By Tom Frary
Back in 2010, when Wootton Bassett (GB) registered what would ultimately be his defining success in ParisLongchamp's G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, few would have predicted the considerable impact he would have on the breed. Fourteen years on, the extent to which he has grown in stature during his second career was felt in the same Qatar-sponsored race as his son Camille Pissarro (Ire) stepped up to reward Coolmore's faith and investment in the sire's raw material.
Up to seven furlongs and fitted with blinkers for the first time, Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star whose dam Entreat (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) had produced the G1 Commonwealth Cup-winning sire Golden Horde (Ire) (Lethal Force {Ire}) had to truly stay to deny a determined Rashabar (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) in another tight Arc day finish. Helped by the patient tactics employed by Christophe Soumillon, the 1.25million gns Tattersalls October Book 1 purchase whose previous best had come when second to Babouche (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) in The Curragh's G3 Anglesey Stakes was delivered from rear with a smooth run out wide in the straight.
Arriving to swamp the long-time leader Misunderstood (Fr) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}) and the G2 Coventry Stakes winner and G1 Prix Morny runner-up Rashabar with 150 metres remaining, the 12-1 shot was cajoled to the line to prevail by a neck, with Misunderstood rallying to be 1 3/4 lengths away in third.
“We always loved him, but he's a big horse and we were worried he'd be a bit weak,” Aidan O'Brien said after scooping a fifth success over the two days and a seventh Lagardere. “He's been a very good work horse and we probably haven't been riding him right, he's a fast horse and as time has gone on we've realised he's all speed and needs to be produced late.”
“He's been busy, but in all fairness to him he kept standing up to it,” he added. Christophe gave him a great ride and produced him very late, that's probably the key, to let him go to sleep. He's going to definitely be better next year due to his size and he looks a Guineas horse. He probably has speed enough to sprint, but looking at that you'd have to say he'll stay a mile.”
From last to first! Camille Pissarro gets the better of Rashabar in the Group 1 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at @paris_longchamp for Aidan O'Brien @CSoumillon…#WinAndYoureIn pic.twitter.com/gVNAae0mIN
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 6, 2024
O'Brien added of the 13-10 favourite Henri Matisse (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who finished fifth, “He got a bad bump and got chopped up and ended up further back than Ryan wanted, which wouldn't have helped him as he's a baby still mentally and physically.”
Brian Meehan said of Rashabar, “The ground was not ideal Sean [Levey] said it definitely stunted a little bit of his speed and pick-up. It was a fabulous run and he is a Guineas horse for next year. That will be him for the year now and we will wait for a Guineas trial next year and then go on from there. The Breeders' Cup was on the cards, but I just feel he's done enough.”
“I just feel like I've let him down a little bit, as in both group 1 races he has been second, so maybe I've got to step up my game next year,” he added. “He's one of the nicest horses I've trained–he's so easy to train and deal with, he's easy to read and he has the temperament and mind for it. After his trial next year, we'll go to Newmarket or here but I think we'll come back to Longchamp [for the Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains]. He could always run the 2,000 Guineas in Ireland after.”
Mario Baratti said of Misunderstood, “He is progressing with each outing. In the Prix des Chenes, he had to be held up but this time he was more calm but he still lacks maturity and is learning his job well. Beforehand, I was a little afraid of the 1400 metres but he showed speed and settled well. If everything goes well, he will be a very good 3-year-old. He will not run again this year.”
Pedigree Notes
Camille Pissarro, who had also been second in the G3 Marble Hill Stakes and in Doncaster's Weatherbys Scientific £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes and unplaced in the Coventry and G2 Gimcrack Stakes, becomes his sire's ninth group 1 winner. The aforementioned dam Entreat has two other black-type winners other than Golden Horse who also took the G2 Richmond Stakes and was placed in the G1 Middle Park Stakes, G1 Prix Morny, G1 July Cup and G1 Haydock Sprint Cup. They are the Listed Cathedral Stakes winner Line Of Departure (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and the Listed Pipalong Stakes scorer Exhort (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}).
The third dam Imagining (Northfields) was responsible for the prolific grade I-winning champion Serena's Song (Rahy) who made her mark as an excellent producer. Her six stakes winners were headed by this stable's G1 Coronation Stakes heroine Sophisticat (Storm Cat) and include Serena's Tune (Mr. Prospector) who is the dam of Jim Bolger's G3 Tetrarch Stakes and G3 Greenham Stakes-winning sire Vocalised and the second dam of A.P. Indy's GI Metropolitan Handicap and GI Whitney Stakes-winning champion and sire Honor Code.
Also in the family are the G1 Prix d'Ispahan hero Zabeel Prince (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and the G1 Coronation Cup heroine Rizeena (Ire) (Iffraaj {Ire}) and even the recent G3 Solario Stakes winner Field Of Gold (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) who was fourth in this contest. Entreat, who like the card's G1 Prix de l'Abbaye heroine Makarova's dam Vesnina was a Cheveley Park Stud broodmare, was sold by the operation for only 14,000gns at the 2016 Tattersalls July Sale. She has a yearling filly by Dark Angel (Ire) who has been withdrawn from next week's Tattersalls October Book 1.
Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
QATAR PRIX JEAN-LUC LAGARDERE-G1, €400,000, ParisLongchamp, 10-6, 2yo, c/f, 7fT, 1:20.58, sf.
1–CAMILLE PISSARRO (IRE), 126, c, 2, by Wootton Bassett (GB)
1st Dam: Entreat (GB), by Pivotal (GB)
2nd Dam: River Saint, by Irish River (Fr)
3rd Dam: Imagining, by Northfields
TDN Rising Star. 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN; 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (1,250,000gns Ylg '23 TATOCT). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Mrs John Magnier & Peter M Brant; B-CN Farm Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Christope Soumillon. €228,560. Lifetime Record: MGSP-Ire, 7-2-3-0, €353,798. *1/2 to Golden Horde (Ire) (Lethal Force {Ire}), G1SW-Eng & G1SP-Fr, $527,144; Line Of Departure (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), SW-Eng, $222,673; and Exhort (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}), SW-Eng, $124,356. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Rashabar (Ire), 126, c, 2, Holy Roman Emperor (Ire)–Amazonka (Ire), by Camelot (GB). (€120,000 Ylg '23 ARAUG). O-Manton Thoroughbreds IX; B-SARL Ecurie Haras de Beaufay (IRE); T-Brian Meehan. €91,440.
3–Misunderstood (Fr), 126, c, 2, Hello Youmzain (Fr)–Waldjagd (GB), by Observatory. 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (190,000gns RNA Ylg '23 TATOCT; 95,000gns RNA 2yo '24 TATBRE). O-Al Shaqab Racing, Haras d'Etreham & Mustapha Bekhti; B-Ecurie de Cachene & Patrick Charel (FR); T-Mario Baratti. €45,720.
Margins: NK, 1 3/4, SNK. Odds: 12.00, 8.50, 6.90.
Also Ran: Field Of Gold (Ire), Henri Matisse (Ire), Heybetli (Ire), Houquetot (Ire), Tiego The First (Fr), Cowardofthecounty (Ire). Scratched: Revolutionnaire (Fr).
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
