The Prix du Petit Couvert is a Group 3

Conditions races

Conditions races are horse races where the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to; the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving...

 flat

Flat racing

Flat racing is a form of Thoroughbred horse racing which is run over a level track at a predetermined distance. It differs from steeplechase racing which is run over hurdles...

 horse race

Horse racing

Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...

 in France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 which is open to thoroughbred

Thoroughbred

The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...

s aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,000 metres (about 5 furlongs), and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.

History

The event was established in 1867, and during the early part of its history it was usually held at Chantilly

Chantilly Racecourse

Chantilly Racecourse is a Thoroughbred turf racecourse for flat racing in Chantilly, Oise, France, about north of the centre of the city of Paris....

. Its title refers to the Petit Couvert, a crossroads in the forest adjacent to that racecourse. It was originally open to horses aged two or older, and it was initially contested over 800 metres. It was abandoned during the Franco-Prussian War

Franco-Prussian War

The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...

 (and for two years thereafter), with no running from 1870 to 1873. Its distance was increased to 1,000 metres in 1881. Apart from two editions at Longchamp (1880 and 1900), the race remained at Chantilly until 1906.

The Prix du Petit Couvert was transferred to Longchamp in 1907, and at the same time its distance was extended to 1,100 metres. It was abandoned throughout World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, from 1914 to 1918, and its length was reverted to 1,000 metres in 1921. The race was cancelled twice during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, in 1939 and 1940. It was temporarily switched to Maisons-Laffitte

Maisons-Laffitte Racecourse

The Hippodrome de Maisons-Laffitte at 1 avenue de la Pelouse in the northwestern Parisian suburb of Maisons-Laffitte in France is a turf horse racing facility and track for Thoroughbred flat racing...

 in 1943 and to Le Tremblay

Tremblay park

Tremblay Park is a park located in the commune of Champigny-sur-Marne, in the department of Val-de-Marne in the region Île-de-France. This green space with an area of 73 hectares offering games and sporting activities. Originally, this was a horse race track called Hippodrome du Tremblay...

 in 1944.

The Prix du Petit Couvert was formerly held in late October. The race was moved to September in 2002, and simultaneously it was closed to two-year-olds. It now serves as a trial for the following month's Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp

Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp

The Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged two years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October.-History:The Prix de l'Abbaye was one of two major...

.

Records

Leading jockey

Jockey

A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...

 (7 wins):

• Roger Poincelet – Fine Art (1944, 1945, 1946), Damnos (1948), Palariva (1956), L'Epinay (1960, 1962)
• Yves Saint-Martin
  Yves Saint-Martin
  Yves Saint-Martin is a retired champion jockey in French Thoroughbred horse racing. He is widely considered one of the greatest riders in French racing history....
  
   – La Sega (1961), Texanita (1963), Silver Shark (1965), Sun Sun (1968), Manjam (1979), Park Romeo (1981), Bold Apparel (1983)

----
Leading trainer

Horse trainer

In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...

 (9 wins):

• François Mathet – Reinata (1955), Edellic (1958, 1959), La Sega (1961), Texanita (1963, 1964), Silver Shark (1965), Sun Sun (1968), Moubariz (1974)

----
Leading owner (7 wins):

• Edmond Blanc – La Negligente (1889), Fantasia (1891), Manitou (1897), Mauvezin (1899), Caius (1902), Fils du Vent (1909), Porte Maillot (1911)

Winners since 1980

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time
1980	Greenway	2	Freddy Head Freddy Head Freddy Head is a retired champion jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing and currently a horse trainer. Known also as "Freddie", his grandfather was a jockey as was his father Alec Head who also became a successful trainer and owner of Haras du Quesnay near Deauville...	Alec Head Alec Head Alec Head was a prominent French horseman and breeder and the owner of Haras du Quesnay near Deauville. A descendant of the great trainers who founded the English Racing Colony in Chantilly, Oise, Head's grandfather was a jockey-turned-trainer, as was his father William Head who was a very...	Jacques Wertheimer Jacques Wertheimer Jacques Guy Wertheimer was a prominent French businessman who inherited and ran the renowned House of Chanel perfume company...
1981	Park Romeo	5	Yves Saint-Martin Yves Saint-Martin Yves Saint-Martin is a retired champion jockey in French Thoroughbred horse racing. He is widely considered one of the greatest riders in French racing history....	Herbert Cohn	Leonie McNitt
1982	Kind Music	3	Freddy Head Freddy Head Freddy Head is a retired champion jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing and currently a horse trainer. Known also as "Freddie", his grandfather was a jockey as was his father Alec Head who also became a successful trainer and owner of Haras du Quesnay near Deauville...	Robert Collet Robert Collet Robert Collet is a French thoroughbred racehorse trainer.Robert Collet was one of the first European trainers to win a Breeders' Cup race when he won the 1986 edition of the Breeders' Cup Mile at Hollywood Park Racetrack with Last Tycoon...	Bendar bin M. Al Kabir
1983	Bold Apparel	3	Yves Saint-Martin Yves Saint-Martin Yves Saint-Martin is a retired champion jockey in French Thoroughbred horse racing. He is widely considered one of the greatest riders in French racing history....	Robert Collet Robert Collet Robert Collet is a French thoroughbred racehorse trainer.Robert Collet was one of the first European trainers to win a Breeders' Cup race when he won the 1986 edition of the Breeders' Cup Mile at Hollywood Park Racetrack with Last Tycoon...	Owen Helman
1984	Parioli	3	Maurice Philipperon Maurice Philipperon Maurice Philipperon is a noted French jockey who after retirement became president of the French jockeys' association.His winning rides in Gr. 1 and 2 races included:* the Prix Ganay in 1970, 1971 and 1980 on Grandier, Caro and Arctic Tern....	John Cunnington, Jr.	Danny Arnold
1985	Miss Stanford	4	Tony Ives	B. Olsson	Elizabeth Thurdin
1986	Parioli	5	Maurice Philipperon Maurice Philipperon Maurice Philipperon is a noted French jockey who after retirement became president of the French jockeys' association.His winning rides in Gr. 1 and 2 races included:* the Prix Ganay in 1970, 1971 and 1980 on Grandier, Caro and Arctic Tern....	John Cunnington, Jr.	Danny Arnold
1987	Sizzling Melody	3	Richard Hills	Lord John Fitzgerald Lord John FitzGerald Captain Lord John FitzGerald is a British soldier and member of the Kildare branch of the FitzGerald dynasty. He was educated at Millfield and studied at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst...	Mary Watt
1988	Canango	4	Guy Guignard	Alain Falourd	Etti Plesch Etti Plesch Etti Plesch, , Austro-Hungarian countess, huntress, racehorse owner and socialite. Plesch lost two of her six husbands to the same woman, Louise de Vilmorin, a French literary figure, and owned two winners of the Epsom Derby, in Psidium in 1961 and Henbit in1980.Born Maria Anna Paula Ferdinandine...	0:59.6
1989	Lugana Beach	3	Steve Cauthen Steve Cauthen Steve Cauthen is a retired American jockey.Cauthen, the son of a trainer and a farrier, grew up in Walton, Kentucky around horses, which made race-riding a logical career choice. He rode his first race on May 12, 1976 at Churchill Downs; he finished last, riding King of Swat...	David Elsworth David Elsworth David Elsworth is a horse trainer living in the United Kingdom. He is perhaps best known for being the trainer of Desert Orchid, 1988 Grand National winner Rhyme 'n' Reason and 1990 Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Barnbrook Again - just three horses amongst a host of top-class performers over...	Ray Richards	0:56.4
1990	Run and Gun	2	Cash Asmussen Cash Asmussen Cash Asmussen is an American thoroughbred horse racing jockey. Born Brian Keith Asmussen, in 1977 he legally changed his name to "Cash". From a Texas horse racing family, his parents, Keith and Marilyn "Sis" Asmussen, operate a ranch in Laredo, Texas...	Robert Collet Robert Collet Robert Collet is a French thoroughbred racehorse trainer.Robert Collet was one of the first European trainers to win a Breeders' Cup race when he won the 1986 edition of the Breeders' Cup Mile at Hollywood Park Racetrack with Last Tycoon...	Ecurie Promethee	1:02.4
1991	Ski Chief	3	Thierry Jarnet Thierry Jarnet Thierry Jarnet Is a Champion Thoroughbred Flat racing Jockey in France. Winning the title 4 times from 1992 to 1995. Jarnet was first apprenticed to Patrick Rago atMaisons-Laffitte and then to Yann Porzier at Chantilly, Oise....	André Fabre André Fabre André Fabre is a French thoroughbred horse racing trainer.The son of a diplomat, Fabre graduated from university with a law degree but then decided to pursue a career in thoroughbred horse racing. He began by working in the stables as a groom then as a schooling rider...	Zenya Yoshida	0:59.9
1992	Wixon	2	Freddy Head Freddy Head Freddy Head is a retired champion jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing and currently a horse trainer. Known also as "Freddie", his grandfather was a jockey as was his father Alec Head who also became a successful trainer and owner of Haras du Quesnay near Deauville...	François Boutin François Boutin François Boutin was a French Thoroughbred horse trainer. The son of a farmer, he was born in the village of Beaunay in the northerly Seine Maritime département. He began riding horses at a young age and competed in show jumping and cross-country equestrianism...	Allen E. Paulson Allen E. Paulson Allen Eugene Paulson was an American aviation entrepreneur, philanthropist, thoroughbred racehorse breeder and owner, and a self-made multi-millionaire.-Business career in aviation:Born in Clinton, Iowa, Allen E...	1:00.9
1993	Lavinia Fontana	4	Frankie Dettori Frankie Dettori Lanfranco "Frankie" Dettori, MBE is an Italian horse racing jockey and celebrity. Dettori has been Champion Jockey on three occasions and has ridden the winners of more than 500 Group races.. He has had many successes in his role of stable jockey to Godolphin Racing...	Con Collins	Cyril Humphris	1:01.5
1994	Millyant	4	Cash Asmussen Cash Asmussen Cash Asmussen is an American thoroughbred horse racing jockey. Born Brian Keith Asmussen, in 1977 he legally changed his name to "Cash". From a Texas horse racing family, his parents, Keith and Marilyn "Sis" Asmussen, operate a ranch in Laredo, Texas...	Rae Guest	C. J. Mills	0:59.8
1995	Millyant	5	Cash Asmussen Cash Asmussen Cash Asmussen is an American thoroughbred horse racing jockey. Born Brian Keith Asmussen, in 1977 he legally changed his name to "Cash". From a Texas horse racing family, his parents, Keith and Marilyn "Sis" Asmussen, operate a ranch in Laredo, Texas...	Rae Guest	C. J. Mills	0:56.9
1996	Don't Worry Me	4	Alain Junk	Guy Henrot	Jean-François Gribomont	0:57.4
1997	Hever Golf Rose Hever Golf Rose Hever Golf Rose was a thoroughbred racehorse who was bred and trained in the United Kingdom, and campaigned throughout Europe in a career that lasted from 1993 to 1998...	6	Cash Asmussen Cash Asmussen Cash Asmussen is an American thoroughbred horse racing jockey. Born Brian Keith Asmussen, in 1977 he legally changed his name to "Cash". From a Texas horse racing family, his parents, Keith and Marilyn "Sis" Asmussen, operate a ranch in Laredo, Texas...	Joe Naughton	Hever Racing Club	0:59.3
1998	Bishops Court	4	Jimmy Fortune Jimmy Fortune (jockey) Jimmy Fortune is an Irish thoroughbred jockey who, through 2008, has 76 wins from 528 rides. He apprenticed with Jim Bolger in Ireland. He was first licensed in 1987 and his first win came in 1988 at Thirsk riding Hitchinstown...	Lynda Ramsden	David Brotherton	1:03.4
1999	Manzor	2	Olivier Peslier Olivier Peslier Olivier Peslier is a thoroughbred horse racing jockey.Peslier competes in flat racing mainly in France but travels often around the world for the big international races....	Xavier Nakkachdji	Daniel Wildenstein Daniel Wildenstein Daniel Leopold Wildenstein was a French art dealer and scholar, as well as a leading thoroughbred race horse owner and breeder....	1:00.6
2000	Repertory	7	Richard Hughes Richard Hughes (jockey) Richard Hughes is an Irish flat jockey who most commonly rides in Great Britain. Born in Dublin, he is the son of successful National Hunt trainer, Dessie Hughes. His main provider of rides has been trainer Richard Hannon who is also his father in law andfrom 2001 to 2007 he was also retained by...	Malcolm Saunders	Malcolm Saunders	0:59.4
2001	Repertory	8	Fergus Sweeney	Malcolm Saunders	Malcolm Saunders	1:00.9
2002	Ziria	3	Dominique Boeuf Dominique Boeuf Dominique Boeuf is a jockey in Thoroughbred flat racing. He began his career while still a teen and won his first race on 15 September 1984. Three years later, he got his first Group One win aboard Groom Dancer in the 1987 Prix Lupin...	Carlos Laffon-Parias	Leonidas Marinopoulos	0:56.6
2003	Repertory	10	Tom McLaughlin	Malcolm Saunders	Malcolm Saunders	0:56.9
2004	Pivotal Point	4	Frankie Dettori Frankie Dettori Lanfranco "Frankie" Dettori, MBE is an Italian horse racing jockey and celebrity. Dettori has been Champion Jockey on three occasions and has ridden the winners of more than 500 Group races.. He has had many successes in his role of stable jockey to Godolphin Racing...	Peter Makin	Ray Bernard	0:56.5
2005	Nipping	3	Christophe Soumillon Christophe Soumillon Christophe Soumillon is a Belgian Thoroughbred horse racing jockey.-Career:Raised in a horse racing family, he is the son of a horse jumping jockey Jean-Marc Soumillon. Christophe Soumillon apprenticed at Chantilly Racecourse in Chantilly, France to Cédric Boutin, and won his first race in...	Robert Collet Robert Collet Robert Collet is a French thoroughbred racehorse trainer.Robert Collet was one of the first European trainers to win a Breeders' Cup race when he won the 1986 edition of the Breeders' Cup Mile at Hollywood Park Racetrack with Last Tycoon...	Richard C. Strauss	0:55.5
2006	Majestic Missile	5	Christophe Soumillon Christophe Soumillon Christophe Soumillon is a Belgian Thoroughbred horse racing jockey.-Career:Raised in a horse racing family, he is the son of a horse jumping jockey Jean-Marc Soumillon. Christophe Soumillon apprenticed at Chantilly Racecourse in Chantilly, France to Cédric Boutin, and won his first race in...	William Haggas	Flying Tiger Partnership	0:56.0
2007	Tax Free	5	Adrian Nicholls	David Nicholls	Ian Hewitson	0:55.8
2008	Only Answer	4	Olivier Peslier Olivier Peslier Olivier Peslier is a thoroughbred horse racing jockey.Peslier competes in flat racing mainly in France but travels often around the world for the big international races....	André Fabre André Fabre André Fabre is a French thoroughbred horse racing trainer.The son of a diplomat, Fabre graduated from university with a law degree but then decided to pursue a career in thoroughbred horse racing. He began by working in the stables as a groom then as a schooling rider...	Wertheimer et Frère Wertheimer et Frère Wertheimer et Frère is a Thoroughbred horse racing and breeding business partnership between brothers Alain and Gerard Wertheimer of France.The Wertheimer brothers are the owners of the House of Chanel in Paris...	0:56.3
2009	War Artist	6	Olivier Peslier Olivier Peslier Olivier Peslier is a thoroughbred horse racing jockey.Peslier competes in flat racing mainly in France but travels often around the world for the big international races....	James Eustace	Rupert Plersch	0:56.5
2010	Swiss Diva	4	Ioritz Mendizabal	David Elsworth David Elsworth David Elsworth is a horse trainer living in the United Kingdom. He is perhaps best known for being the trainer of Desert Orchid, 1988 Grand National winner Rhyme 'n' Reason and 1990 Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Barnbrook Again - just three horses amongst a host of top-class performers over...	Lordship Stud	0:57.5

Earlier winners

* The 1912 race was a dead-heat and has joint winners.