International Report: Wootton Bassett adds another European Classic

Cover image courtesy of Coolmore Australia

France

Wootton Bassett’s Camille Pissarro wins the G1 Prix du Jockey Club

By Tom Frary, TDN Europe

A seemingly wide-open renewal of Chantilly's G1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) ultimately produced the most straightforward outcome as Ballydoyle's Camille Pissarro (Ire) prevailed as the 12-5 favourite. Drawn against the rail, one of the stable's abundance of Wootton Bassett (GB) colts only had to follow the pace aided by the yard's Trinity College (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) taking the shortest route.

Ryan Moore's only complication came in the closing stages as he needed to thread the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner through a gap no more than a horse's width but he had all the momentum with his mount having saved so much energy throughout. At the line, the sire's second Classic winner of 2025 had half a length to spare over Godolphin's Cualificar (GB), Lope De Vega (Ire)'s G3 Prix la Force and G3 Prix de Guiche-winning son of the Oaks heroine Qualify (Ire) (Fastnet Rock) who covered himself in glory from stall 12.

Juddmonte's Detain (Ire) was a neck away in third, making it a one-three for Wootton Bassett, as it had been in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains when Camille Pissarro had been two places behind stablemate Henri Matisse (Ire).

“He did everything right today and Aidan had him in a beautiful frame of mind,” Moore said after steering his second Prix du Jockey Club winner and first for Ballydoyle. “Fair play to Christophe (Soumillon), he said he'd have no problem with the trip and he showed nice acceleration there. He put them away.”

Aidan O'Brien had been swayed to make the step up in trip by Christophe Soumillon, who had ridden the winner in the Lagardere and the Poulains, and was quick to pay tribute to the jockey who was on Detain this time.

“Christophe was delighted with him last time and immediately told us to run him in the Jockey-Club,” he said. “He's a miler, but he stays 2000 metres and that's exactly what you need to win the French Derby.

“This is a very important race and he's now a very important horse,” he added. “He's a perfect, big, powerful, black horse by Wootton Bassett and over time, he has toughened up. What a ride Ryan gave him – he had a lovely draw and even though he had that and has that class, I don't think Ryan could have waited any longer. He was prepared to wait and ride him to get the distance, as we weren't sure beforehand. All races are open to him, as a mile is no problem and there is the Eclipse.”

Camille Pissarro, who becomes Wootton Bassett's second Jockey Club winner after Almanzor (Fr) in 2016, was in no way guaranteed to stay this far on immediate pedigree given the record of his half-siblings. The chief of those, G1 Commonwealth Cup-winning sire Golden Horde (Ire), was a pure power sprinter while the Pivotal (GB) mare Entreat (GB)'s other black-type winners are Listed Cathedral Stakes scorer Line Of Departure (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and Listed Pipalong Stakes winner Exhort (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}).

Entreat, who was campaigned mainly over this trip by Sir Michael Stoute, is a granddaughter of Imagining (USA) who produced the multiple Grade I-winning champion Serena's Song (USA) (Rahy {USA}) whose progeny include this stable's G1 Coronation Stakes heroine Sophisticat (USA) (Storm Cat {USA}) and her full brother Pattern-race performer Grand Reward (USA). The family includes another Coronation Cup heroine in Rizeena (Ire) by Wootton Bassett's sire Iffraaj (GB) and G1 Irish 2000 Guineas-winning sensation Field Of Gold (Ire) (Kingman {GB}).

Group winner for Hello Youmzain

By Tom Frary, TDN Europe

Godspeed (Fr) (Hello Youmzain {Fr})'s finishing sectionals in the G3 Prix de la Grotte showed us that she was a class act and Peter Bradley's colour-bearer confirmed that in Sunday's G2 Prix de Sandringham at Chantilly. This was effectively won at the break, with Christophe Soumillon instantly getting a length on the inexperienced favourite Vadinska (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and able to sit in mid-division while that peer was anchored out the back.

Slipping by the leader Eponine (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) with ease passing two out, the Carlos and Yann Lerner-trained filly was in cruise control from there en route to a length verdict. Time Test (GB)'s Betty Clover (GB) was a length further away in third, with the 9-10 market-leader Vadinska ending up fifth in a race that proved a write-off in all areas bar the educational.

“We had plenty of confidence, as we know she has a lot of talent,” Yann Lerner said. “The (G1 Prix de) Diane is an option, but first I need to talk with all the partners. She is a very easy filly and it's a question of whether she can use that turn of foot over 2100 metres.”

Whether Godspeed, who is the third Group winner for her second-crop sire, will stay the 10 and a half furlong trip of the Diane is an unknown, with her dam Mary's Precedent (Fr) (Storming Home {GB}) at her best over a mile when winning the Listed Prix de Bagatelle here. Her other black-type daughter, the Listed-placed Mary's France (Fr), found that trip her maximum, but was by the faster sire Acclamation (GB).

Stamina clues come in the form of the G3 Prix Cleopatre winner and G1 Prix Saint-Alary runner-up Crown Princesse (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) and in the third dam Allwaki (USA)'s GI Del Mar Oaks-placed daughter Premiere Creation (Fr) (Green Tune {USA}). This is the family of the Arc and Prix du Jockey-Club hero Sottsass (Fr) and the multiple Grade I winner Sistercharlie (Ire) who were both by sires who plied their trade over sprint trips.

Japan

Croix Du Nord back to best in Derby

By Heather Anderson, TDN Europe

After losing his unbeaten record when second in April's G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas), Croix Du Nord (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) was on something of a recovery mission, and he delivered when it counted, running out a 0.75l winner of the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) on Sunday. Masquerade Ball (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}), third in the Satsuki Sho, charged home second, 1.5l to the good of Shohei (Jpn) (Saturnalia {Jpn}).

The betting public felt the 2400 metres of the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) was well within the son of Kitasan Black's (Jpn) scope, and they duly made him the 11-10 favourite. On a quest to be the fifth Derby winner for Sunday Racing, Croix Du Nord found the front 300 metres from home and he held firm.

“I felt it was my responsibility to make Croix du Nord a Derby winner ever since the colt won the Hopeful Stakes, so my feeling now is that I am relieved to have accomplished by mission,” said jockey Yuichi Kitamura.

“The whole process since the win last year, including our runner-up effort in the Satsuki Sho, was a meaningful and precious learning experience for me. The colt felt great today and I was able to come into the race with every confidence so victory itself came as no surprise to me.”

Kitasan Black is best known as the sire of globetrotting wunderkind Equinox (Jpn), but Croix Du Nord paved new ground on Sunday with his victory. Equinox was second in the 2022 Japanese Derby, the same position as Kitasan Black’s other Group 1 winner Sol Oriens (Jpn), who placed in the race in 2023. Overall, the Shadai Stallion Station resident has sired 13 stakes winners with 10 of them at the Group/Graded level.

Rising Cross (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) last graced the sales ring when she was a 73,333gns (AU$160,000) buy-back when offered by John Best Racing Stables during the Tattersalls Autumn HIT Sale of 2005. A winner of the G3 Prestige Stakes at two, the dark bay won the G2 Park Hill Stakes at three, and was also second in the G1 Oaks and third in the G1 Irish Oaks. Kept in training at five, she was third in the G3 Bewitch Stakes in the USA.

Croix Du Nord is one of 13 foals out of Rising Cross, 10 of which have run with seven winners among them. Besides the Japanese Derby hero, her best is the Manhattan Café (Jpn) filly Earthrise (Jpn), who was placed thrice at Group 3 level in Japan.