehorse and sire. Unraced as a two-year-old and never competing at a distance shorter than 2,400 metres he was undefeated in eight races in a racing career which lasted from the spring of 1945 until October 1946. Caracalla excelled over extended distances, winning the Grand Prix de Paris and the Prix Royal Oak in France and the Ascot Gold Cup in Britain. On his final appearance he proved himself capable of beating top class opposition at middle distances when he won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He was then retired to stud, where his record was disappointing.
Arbar was a French racehorse and sire. A horse with a strong, stamina-rich pedigree he was unraced as a two-year-old but proved himself one of the best European three-year-olds of 1947, despite a narrow defeat in the St Leger Stakes. In the following season he established himself as the best stayer in Europe with wins in the Prix du Cadran in France and the Ascot Gold Cup in Britain. He was injured at Goodwood in July and was retired to stud, where he had some success as a sire of winners.
Lichine was an American-bred, French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse who sold for a record-setting $1.7 million as a yearling in 1980. Although he never threatened to repay his auction price, he was a useful racehorse, winning the Listed Prix de Suresnes as a three-year-old and finishing placed in several Group races.
Mendez was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was one of the best colts of his generation in France and produced his best performances over one mile/ 1600 metres on soft ground. As a two-year-old in 1983 he won the Prix des Chênes and was placed in both the Grand Critérium and the William Hill Futurity. In the following year he recorded Group One successes in the Prix Jean Prat and the Prix du Moulin as well as winning the Prix de Fontainebleau and finishing an unlucky third in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains. He was retired from racing and had some success as a breeding stallion in France and Japan.
Dankaro was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. One of the last champions bred by Marcel Boussac, he showed promise as a two-year-old in 1973 when he won the Prix de Cabourg. In the following spring he established himself as arguably the best three-year-old colt in Europe with successive wins in the Prix Greffulhe, Prix Daru and Prix Lupin. He finished second when favourite for the Prix du Jockey Club and was the first male horse to finish when third to Dahlia in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. His racing career was then ended by injury and he was retired to stud where he had no success as a breeding stallion.
