France racing legend Alec Head dies at 97

French racing legend Alec Head, who trained four winners in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, has died at age 97. He represented the third generation of a family of racing aristocrats and breeders.

France Galop, which oversees racing in the country, made the following statement on Twitter, as translated by Google: "Alec Head just passed away. Heir to a family tradition, but also a founder driven by exceptional vision and energy, he has largely contributed to making the French Galop a world-renowned reference.

"As a jockey, then as a trainer, and again as a breeder and owner, he knew how to invent and transmit, risk and win at Auteuil, Chantilly and Longchamp as well as at Epsom and in America.

"In the four corners of the world turf, his name is known to all, and it always rhymes with excellence. To his wife Ghislaine, to his children Freddy, Criquette, Patricia and Martine, France Galop sends its deepest condolences."

As Racing Post reported, Head was a key figure in French racing for more than 70 years, also as a breeder and owner.

He won the Arc with Nuccio in 1952, Saint Crespin in 1959, Ivanjica in 1976 and Gold River in 1981. He also was successful in England and Ireland, winning the Derby in 1956 with Lavandin.

Head bought the Haras du Quesnay in 1958. The breeding farm had been established in France by the Vanderbilts.

Son Freddy rode Miesque to two wins in the Breeders’ Cup Mile in 1987 and 1988 and trained Goldikova to an unprecedented three straight wins in the same race from 2008 to 2010. His daughter Criquette Head-Maarek has trained three winners of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, including Alec’s homebred Trêve in 2013 and 2014. Alec's grandson Christopher also is a trainer.

The family tradition began in the 1870s, when Head's grandfather, a former steeplechase jockey in Britain, established a training operation in France, according to Trainer magazine. Alec began as a race rider in 1942 and switched to training in the late ’40s at the suggestion of his wife, Ghislaine.

This quote from Head to Trainer in 2018 sums up the family's success in the Arc: "My father twice trained the winner, including Bon Mot, who was ridden by my son, Freddy, the youngest jockey to win the race at that point, aged 19. My daughter Criquette trained Three Troikas to win in 1979, ridden by Freddie and owned by Ghislaine, while Treve’s two wins followed that of Criquette’s son-in-law, Carlos Laffon Parias, with Solemia.”