Ma Biche

Ma Biche finished third on her debut in 1982 before winning a race over 1100 metres. At Évry Racecourse she moved up in class and distance to win the Listed Prix La Flèche over 1400 metres, defeating a field which included the subsequent Santa Anita Handicap winner Interco. The filly was then brought back in distance for the Group One Prix Robert Papin at Maisons-Laffitte Racecourse in July. She won from the colt Deep Roots and the British filly Crime of Passion. Deep Roots reversed the form with Ma Biche to win the Prix Morny on firm ground at Deauville Racecourse in August and went on to win the Prix de la Salamandre. On her final appearance of the season, Ma Biche was sent to England to contest the Group One Cheveley Park stakes over six furlongs at Newmarket Racecourse in October. She started the 11/4 favourite[4] and won the race, defeating the British filly Favoridge by three quarters of a length[5] to end the season as the highest-rated filly of her generation in Europe.[6] At the end of the year she was sold for a reported £3 million to Maktoum Al Maktoum.[1]

On her three-year-old debut in early April Ma Biche won the Prix Imprudence on soft ground at Maisons-Laffitte, easily beating Dancing Display at odds of 2/5. Later that month she was sent back to England to contest the 1000 Guineas over the Rowley Mile course for which she was made 5/2 favourite against seventeen other fillies. Ma Biche was retrained in the early stages by Freddy Head before moving up to take the lead inside the final furlong and winning by one and a half lengths from Royal Heroine, Favoridge and Habibti.[1] Royal Heroine was later disqualified for failing a post race drug test[7] but went on to set a North American record for one mile on turf when winning the inaugural Breeders' Cup Mile, whilst Habibti ended the season as Britain's Horse of the Year after a string of outstanding performances over sprint distances. Criquette Head became the first woman to officially train a winner of a British Classic.

Ma Biche had training problems after her win at Newmarket and did not reappear until August at Deauville where she finished unplaced behind Luth Enchantee in the Prix d'Astarte and fourth behind the same filly in the Prix Jacques Le Marois. Ma Biche's last race was the Prix de la Forêt over 1400 metres at Longchamp Racecourse on 23 October. She recorded her fourth Group One win, and her first against colts and older horses as she took the lead in the straight and won by half a length from Pampabird.[1]