Maurice Zilber, who conditioned international star Dahlia and was a four-time
winning trainer of the Washington, D.C. International, has died at the age of
88. The Egyptian-born horseman had been battling cancer since 2005.
Zilber began his career in his country of birth, where he was a leading
trainer. He relocated to France in 1956 after Gamal Abdel Nasser ascended to
that country’s presidency and, after immigrating, found success with owners
Daniel Wildenstein and Nelson Bunker Hunt. Zilber and Wildenstein were
innovators in international racing, purchasing unraced prospects in the United
States, then shipping them to France to compete, an uncommon tactic at the time.
Zilber won the 1967 Prix de Diane (Fr-G1) (French Oaks) with *Gazala II and
captured the 1969 Poule d’Essai des Poulains (Fr-G1) (French Two Thousand
Guineas) with Don.
Zilber’s first win in the Washington, D.C. International occurred in 1973
with Dahlia, who would be selected England’s Horse of the Year that season and
again in 1974. Dahlia was also named North America’s champion turf horse in 1974
following wins in the Man o’ War S. (G1) and Canadian International (G2).
Zilber’s other victories in the D.C. International came with Nobiliary (1975),
Youth (1976) and Argument (1980). Youth also captured the 1976 Canadian
International (G1) en route to an Eclipse Award as champion turf horse.
Another Canadian International triumph for Zilber occurred in 1977 with
Exceller. Like Dahlia, Exceller began his career in Europe before Hunt moved him
to the barn of Charlie Whittingham in California. Other victories for Exceller
under Gilber’s tutelage included the Prix Royal-Oak (Fr-G1) (French St. Leger)
and the Grand Prix de Paris (Fr-G1).
Zilber also conditioned Trillion, who was France’s champion older mare in
1978 and 1979 and was the first Eclipse Award winner as champion turf female in
1979.
Zilber is believed to be the first trainer to sweep the Prix du Jockey Club
(Fr-G1) (French Derby) and Epsom Derby (Eng-G1) in the same year, winning those
races in 1976 with Youth and Empery, respectively. No other French trainer has
won the Epsom Derby following Zilber’s success with Empery.
After cutting back on his training operation in 1995, Zilber maintained a
small string of horses in France for Prince Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte Farms
until his official retirement in 2005.