François Dupré

François Dupré
François Dupré
	Dupré in 1953
Born	François Louis Jules Dupré; 3 December 1888; Paris, France
Died	26 June 1966 (aged 77); Jamaica
Occupation(s)	Hotelier, art collector, racehorse owner/breeder
Known for	Haras d'Ouilly
Spouse	2) Anna Stefanna Nagy

François Louis Jules Dupré (French pronunciation: [fʁɑ̃swa lwi ʒyl dypʁe]; 3 December 1888 – 26 June 1966) was a French, hotelier, art collector, and owner of the Thoroughbred horse breeding and racing farm, Haras d'Ouilly. He was a grandson of the painter Jules Dupré.

Dupré served in the French Army during World War I. Seriously wounded during battle, he was hospitalized for a considerable length of time. He went on to a career in business that saw him become the owner of two luxury hotels in Paris, the prestigious Hotel George V, Paris and the Hotel Plaza Athenée. In addition, in 1947, Dupré acquired the Hotel Ritz in Montreal, Canada. In 1937, while traveling by passenger liner across the Atlantic, Dupré met twenty-five-year-old Anna Stefanna Nagy who would become his second wife.

Thoroughbred horse racing

Dupré was friends with Duke Louis Decazes, a Thoroughbred racehorse enthusiast who owned the Haras d'Ouilly stud farm in Pont-d'Ouilly, Calvados. Beginning in 1921, the two partnered in several racehorses and in 1930 Dupré purchased the Haras d'Ouilly property. He became one of Europe's leading breeders and owners, winning numerous important conditions races in France and England. His horse Tantième had back-to-back wins in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in 1950 and '51, and in 1963 Relko won The Derby.

Major horse races won

Races in France:

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
- Tantième
Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp
- Texana (1957)
- Fortino (1962)
- Texanita (1963 & 1964)
Grand Prix de Paris
- Danseur (1966)
Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud
- Match (1962)
Poule d'Essai des Pouliches
- Virgule (1954)
- Solitude (1961)
- La Sega (1962)
- Bella Paola (1968) raced by Madame Dupré
- Koblenza (1969) raced by Madame Dupré
Poule d'Essai des Poulains
- Relko (1963)
Prix du Jockey Club
- Reliance (1965)
- Rheffic (1971) raced by Madame Dupré
Prix Noailles
- Tanerko (1956)
- Match (1961)
Prix Royal-Oak
- Match (1961)

Races in England:

1,000 Guineas (Newmarket Racecourse)
- Bella Paola (1968) raced by Madame Dupré
Epsom Derby
- Relko (1963)
Coronation Cup
- Relko (1964)
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes
- Match (1962)

Races in the United States:

Washington, D.C. International Stakes
- Match (1962)

Death

François Dupré died in 1966 at his estate in Jamaica.^[2] His widow Anna ran the racing operation until 1977 when she sold the entire bloodstock for £1.3 million to the Aga Khan IV. The Dupré's famous colors of gray with a pink cap were taken over by Jean-Luc Lagardère who would buy Haras d'Ouilly in 1981.

References

^ "François Louis Jules Dupré". Brasil, Cartões de Imigração, 1900-1965. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
^ ^a ^b "From the Collection of Mr. & Mrs. François Dupré: Biography" (PDF). Heffel Fine Art Auction House Property. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2017.