Val de l'Orne
| Val de l'Orne | |
|---|---|
| Sire | Val de Loir |
| Grandsire | Vieux Manoir |
| Dam | Aglae |
| Damsire | Armistice |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | 1972 |
| Country | France |
| Colour | Bay |
| Breeder | W. Stora |
| Owner | Jacques Wertheimer |
| Trainer | Alec Head |
| Record | 5:4-1-0 |
| Major wins | |
|
Prix Noailles (1975) Prix Hocquart (1975) Prix du Jockey Club (1975) |
|
| Awards | |
| Timeform rating 129 (1974), 130 (1975) Top-rated French three-year-old (1975) |
|
Val de l'Orne (1972–1993) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He won four of his five races between September 1974 and June 1975 before his racing career was ended by injury. In 1974 he won on his debut and then finished second in the Group One Grand Criterium. In the following year he was undefeated, winning the Prix Noailles and the Prix Hocquart before recording his most important success in the Prix du Jockey Club. He did not race again, but became a successful breeding stallion.
Val de l'Orne was a bay horse with no white markings bred in France by W. Stora. He was one of the best horses sired by Val de Loir who won the Prix du Jockey Club in 1962. Val de l'Orne was the first foal of Aglae, a mare who finished fourth in the Prix de Diane and came from a very successful family: her dam Aglae Grace won the Prix de Diane, produced the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Soltikoff, and was the ancestor of the Poule d'Essai des Poulains winners Red Lord and No Pass No Sale.
In 1974, Val de l'Orne was offered for sale and was bought by representatives of the French businessman Jacques Wertheimer. The price of ₣360,000 was the highest price paid for a yearling colt at auction in France that year. The colt was sent into training with Alec Head and was ridden in most of his races by his trainer's son Freddy Head.
Val de l'Orne was kept off the racecourse by several training setbacks, including a serious respiratory infection before maing his debut in a race over 1600 metres at Longchamp Racecourse in September. He disputed the lead from the start before drawing away in the straight to win by three lengths from Blue Vermillion, Tiepolino and Easy Regent. The form of the race was subsequently boosted when Easy Regent won the Criterium de Saint-Cloud. The colt was then moved up sharply in class for France's most prestigious race for two-year-olds, the Grand Criterium over 1600 metres at Longchamp on 13 October and started the 9/2 fourth choice in the betting. After being settled in fifth place by Freddy Head he moved up to take the lead 400 metres from the finish but was overtaken in the closing stages and finished second, two lengths behind the winner Mariacci. Alec Head commented that if anyone had told him in August that Val de l'Orne would finish second in the Grand Criterium he would have thought them "crazy".
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