Qatar Prix du Jockey Club report and reaction

Market leader Camille Pissarro claimed a second career win in the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club for trainer Aidan O’Brien.

The son of Wootton Bassett won last year’s Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere on Arc weekend as a two-year-old and had been placed at the Curragh and in the French 2000 Guineas at Longchamp earlier this year.

Drawn in stall one this time, compared to his wide stall (15) when third to stablemate Henri Matisse in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains last month, Camille Pissarro was settled just behind the leaders by Ryan Moore and he eventually managed to find a gap up the inside rail after briefly getting caught in behind the weakening Trinity College and Bowmark, who had cut out the running.

Detain briefly struck the front before being challenged by William Buick on eventual runner-up Cualificar (12/1), but all the while Camille Pissarro was building up a head of steam and a late burst from the 7/2 winner from around a furlong out saw him emerge half a length to the good over the Godolphin-owned and Andre Fabre-trained Cualificar.

There was a neck back to Detain (5/1) in third, with Trinity College (20/1) boxing on for fourth ahead of the Aga Khan Racing pair of Azimpour (66/1) and 11/2 chance Ridari.

Camille Possarro was cut to 8/1 from 50/1 by Paddy Power for the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown Park.

O’Brien said on Sky Sports Racing: “I’m delighted for everybody and Ryan gave him an incredible ride. Christophe (Soumillon) was delighted with him the last day and he said to come here with him. But what a ride Ryan gave him. He had a lovely draw as it’s very difficult when you’re wide, he was wide the last day when he ran in the French Guineas, he was very wide all the way. But if you have a draw and you have class like he was, then Ryan was prepared to wait, there was no rush getting him there and I don’t think he could have waited any longer.

“He’s a very classy horse. Obviously he’s a Group 1 winner on Arc day, he was very impressive when Christophe rode him. He had a great run in the French Guineas.

“It’s a difficult race to win and you need a horse with a lot of speed, and they have to get a mile and a quarter as well. It’s a very important race and it makes him a very important horse now. He’s a perfect, big, powerful, black horse by Wootton Bassett.

“I’m over the moon really. All the races are open to him, the Eclipse and all that, a mile or a mile and a quarter I’d say, we’ll see what the lads want to do.”

Moore said: “He was very straightforward and I thought we had a lovely stall. He began nicely and relaxed into a rhythm and I was able to make ground smoothly from halfway.

“We got quite strung out but he was very smooth and I just had to show a bit of patience, wait for the run to present itself, then took it. It was a very smart performance from a horse who just seems to be getting better.

“He’s always been a good-looking horse and highly thought of. I just wasn’t getting it quite right on him and Christophe has shown me how to ride him and he recommended this race and it all worked out beautifully.”

Buick said: “I ended up in a nice posi and he did everything I asked of him really. The winner’s a good horse as we all know.

“Cualificar will possibly get a little bit further so he’ll possibly get an Arc prep now. He does have the quality anyway, he’s a very good horse.”

Qatar Prix du Jockey Club report and reaction

Tags: