Acamas (horse)

Acamas won over 1100 metres on his debut and was then moved up sharply in class for the Group One Prix Robert Papin over the same distance at Évry Racecourse on 1 August. He started 5/4 favourite but finished tenth of the fourteen runners behind Vific. After a two-month break, Acamas was moved up in distance for the Grand Critérium over 1600 metres at Longchamp Racecourse on 9 October. Starting a 28/1 outsider he produced his best performance of the year as he finished third, beaten three quarters of a length and a neck by Super Concorde and Pyjama Hunt.[4]

Acamas made his three-year-old debut in the Prix Greffulhe over 2100 metres at Longchamp on 9 April. He started the 3.75/1 second favourite and finished second, half a length behind the winner Naasiri in a rough and unsatisfactory race. Yves Saint-Martin took over the ride on Acamas when the colt contested the Group One Prix Lupin over the same course and distance on 14 May. He started at odds of 4.6/1 against a field which included Nishapour, Rusticaro and Pyjama Hunt, who had filled the first three places in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches as well as the previously undefeated Gay Mecene. Restrained at the back of the field until the turn into the straight, Acamas made rapid progress on the inside rail before taking the lead in the closing stages and winning by a length from Pyjama Hunt. On 4 June, Acamas started the 6/4 favourite for the Prix du Jockey Club over 2400 metres at Chantilly Racecourse. Racing towards the rear of the twenty-runner field, Acamas appeared to have lost any chance of winning when he was badly hampered and carried wide on the final turn, losing at least fifteen lengths in the process. Saint-Martin considered pulling the colt up but persevered, and began to make rapid progress on the wide outside. In the closing stages, Acamas overtook the entire field, taking the lead in the last stride and winning by a nose from Frere Basile. Timeform called the race "one of the most dramatic of recent classic races".[2] By winning the race he became the last major winner for Boussac, who had been experiencing financial difficulties for several years.[5]

In the following month, Acamas was matched against older horses for the first time when he was sent to England to contest the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes over one and a half miles at Ascot Racecourse. Starting favourite, he produced a strong run on the outside in the straight, but after veering to the left and then to the right, he was beaten one and a half lengths by the locally trained Ile de Bourbon. Acamas was later disqualified after a post-race urine test revealed traces of salicylic acid, a prohibited substance. Following his run at Ascot, Acamas was bought by the Aga Khan and transferred to the stable of the veteran François Mathet.[6] On his only subsequent appearance as a three-year-old, Acamas started second favourite for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in October but finished twelfth of the eighteen runners behind Alleged.