Vitigès | |
---|---|
Sire | Phaeton |
Grandsire | Sicambre |
Dam | Valé |
Damsire | Verrières |
Sex | Stallion |
Foaled | 22 March 1973 |
Country | France |
Colour | Chestnut |
Breeder | Hervé de la Héronnière |
Owner | Mrs Marc Laloum |
Trainer | Gérard Philippeau Peter Walwyn |
Record | 18:6-4-1 |
Major wins | |
Prix Robert Papin (1975) Prix Morny (1975) Prix Djebel (1976) Champion Stakes (1976) |
|
Awards | |
Top-rated British three-year-old (1976) Timeform rating 128 (1975), 132 (1976), 115 § (1977) |
Vitigès (22 March 1973 – after 1987) was a French-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was one of the best French-trained two-year-olds of 1976 when he won four races including the Prix Robert Papin and Prix Morny, as well as finishing second in the Prix de la Salamandre. In the following year he won the Prix Djebel and finished second in both the 2000 Guineas and the Prix Jacques le Marois before being transferred to be trained in England. In October 1976 he recorded his greatest success when recording an upset win over a strong field in the Champion Stakes which led to his being rated the best three-year-old to race in the United Kingdom that year. He ran without success as a four-year-old and was retired to stud, where he had some success as a breeding stallion.
Vitigès was a chestnut horse with a white star and white socks on his hind legs bred in France by Hervé de la Héronnière. He was the best horse sired by Phaëton, an Irish-bred grey stallion best known for winning the Grand Prix de Paris in 1967. Vitigès' dam Valé, won at least two races and produced several other winners including Virunga, who finished third behind Allez France and Dahlia in the Prix de Diane. As a granddaughter of the broodmare Calluna, Valé was related to many other good winners including Athens Wood, Bolkonski, Dibidale (Irish Oaks, Yorkshire Oaks), Tony Bin and Viva Pataca. As a yearling, Vitiges was sold for ₣72,000 and entered the ownership of Mrs Marc Laloum. The colt was sent into training with Gérard Philippeau at Maisons-Laffitte in France.