Gay Mecene

Gay Mecene made on appearance as a two-year-old in 1977, recording a short-head victory in a maiden race over 1600 metres at Saint-Cloud Racecourse.[5]

On his three-year-old debut, Gay Mecene was matched against Super Concorde, the top-rated French two-year-old of 1977, in the Group Three Prix de Guiche over 1950m at Longchamp Racecourse on 19 April. Starting the 3.9/1 second favourite, he was always going well and won comfortably by one and a half lengths from Peloppones, with Super Concorde running poorly in fifth. The win established Gay Mecene as a contender for the French Classic Races but when moved up to Group One class for the Prix Lupin on 14 May he finished fourth behind Acamas, Pyjama Hunt and Turville after having briefly held the lead in the straight.[5]

Gay Mecene bypassed the Prix du Jockey Club and reappeared in the Prix Eugène Adam at Saint-Cloud on 16 July in which he started second favourite behind Pyjama Hunt, who had finished fourth in The Derby and was carrying five pounds less weight. Gay Mecene led from the start and set a steady pace before accelerating in the straight and winning by three quarters of a length and a neck from Rusticaro and Pyjama Hunt with the 2000 Guineas winner Roland Gardens in fourth.[5]

After another long break, Gay Mecene returned on 10 September for the Prix Niel over 2200m at Longchamp. On this occasion, Freddy Head employed different tactics, restraining the colt towards the rear of the ten runner field before making his challenge in the straight. He moved up to contest the lead in the last 200m and won by a short head from Noir et Or, with the pair finishing five lengths clear of the Prix du Jockey-Club runner-up Frere Basile in third. Gay Mecene was regarded as a major contender for France's most valuable and prestigious race, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe over 2400m at Longchamp on 1 October and starting the 4/1 third favourite, coupled in the betting with his stable companion Dancing Maid. Ridden by Jean-Claude Desaint (Freddy Head opted to ride Dancing Maid), Gay Mecene was held up at the back of the field and was still only sixteenth of the eighteen runners on the final turn. He made steady progress in the straight but never threatened the leaders and finished eighth behind Alleged.[5]

Gay Mecene began his third season in the Grand Prix d'Evry over 2400 m at Evry Racecourse on 12 May in which he dead-heated for second place with Vagaries, two lengths behind the winner Noir et Or. Three weeks later, the colt was sent to race outside France for the first time when he contested the Coronation Cup over one and a half miles on soft ground at Epsom Downs Racecourse. He finished a well beaten third of the four runners behind Ile de Bourbon and Frere Basile, but appeared to have a legitimate excuse, as his jockey reported that the colt had never recovered after being struck in the eye by a clod of earth.[6]

Gay Mecene returned to France for the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud over 2500 m on 1 July. After three consecutive defeats he started at odds of 12/1 in a strong field which included Noir et Or, Ela-Mana-Mou, Frere Basile, Soleil Noir (Grand Prix de Paris), Trillion, Obraztsovy (Hardwicke Stakes) and El Badr (Prix du Cadran). Head held the colt up at the back of the field before making progress on the turn into the straight. He took the lead 300 m from the finish and accelerated clear of his rivals to record his first Group One success by four lengths from Ela-Mana-Mou: according to Timeform he "crushed" the opposition. Three weeks later, Gay Mecene made a second visit to Britain when he contested the United Kingdom's most prestigious weight-for-age race, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes over one and a half miles at Ascot Racecourse. He was opposed again by Ela-Mana-Mou, but the 2/5 favourite was Troy, who had won the Epsom Derby and the Irish Derby by seven lengths and four lengths respectively. Gay Macene was the only horse to mount a serious challenge, chasing the British colt throughout the last quarter mile and finishing second, one and a half lengths behind the winner despite swerving to the right in the final furlong.[6]

On 9 September at Longchamp, Gay Mecene started odds-on favourite for the Prix Foy, a trial race for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He finished third behind Pevero and Trillion, conceding seven pounds to the winner and five to the runner-up. The colt bypassed the Arc, which the Head stable won with Three Troikas, and was instead sent to Germany for the Preis von Europa at Cologne-Weidenpesch Racecourse. He started favourite, but ran poorly, finishing seventh behind Nebos.[6]