| Class: | Group 1 |
| Horse Race: | Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil (French Champion Hurdle) |
| Location: | Auteuil Racecourse Paris, France |
| Inaugurated: | 1874 |
| Race Type: | Hurdle race |
| Website: | france-galop.com |
| Distance: | 5,100 metres (3m 1½f) |
| Surface: | Turf |
| Track: | Left-handed |
| Qualification: | Five-years-old and up |
| Weight: | 65 kg (5yo); 67 kg (6yo+) Allowances 2 kg for mares |
| Purse: | €350,000 (2021) Distribution 1st: 45%, 2nd: 22%, 3rd: 13% 4th: 9%, 5th: 5%, 6th: 3.5% 7th: 2.5% |
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The Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil, sometimes referred to as the French Champion Hurdle, is a Group 1 hurdle race in France which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Auteuil over a distance of 5,100 metres (about 3 miles and 1½ furlongs), and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.
The race was first run on May 25, 1874, the same day as the inaugural running of the Grand National de France (now the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris). It was originally open to horses aged four or older, and it was initially contested over 4,000 metres. This was increased to 4,800 metres in its second year, and to 5,000 metres in 1880. The race was given a new date in 1882 – it was moved to the Wednesday after the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris, which continued to be run on the last Sunday in May. The following year saw the launch of a new steeplechase at Auteuil, the Prix des Drags, and this was scheduled for the Friday of the same week. This week of top class jump races became known as the Grande Semaine d'Auteuil. The Grande Course de Haies was run as a handicap until 1889, but since then it has held weight for age conditions.
The race was abandoned throughout World War I, with no running from 1915 to 1918. During World War II it was cancelled only once, in 1940. The minimum age was raised to five in 1961, when a new hurdle race, the Grande Course de Haies des 4 Ans (later titled the Prix Alain du Breil), was introduced specifically for four-year-olds. The distance of the Grande Course de Haies was extended to 5,100 metres in 1969. This was cut to 4,100 metres in 1975, and then restored to 5,100 metres in 1979.
Four horses have won both this event and the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris. These are Blagueur II, Loreto, Ubu III and Mid Dancer. The 1947 winner of the Grande Course de Haies, Le Paillon, later won the most prestigious flat race in France, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. The 1984 winner, Dawn Run (a mare trained in Ireland), also won both the Champion Hurdle and the Cheltenham Gold Cup in England. She returned to Auteuil to attempt a repeat victory in 1986, but during the race she misjudged a hurdle, fell, and died almost instantly.
In 2010, the race was won by flat jockey Christophe Soumillon.
Leading jockey (4 wins):
----Leading trainer (8 wins):
----Leading owner (6 wins):
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| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Samour | 5 | Christian Mahé | Jean Laumain | Mrs Hubert Seutet | |
| 1971 | Le Pontet | 6 | François Bonni | Gérard Philippeau | Josette Rossi | |
| 1972 | Hardatit | 6 | C. Fornaroli | René Pelat | Charles Sweeny | |
| 1973 | Hardatit | 7 | Pierre Costes | René Pelat | Charles Sweeny | |
| 1974 | Baby Taine | 5 | Ronny Dupon | André Adèle | Georges Blizniansky | |
| 1975 | Mazel Tov | 5 | Serge Roux | André Adèle | Mrs Julien Décrion | |
| 1976 | Les Roseaux | 7 | Daniel Merle | Gérard Boeuf | Nicole Sarmant | |
| 1977 | Top Gear | 5 | Dominique Costard | Georges Pelat | Daniel Wildenstein | |
| 1978 | Roselier | 5 | Serge Bérard | Léon Gaumondy | Mrs Léon Gaumondy | |
| 1979 | Paiute | 6 | Martin Blackshaw | Georges Pelat | Daniel Wildenstein | |
| 1980 | Paiute | 7 | Dominique Costard | Jack Barbe | Daniel Wildenstein | |
| 1981 | Bison Fute | 5 | Dominique Costard | Jacques de Chevigny | Mrs Jean Couturié | |
| 1982 | World Citizen | 5 | Noel Péguy | Patrick Rago | Daniel Wildenstein | |
| 1983 | Melinoir | 5 | Denis Bailliez | Jack Barbe | Francis Wintz | |
| 1984 | Dawn Run | 6 | Tony Mullins | Paddy Mullins | Charmian Hill | |
| 1985 | Le Rheusois | 5 | Roger Duchêne | Patrick Rago | Claude Ouyoucef | |
| 1986 | Le Rheusois | 6 | Denis Leblond | Patrick Rago | Claude Ouyoucef | |
| 1987 | Claude le Lorrain | 8 | Patrick-Alain Sauvat | Loïc Audon | André Bergalet | |
| 1988 | Goodea | 8 | Béatrice Marie | Jean-Paul Gallorini | Prosper Elmoznino | |
| 1989 | Sire Rochelais | 5 | Loïc Manceau | Guy Chérel | Jean-Claude Evain | |
| 1990 | Tongan | 7 | Dominique Vincent | Gérard Collet | Wladimir Nikolic | |
| 1991 | Rose or No | 7 | Vincent Sartori | Philippe Demercastel | Ecurie Jules Ouaki | |
| 1992 | Ubu III | 6 | Adam Kondrat | François Doumen | Marquesa de Moratalla | |
| 1993 | Ubu III | 7 | Adam Kondrat | François Doumen | Marquesa de Moratalla | |
| 1994 | Le Roi Thibault | 5 | Yannick Fouin | Georges Doleuze | Haras du Reuilly | |
| 1995 | Matchou | 6 | Didier Mescam | Jean Lesbordes | Muriel Montauban | |
| 1996 | Earl Grant | 7 | Jean-Yves Beaurain | Bernard Sécly | Louis Gautier | |
| 1997 | Bog Frog | 8 | Jean-Yves Beaurain | Bernard Sécly | Mrs David Scarisbrick | |
| 1998 | Mantovo | 6 | François Benech | Marcel Rolland | Frank McNulty | |
| 1999 | Vaporetto | 6 | Thierry Majorcryk | Jean-Paul Gallorini | Daniel Wildenstein | |
| 2000 | Le Sauvignon | 6 | Dominique Bressou | Jean Bertran de Balanda | David J. Jackson | |
| 2001 | Le Sauvignon | 7 | Dominique Bressou | Jean Bertran de Balanda | David J. Jackson | |
| 2002 | Laveron | 7 | Thierry Doumen | François Doumen | Dirk Grauert | |
| 2003 | Nobody Told Me | 5 | David Casey | Willie Mullins | Amber Syndicate | |
| 2004 | Rule Supreme | 8 | David Casey | Willie Mullins | John J. Fallon | |
| 2005 | Lycaon de Vauzelle | 6 | Boris Chameraud | Jean Bertran de Balanda | Francis Wintz | |
| 2006 | Mid Dancer | 5 | Christophe Pieux | Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé | Sean Mulryan | |
| 2007 | Zaiyad | 6 | Jacques Ricou | Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé | Sean Mulryan | |
| 2008 | Oeil du Maitre | 6 | Steven Colas | Jean-Paul Gallorini | Alexandrine Berger | |
| 2009 | Questarabad | 5 | Regis Schmidlin | Marcel Rolland | Mrs Roger Polani | |
| 2010 | Mandali | 6 | Christophe Soumillon | Jean-Paul Gallorini | Ecurie Zingaro | |
| 2011 | Thousand Stars | 7 | Ruby Walsh | Willie Mullins | Hammer & Trowel Syndicate | |
| 2012 | Thousand Stars | 8 | Ruby Walsh | Willie Mullins | Hammer & Trowel Syndicate | |
| 2013 | Gemix | 5 | David Cottin | Nicolas Bertran de Balanda | Mme Francis Teboul | |
| 2014 | Gemix | 6 | David Cottin | Nicolas Bertran de Balanda | Mme Francis Teboul | |
| 2015 | Un Temps Pour Tout | 6 | James Reveley | David Pipe | Tisdall / Drew | |
| 2016 | Ptit Zig | 7 | Sam Twiston-Davies | Paul Nicholls | Fulton / Giles / Webb | |
| 2017 | L'Ami Serge | 7 | Daryl Jacob | Nicky Henderson | Simon Munir & Isaac Souede | |
| 2018 | De Bon Coeur | 5 | Kevin Nabet | Francois Nicolle | Jacques Detre & Haras de Saint-Voir | |
| 2019 | Benie des Dieux | 8 | Paul Townend | Willie Mullins | Susannah Ricci | |
| 2020 | Paul's Saga | 6 | Kevin Nabet | David Cottin | Gerald Laroche | |
| 2021 | L'Autonomie | 6 | Angelo Zuliani | Francois Nicolle | Catherine Coiffier | |
| 2022 | Hermes Baie | 5 | Bertrand Lestrade | Francois Nicolle | Mme Patrick Papot | |
| 2023 | Thélème | 6 | Gaetan Masure | Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé | JDG Bloodstock Services | |
| 2024 | Losange Blue | 5 | Johnny Charron | Dominique Bressou | Mme Patrick Papot |
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