Cirrus des Aigles (foaled 8 May 2006) is a retired French Thoroughbred racehorse. In a career which lasted from October 2008 until December 2015 he has raced in France, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Japan and the United Arab Emirates. After racing successfully at three and four years of age he improved to become one of the world's leading racehorses as a five-year-old in 2011. His achievements were recognised when he was awarded the title of European Champion Older Horse at the Cartier Racing Awards.
Cirrus des Aigles' Group One wins have included the Champion Stakes in 2011, the Dubai Sheema Classic in 2012, the Prix d'Ispahan and the Coronation Cup in 2014 and a record three wins in Prix Ganay. Other major successes have included three wins in the Prix Dollar as well as victories in the Prix du Prince d'Orange, Prix du Conseil de Paris, Grand Prix de Vichy, Prix Gontaut-Biron, Grand Prix de Deauville and La Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte.
On 28 March 2016, it was announced that Cirrus Des Aigles had been retired.
Background
Cirrus des Aigles is a bay gelding bred in France by Yvon Lelimouzin & Benoit Deschamps. He was sired by the Irish-bred stallion Even Top, a descendant of the Byerley Turk, whose most notable racecourse performance came when he was beaten a short head by Mark of Esteem in the 1996 2000 Guineas. He is best known as a sire of National Hunt horses, with Cirrus des Aigles being by far his best flat runner. Cirrus des Aigles' dam, Taille de Guepe ("Wasp's Waist") was distantly related to the notable American performers Omar Khayyam and Aloma's Ruler, but was too slow to race and was given as a present by her trainer Élie Lellouche to Lelimouzin, who supervised the Chantilly training ground known as "Les Aigles" (the Eagles).
Cirrus des Aigles was sent into training with Corine Barande-Barbe at Chantilly, but proved to be almost unmanageable and was gelded in March 2008. As a gelding, Cirrus des Aigles was ineligible to compete in several important European races including the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Racing career
2008: two-year-old season
Cirrus des Aigles failed to win in four appearances as a two-year-old. He finished fourth on his debut in a maiden race at Chantilly Racecourse in October, and was then placed in minor races at Maisons-Laffitte, Saint-Cloud and Deauville.
2009: three-year-old season
Cirrus des Aigles ran seventeen times as a three-year-old, winning six races including the Prix du Prince d'Orange and the Prix du Conseil de Paris. He began the year by running four times on the all-weather surface at Cagnes-sur-mer Racecourse, finishing second three times and recording his first victory when winning a 1600m event in late January. He returned to the turf to win two races at Longchamp in May and was then moved up to Listed class. He was placed four times before winning the Grand Prix du Lion d'Angers at Le Lion-d'Angers Racecourse in August.
In September, Cirrus des Aigles contested his first Group race. Ridden by Frank Blondel he was driven out to take the lead in the closing stages and defeated World Heritage by three quarters of a length in the Prix du Prince d'Orange over 2000m at Longchamp. A month later he won the Prix du Conseil de Paris over 2400m, taking the lead in the straight and pulling clear to win by six lengths. On his final start of the season he was sent to Sha Tin Racecourse where he finished fifth to Daryakana in the Hong Kong Vase.
2010: four-year-old season
Cirrus des Aigles ran seven times as a four-year-old, winning two races including the Prix Dollar. He began the season returning to Cagnes-sur-Mer where he finished fourth in a Listed Race and was then off the racecourse for six months. Cirrus des Aigles returned with a third place behind Vision d'Etat in the Prix Gontaut-Biron and then won the Listed Prix du Boulogne at Longchamp. In October he recorded his first win at Group Two level when he won the Prix Dollar "comfortably" by two lengths from the German gelding Budai. Cirrus des Aigles again ended his year in Asia as he finished unplaced in the Japan Cup and the Hong Kong Cup.