Today’s non black-type Turffontein feature was named in honour of 1974 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Allez France, the last great runner bred by the Bieber-Jacobs Stable.
Allez France – a champion
Foaled in Kentucky and purchased for US$160,000 as a yearling by French art dealer Daniel Wildenstein she was sent to France and won five championship titles in her adoptive country.
Allez France was a daughter of the great Sea-Bird, considered by many the greatest European horse of the modern era. Sea-Bird was a handsome, elegant liver chestnut who exuded class, and his sheer brilliance was unmatched.
Considered the best French based racemare of all time,Allez France hailed from the female family of the great matron La Troienne. Her dam, Priceless Gem, had the distinction of defeating the great Buckpasser in the 1965 Futurity Stakes.
Allez France was trained by Albert Klimscha at 2 and 3 and was then transferred to Angel Penna, Sr.
The champion 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.
From 21 starts Allez France registered 13 wins, 3 seconds, 1 third and earned US$1,386,146 . She raced to a peak Timeform rating of 136.
Allez France ran in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe three times, starting favourite every time. She won the big one in 1974, the same year she was crowned France’s Horse Of The Year.
She was less of a success in the breeding paddocks, producing one stakes winner – Action Francaise, winner of the Gr3 Prix Sandringham. She had only four foals race – who won a total of three races. One of her colts, Air de France, sired 10 stakes winners, including a pair of Gr1 winners in Australia.
Allez France died in 1989 at age 19. She was born the same year as Secretariat and died the same year as Secretariat.
She is buried in the Champions’ Cemetery at the Kentucky Horse Park.
