Europe
Puerto Rico makes all for Criterium International triumph
Coolmore's Puerto Rico (Wootton Bassett) was last seen claiming a career high in ParisLongchamp's G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere on Arc day and he doubled his Group 1 tally with a pillar-to-post victory in Sunday's G1 Criterium International at Saint-Cloud.
He becomes the 24th elite-level winner of the year for Aidan O'Brien who extended his record haul in this one-mile test to seven. The Ballydoyle maestro doubled up on the card just one hour later when Pierre Bonnard (Camelot) made it 25 in the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud. For rider Christophe Soumillon, this was a record-extending fifth renewal.
“He's pacy, he stays and he's a lovely horse,” said O'Brien. “We wanted to see what he'd be like over a mile today and he handled the soft ground well. We were thinking of going to the Breeders' Cup with him, but decided to let him come here instead.
“He's (Puerto Rico) pacy, he stays and he's a lovely horse.” - Aidan O'Brien
“He's a very classy horse and he's going to be lovely next year. I think anything from a mile to a mile-and-a-quarter will suit him and he could even get a mile-and-a-half. He's a miler, but because he's so relaxed he could get further. We'd love to come back for a French Guineas.”
The 3-5 favourite was slick from the gates and gained an early lead. Nudged along with 500 metres remaining, last month's G2 Champagne Stakes victor was safely clear approaching the final furlong and kept on strongly under minimal urging in the closing stages to easily hold Campacite (Zarak) and Champagne third Cape Orator (Mohaather) by one and three quarter lengths and a head.
Aidan O'Brien | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Pedigree notes: Puerto Rico is the first foal bred from G2 Kilboy Estate Stakes runner-up April Showers (Galileo), herself a full sister to black-type winners headed by multiple Group 1-winning Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Misty For Me (Galileo) and her G1 Prix Marcel Boussac-winning full sister Ballydoyle (Galileo). Misty For Me is the dam of four black-type including G1 Dewhurst Stakes and G1 July Cup hero US Navy Flag (War Front) and his multiple Group 1-winning full sister Roly Poly.
Puerto Rico's third dam, Mr. P's Princes (Mr. Prospector), is kin to the Grade 1-winning sires Desert Wine (Damascus) and Menifee (Harlan) and she produced G1 Phoenix Stakes and G1 Prix Morny-winning sire Fasliyev (Nureyev). She is also the third dam of G1 New York Stakes hero Marketsegmentation (American Pharoah). The winner is full to a weanling colt and half to a yearling filly by No Nay Never.
'He's a very special horse': Pierre Bonnard dominates Saint-Cloud
This particular October weekend is so important when it comes to next year's Classics and Aidan O'Brien has simply dominated it in 2025 with Pierre Bonnard bringing up a Sunday Group 1 double at Saint-Cloud and a third overall following the previous day's action at Doncaster.
Sent off the 7-10 favourite for the 10-furlong Criterium de Saint-Cloud, the impressive Zetland winner travelled easily for Christophe Soumillon tracking the early pace and when sent on inside the two opened up to score with authority by two lengths from the Donnacha O'Brien-trained A Boy Named Susie (Starspangledbanner). The Wertheimers' Proof (Dubawi) was a neck away in third.
“Wayne absolutely loved him at Dundalk and Christophe was raving about him last time and this was about giving him more education on that ground,” O'Brien said after greeting his 25th Group 1 winner in 2025, leaving him just three short of his previous record. “He's a very special horse, I'd say. He's a typical Camelot, he's classy and he stays.
“He's (Pierre Bonnard) a very special horse, I'd say. He's a typical Camelot, he's classy and he stays.” - Aidan O'Brien
“He's very exciting, as he's big and rangy and a beautiful horse with a long stride and a beautiful mind. He's a Derby horse and he'll go to the trials next year. All he should do is get better, so he's very exciting for next year.”
Soumillon has enjoyed a boom period in Ryan Moore's absence and, given the sheer amount of Classic candidates the stable has for next season is sure to be involved in the spring and summer too. He confessed to having a soft spot for the winner.
“I really love him,” he declared. “The way he did it last time was quite impressive and he gave me a great feel again–I'm sure he's going to be a great horse for next season.”
Epsom is the obvious focus for the winner, who joins the stable's dominant Futurity Trophy trio in the mix for next June's blue riband and as far as the demands of that ultimate test are concerned, Soumillon has no concerns.
“He's well-balanced, he goes left-handed well and he's still green and still has a lot of potential,” he said. “When I asked him to pick up, like Puerto Rico I was able to win with just hands and heels and I'm sure if I asked him for more he would give more.”
Pedigree notes: Pierre Bonnard's dam Sultanina, who also captured the G3 Pinnacle Stakes over a mile and a half, is also responsible for the recent Park Hill Stakes third Crepe Suzette (Saxon Warrior). Sold for just 78,000gns ($167,000) at the 2022 Tattersalls December, her yearling filly by Coulsty was a €200,000 ($356,000) purchase by Amo Racing at last month's Goffs Orby Book 1.
The winner shares his Listed Lupe Stakes-winning second dam Soft Centre (Zafonic) with the Del Mar Oaks, Gamely and American Oaks heroine Anisette (Awtaad), who recently retired to Yulong's Southern Hemisphere broodmare band.
Royal-Oak glory for Ace Impact's half-brother Arrow Eagle
Jean-Claude Rouget's health issues are well-documented, but at the end of a troubled year the stable favourite Arrow Eagle (Gleneagles) swooped to conquer to raise morale in the G1 Prix Royal-Oak at Saint-Cloud. A highly respectable sixth in the Arc, Waltraut Spanner's homebred half-brother to the illustrious Ace Impact showed no ill-effects of that recent effort when storming by Queenstown (Galileo) and dominating the final furlong.
At the line, the 11-5 favourite had registered an authoritative two-length success from that Ballydoyle outsider, with Sevenna's Knight (Camelot) a short head away in third. For rider Cristian Demuro, who will win the Crevache d'Or for being France's leading jockey in 2025, the result carried extra weight; “It's a pleasure to be part of this family, I won the Arc de Triomphe and many Group 1s on his brother and now this horse has won a Group 1 as well.”
“All the time we thought this horse could be a good stayer and we tried today–he liked the left-handed track and did everything very easily,” he added. “I had the perfect trip and coming into the straight I was going really easily–when I pulled him out, he showed a good turn of foot. We've taken time to find his optimum conditions, but he is improving race-by-race.”
“I had the perfect trip and coming into the straight I was going really easily–when I pulled him out, he showed a good turn of foot.” - Cristian Demuro
Rouget's long-serving assistant Jean-Rene Dubosc confirmed that he will be put away until 2026.
“Last time he pushed himself a bit too hard and it was only a question of the quick turnaround, but we have an excellent team and the step up in trip suited him well today,” he said. “He will now head off for a break until April.”
Pedigree notes: Arrow Eagle, who becomes the fifth Group 1 winner for his sire, is further proof that the Listed-placed Absolutly Me (Anabaa Blue) is a stellar broodmare. Few can follow producing an unbeaten Arc and Prix du Jockey Club hero such as Cracksman's Ace Impact so quickly with another winner at the top level and she is also responsible for two Listed performers in Alessandro (Australia) and Apollo Flight (Rock Of Gibraltar).
From the family of the international heavyweights Ibn Bey and Teleprompter and the Yorkshire Oaks heroine Roseate Tern, Absolutly Me has a yearling colt by Almanzor named Akeno and a colt foal by Frankel to come.
Japan
Christophe Lemaire completes unprecedented Kikuka Sho hat-trick with Energico
Christophe Lemaire became the first jockey to win three consecutive runnings of the G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) at Kyoto when guiding race favourite Energico to an emphatic victory in Sunday's final leg of the Japanese Triple Crown.
Trained by Mizuki Takayanagi for owners Silk Racing, Energico raced well off the pace in the early stages of this 3000-metre contest, before making up considerable ground on the approach to the final turn. In fifth position when the dash for home began, the son of Duramente then showed much the best acceleration to lead entering the final furlong and was ultimately well on top at the line, beating chief market rival Eri King (Kizuna) - the first foal from G1 Queensland Oaks winner Youngstar (High Chaparral) - by two lengths.
As well as completing an unprecedented hat-trick, Lemaire joined Yutaka Take as the most successful jockeys in the history of the Kikuka Sho with five wins apiece, having previously tasted Classic glory with Satono Diamond in 2016, Fierement in 2018, Durezza in 2023, and Urban Chic last year.
“It's hard to believe that I won three in a row in this race!” said a delighted Lemaire. “It's a long-distance Group 1 and very difficult to win at Group 1 level, but I've been fortunate to have been given rides on such great horses with stamina every year.
“Energico also has lots of stamina and, although he is not so sharp out of the gate, we had plenty of time to keep patient and make our way to a good spot. I took the opportunity to grab a good route on the outside and the colt responded well with lasting finishing speed.
“Energico also has lots of stamina and, although he is not so sharp out of the gate, we had plenty of time to keep patient and make our way to a good spot.“ - Christophe Lemaire
“Winning at Kyoto is special because I reside at Kyoto and winning two weeks in a row (after the victory of Embroidery in the G1 Shuka Sho) feels so great!”
Energico arrived at Kyoto as the winner of three of his four previous starts, notably winning April's G2 TV Tokyo Hai Aoba Sho in the style of one likely to be suited by this longer trip. He suffered his sole defeat when taking on older horses in August's G3 Niigata Kinen, running an encouraging race after four months on the sidelines to take second behind the battle-hardened 5-year-old Shirankedo (Declaration Of War).
Pedigree notes: Energico is one of three winners of the Kikuka Sho for his late sire, Duramente, along with Titleholder in 2021 and the aforementioned Durezza. This colt belongs to Duramente's final crop, which has also yielded fellow Classic placegetter Masquerade Ball, who finished second in the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) and third in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas).
One of seven winners from 10 runners out of Noverre's G1 Preis der Diana heroine Enora, Energico is a half-brother to the G3 Preis des Winterfavoriten-winning sire Erasmus (Reliable Man) and the winning Oasis Dream mare Kizingo. The latter is the dam of another Preis der Diana victrix in Erle (Reliable Man), as well as the G3 Prix de Royaumont third Eleganz (Adlerflug).
