Lassalle (horse)

After winning a race over 1200 m on his racecourse debut, Lassalle was moved up in class and distance for the Prix de Condé at Longchamp Racecourse in October and finished third behind Relpin and Gay Saint. On his final run of the year, he contested the Critérium de Saint-Cloud and came home third behind Gay Saint and Pardner.[5]

Lassalle began his second campaign by contesting some of the major trial races for the French Classic Races. In April, he finished third to Sancy in the Prix Greffulhe over 2100 m at Longchamp and fifth behind the same colt in the Prix Noailles over 2300 m at the same course. On 7 May, he started a 14/1 outsider for the 2400 metre Prix Hocquart and finished third behind Talleyrand and Exalte with Gay Saint in fourth. Rather than being aimed at the Prix du Jockey Club, Lassalle was stepped up in distance for the Prix de l'Esperance (the race now known as the Prix Chaudenay) over 3000 m at Longchamp and recorded his first major success as Jean-Claude Desaint rode him to victory in the Group Three event from Apollo Eight and Aristophane.[6] At Chantilly Racecourse in June, he added another Group Three success over the same distance as he defeated Nubayr and Folkestone in the Prix Berteux. His form in staying races had him start second favourite for the Group One Grand Prix de Paris over 3100 m on 25 June, but he ran poorly and finished unplaced behind Pleben.[5]

After a lengthy break, Lassalle returned to the track in September for the Prix Royal-Oak over the Grand Prix de Paris course and distance. Ridden by Lester Piggott, he again found Pleben too good, but produced a much better effort, as he finished third, beaten three lengths by the winner. On his final appearance of the year, the colt was brought back in distance and matched against older horses in the Prix du Conseil Municipal over 2400 m at Longchamp in October, but made no impact and finished unplaced behind the six-year-old Monsieur D.[5]

On his first run as a four-year-old, Lassalle ran in the Prix de Barbeville over 3100 m and Longchamp and finished sixth behind Filandre. In the Prix Jean Prat over the same course and distance later that month, he started second favourite and looked the likely winner early in the straight before being overtaken in the closing and beaten easily by the British-trained five-year-old Parnell with Filandre and Pleben in third and fourth. After finishing fifth in his next start over 2400 m, the colt was moved up in distance for France's most prestigious long-distance race, the 4000-m Prix du Cadran at Longchamp on 20 May. Ridden by the British jockey Jimmy Lindley, he started the 2.7/1 second favourite in a six-runner field. In a slowly run race, Pleben was forced to make the running and refused to co-operate with his jockey, attempting to pull himself up and then bolting as the horses approached the final turn. Having been settled in second place by Lindley, Lassalle moved up to overtake the favourite early in the straight and drew away to win "comfortably" by three lengths.[2]

Lindley was again in the saddle when Lassalle was sent to England in June to contest the Gold Cup over two and a half miles on soft ground at Royal Ascot and started the 2/1 favourite. His six opponents included the dual Irish classic winner Pidget, Celtic Cone (Yorkshire Cup) and The Admiral (Henry II Stakes). The pacemaker Atout (ridden by Piggott) led the field into the straight before giving way to Celtic Cone. Lassalle, however, moved up to join Celtic Cove before drawing away to win by five lengths, with a gap of four lengths back to The Admiral in third. He became only the fourth horse to win the Prix du Cadran and the Gold Cup after Boiard (1874), Arbar (1948), and Levmoss (1969). Although Timeform acknowledged that the French colt had won in "grand style", they described the field as one of the poorest ever assembled for Britain's premier staying event.[2]

After an absence of well over 3 months, Lassalle ran in the 1973 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on 7 October. Racing over an inadequate distance of 2400 m, he started a 99/1 outsider, but ran well to finish ninth of the 27 runners behind Rheingold. Three weeks after his run in the Arc, Lassalle returned to Longchamp for Europe's longest major flat race, the 4800-m (3-mi) Prix Gladiateur. He was made the 1.7/1 favourite ahead of Parnell, with the best of the other five runners appearing to be the six-year-old gelding Forceful. After moving up to challenge for the lead early in the straight, he finished second, beaten a "short neck" by Parnell with a gap of four lengths back to Forceful in third place. Parnell, however, had hung to the left in the straight, hampering both of his main rivals and the racecourse stewards relegated the British challenger to third, awarding the race to Lassalle. Timeform commented that the reports of the race expressed little surprise at the stewards' decision.[2]

Lassalle remained in training as five-year-old, and showed good form despite failing to win in four races. He looked less than fully fit on his seasonal debut in April and finished fourth behind the four-year-old Recupere, Parnell, and Filandre in the Prix Barbeville. In his attempt to repeat his 1973 success in the Prix du Cadran on 26 May, he started second favourite behind Recupere in a field which also included Parnell, Filandre, and Proverb (Goodwood Cup, Doncaster Cup). Ridden by Piggott, he took the lead 400 m from the finish and looked certain to win, but was overtaken in the final strides and beaten by a head by Recupere.[7]

The 1974 Ascot Gold Cup was run on much firmer ground than the previous year's edition, and the very slow pace did not suit Lassalle. He nevertheless looked to have a very good chance when taking a clear lead in the straight, but was soon joined by the British-trained Ragstone. In a close contest over the final furlong, he finished third behind Ragstone and the late-running Proverb. In the Prix Kergorlay at Deauville Racecourse in August, he appeared to be outpaced in the straight and finished fifth behind Ribecourt.[7]