Francois Boutin

Who was Francois Boutin?

François Boutin was a French Thoroughbred horse trainer.

The son of a farmer, he was born in the village of Beaunay in the northerly Seine Maritime département. He began riding horses at a young age and competed in show jumping and cross-country equestrianism. He began his professional racing career driving horses in harness racing then after serving as a flat racing apprentice, obtained his license as a trainer in 1964.

François Boutin was the trainer for the stables of Jean-Luc Lagardère and for the Stavros Niarchos family. During his more than thirty year career he was the leading money winner in France seven times. Although victory eluded him in France's most prestigious horse race, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Boutin won the Poule d'Essai des Poulains on six occasions and most every other important race in the country multiple times.

Racing outside of France, Boutin's horse Sagaro was the first to win England's Ascot Gold Cup three years in a row. As well, Boutin-trained horses won the 1982 English 2,000 Guineas, the 1987 1,000 Guineas and the Matron Stakes in Ireland. François Boutin trained April Run for Diana M. Firestone who won in France plus had back-to-back wins in the 1981-82 Grade I Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational at Belmont Park.