Allez France (USA)
May 24, 1970 – December 11, 1989
Sea-Bird (FR) x Priceless Gem (USA), by Hail to Reason (USA)
Family 1-x
May 24, 1970 – December 11, 1989
Sea-Bird (FR) x Priceless Gem (USA), by Hail to Reason (USA)
Family 1-x
Allez France was the last great runner bred by the Bieber-Jacobs Stable. Purchased as a yearling by French art dealer Daniel Wildenstern and sent to France, Allez France won five championship titles in her adoptive country. She was one of the best horses bred from the female family of the great matron La Troienne, and many experts still consider her the best French-based race mare of all time. While she failed to equal her racing record as a broodmare, she did produce one Group winner who in turn was a fairly successful broodmare as well as another stakes producer and a colt who enjoyed limited success at stud.
Race record
21 starts, 13 wins, 3 seconds, 1 third, US$1,386,146 (converted from earnings in France and England)
1972:
1973:
1974:
1975:
Honors
Assessments
Earned a Timeform rating of 126 pounds as a 2-year-old.
Earned a Timeform rating of 132 pounds as a 3-year-old.
Earned a Timeform rating of 136 pounds as a 4-year-old.
As an individual
A big, robust, beautifully conformed mare, Allez France possessed a devastating turn of foot. She had an equally powerful force of personality though she was said to have been gentle to handle around the barn. She was game and determined in a drive.
As a producer
Allez France produced five named foals, of which four started and two won. Her important foals are as follow:
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Allez France was bred by Bieber-Jacobs Stable. She was purchased privately by Daniel Wildenstein for US$160,000 as a yearling. She was trained by Albert Klimscha at 2 and 3 and was then transferred to Angel Penna, Sr. After a single unsuccessful start in the United States as a 6-year-old, she was retired to the paddocks and was boarded at Lane's End Farm in Kentucky, where she remained throughout her broodmare career. She is buried at the Kentucky Horse Park in the Champions' Cemetery.
Pedigree notes
Allez France is outcrossed through five generations. She is a half sister to Irish Group 3-placed Lady Winborne (by Secretariat), dam of six stakes winners including 1987 John Henry Handicap (USA-G1) winner Al Mamoon (by Believe It), 1991 Queen Elizabeth II Invitational Challenge Cup Stakes (USA-G1) winner La Gueriere (by Lord At War) and Grade 3 winner Lost Soldier (by Danzig). Lady Winborne is also the second dam of 2009 Personal Ensign Stakes (USA-G1) winner Icon Project, multiple Grade 2 winner Master Command and multiple Grade 3 winner Aurora Lights and the third dam of 2003 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic Stakes (USA-G1) winner Honor in War; Grade/Group 2 winners Duntle, Apart and Munnings; and Grade 3 winners Castaway, Gamay Noir and Heathcote.
Allez France and Lady Winborne are out of 1965 Futurity Stakes and Frizette Stakes winner Priceless Gem, whose other foals include the Vaguely Noble mares Priceless Countess, dam of 1996 Moet Champagne Stakes (USA-G1) winner Ordway (by Salt Lake), and Sans Prix, dam of Grade 2 winner Special Price (by Bering). Priceless Gem also produced the Vaguely Noble colt Noble Bijou, a four-time champion sire and five-time champion broodmare sire in New Zealand. In addition, Priceless Gem is the dam of Crillion (by L'Enjoleur), dam of multiple French stakes winner Fik El Barraki (by Crystal Glitters). A full sister to 1964 Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes winner Admiring and a half sister to three-time American champion Affectionately (by Swaps), Priceless Gem is out of National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame member Searching (by War Admiral).
Fun facts
Last updated: June 24, 2020
Race record
21 starts, 13 wins, 3 seconds, 1 third, US$1,386,146 (converted from earnings in France and England)
1972:
- Won Criterium des Pouliches (FR-G1, 1600mT, Longchamp)
1973:
- Won Poule d' Essai des Pouliches (FR-G1, 1600mT, Longchamp)
- Won Prix de Diane (French Oaks) (FR-G1, 2100mT, Chantilly)
- Won Prix Vermeille (FR-G1, 2400mT, Longchamp)
- 2nd Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (FR-G1, 2400mT, Longchamp)
- 2nd Champion Stakes (ENG-G1, 10FT, Newmarket)
1974:
- Won Prix Ganay (FR-G1, 2100mT, Longchamp)
- Won Prix d'Ispahan (FR-G1, 1850mT, Longchamp)
- Won Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (FR-G1, 2400m, Longchamp)
- Won Prix d'Harcourt (FR-G2, 2000mT, Longchamp)
- Won Prix Foy (FR-G3, 2200mT, Longchamp)
1975:
- Won Prix Ganay (FR-G1, 2100mT, Longchamp)
- Won Prix Dollar (FR-G2, 1950mT, Longchamp)
- Won Prix Foy (FR-G3, 2200mT, Longchamp)
- 2nd Champion Stakes (ENG-G1, 10FT, Newmarket)
- 3rd Prix d'Ispahan (FR-G1, 1850mT, Longchamp)
Honors
- French Horse of the Year (1974)
- French champion 2-year-old filly (1972)
- French champion 3-year-old filly (1973)
- French champion older female (1974, 1975)
Assessments
Earned a Timeform rating of 126 pounds as a 2-year-old.
Earned a Timeform rating of 132 pounds as a 3-year-old.
Earned a Timeform rating of 136 pounds as a 4-year-old.
As an individual
A big, robust, beautifully conformed mare, Allez France possessed a devastating turn of foot. She had an equally powerful force of personality though she was said to have been gentle to handle around the barn. She was game and determined in a drive.
As a producer
Allez France produced five named foals, of which four started and two won. Her important foals are as follow:
- Ave France (1980, by Seattle Slew) was unraced but produced Group 3-placed French stakes winner Avec Les Bleues (by Miswaki).
- Air de France (1984, by Seattle Slew) won one of two starts. Exported to Australia for stud duty, he sired 12 stakes winners including Group 1 winners Air Seattle and Bomber Bill.
- Action Francaise (1985, by Nureyev) won the 1988 Prix de Sandringham (FR-G3). She produced Group 3 winners Android (by Riverman) and Article Rare (by El Prado) and stakes winners Astorg (by Lear Fan), Airline (by Woodman) and Art Moderne (by Woodman). In addition, she is the second dam of four stakes winners including 2000 India Cements South India Oaks winner Premium Point.
- Allons Enfants (1988, by Spend a Buck) is the second dam of Grade 3 winner Arles.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Allez France was bred by Bieber-Jacobs Stable. She was purchased privately by Daniel Wildenstein for US$160,000 as a yearling. She was trained by Albert Klimscha at 2 and 3 and was then transferred to Angel Penna, Sr. After a single unsuccessful start in the United States as a 6-year-old, she was retired to the paddocks and was boarded at Lane's End Farm in Kentucky, where she remained throughout her broodmare career. She is buried at the Kentucky Horse Park in the Champions' Cemetery.
Pedigree notes
Allez France is outcrossed through five generations. She is a half sister to Irish Group 3-placed Lady Winborne (by Secretariat), dam of six stakes winners including 1987 John Henry Handicap (USA-G1) winner Al Mamoon (by Believe It), 1991 Queen Elizabeth II Invitational Challenge Cup Stakes (USA-G1) winner La Gueriere (by Lord At War) and Grade 3 winner Lost Soldier (by Danzig). Lady Winborne is also the second dam of 2009 Personal Ensign Stakes (USA-G1) winner Icon Project, multiple Grade 2 winner Master Command and multiple Grade 3 winner Aurora Lights and the third dam of 2003 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic Stakes (USA-G1) winner Honor in War; Grade/Group 2 winners Duntle, Apart and Munnings; and Grade 3 winners Castaway, Gamay Noir and Heathcote.
Allez France and Lady Winborne are out of 1965 Futurity Stakes and Frizette Stakes winner Priceless Gem, whose other foals include the Vaguely Noble mares Priceless Countess, dam of 1996 Moet Champagne Stakes (USA-G1) winner Ordway (by Salt Lake), and Sans Prix, dam of Grade 2 winner Special Price (by Bering). Priceless Gem also produced the Vaguely Noble colt Noble Bijou, a four-time champion sire and five-time champion broodmare sire in New Zealand. In addition, Priceless Gem is the dam of Crillion (by L'Enjoleur), dam of multiple French stakes winner Fik El Barraki (by Crystal Glitters). A full sister to 1964 Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes winner Admiring and a half sister to three-time American champion Affectionately (by Swaps), Priceless Gem is out of National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame member Searching (by War Admiral).
Fun facts
- In French, “Allez France” means “Go, France!”
- As a yearling, Allez France was initially offered to Nelson Bunker Hunt as a prospective purchase, but he turned her down because he did not like Sea-Bird as a sire.
- Allez France was the first important racehorse owned by Daniel Wildenstein, who later conducted his American racing operations under the name of Allez France Stables.
- Allez France met the great Dahlia six times and beat her home six times. All their encounters took place in France, where Dahlia was admittedly at a disadvantage because of her preference for firmer going than that generally found at French courses, but Dahlia never came close to menacing her nemesis.
- Allez France ran in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (FR-G1) three times and started as favorite each time.
- Allez France's peak Timeform rating of 136 pounds ties the mark set by Texana in 1957 and was later equaled by Habibti in 1983 as the highest rating given to a French-raced filly or mare in the 20th century.
- Allez France's stable companion was a pet sheep named Steve.
- The Prix Allez France was inaugurated in 2004 at France's Chantilly race course. It is currently a Group 3 event run over 2000 meters (about 1¼ miles).
Last updated: June 24, 2020