The French Classic Races are a series of Group One Thoroughbred horse races run annually on the flat. The races were instituted in the nineteenth century, taking the British Classic Races as a model.
In the original scheme, one race, the Poule d'Essai, served as the equivalent to the first two British classics, but was later divided into separate races for colts and fillies. The Grand Prix de Paris, for many years the most important and valuable of the French classics, had no British equivalent.
| French Classic | Founded | British equivalent |
| Prix du Jockey Club | 1836 | Epsom Derby |
| Poule d'Essai | 1840 | 1000 Guineas & 2000 Guineas |
| Prix de Diane | 1843 | Epsom Oaks |
| Prix Royal-Oak | 1861 | St. Leger Stakes |
| Grand Prix de Paris | 1863 | none |
| Poule d'Essai des Poulains | 1883 | 2000 Guineas |
| Poule d'Essai des Pouliches | 1883 | 1000 Guineas |
The Prix Royal-Oak was opened to older horses in 1979, making it no longer a direct parallel to the St. Leger, which remains open only to three-year-olds. It distanced itself further from the St. Leger parallel in 1986, when it opened to geldings, becoming the only classic race in either France or Great Britain in which geldings are allowed to run. (Note that in several other major racing regions, notably North America and Australia, geldings are allowed to run in any race open to intact males if they are otherwise qualified to enter.)
Famous quotes containing the words french, classic and/or races:
“The French courage proceeds from vanity—the German from phlegm—the Turkish from fanaticism & opium—the Spanish from pride—the English from coolness—the Dutch from obstinacy—the Russian from insensibility—but the Italian from anger.”
—George Gordon Noel Byron (1788–1824)
“A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say.”
—Italo Calvino (1923–1985)
“Women are most fascinating between the ages of thirty-five and forty, after they have won a few races and know how to pace themselves. Since few women ever pass forty, maximum fascination can continue indefinitely.”
—Christian Dior (1905–1957)