Aidan O’Brien secured French 2,000 Guineas glory in Paris on Sunday when Henri Matisse emerged on top in a dramatic renewal of the €650,000 classic.
Ryan Moore came from well back in a fiercely run Poule d’Essai des Poulains to edge out the English colt Jonquil by a head and deliver O’Brien a sixth win in the colts’ classic.
The Irishman saddled three in the “Poulains” and while the outsider Serengeti helped contribute to a frantic early pace before fading, Camille Pissarro did well to overcome an unfavourable wide draw and nabbed third under Christophe Soumillon.
The O’Brien team were out of luck in the following 1,000 Guineas, the “Pouliches”, although not as much as English jockey Kieran Shoemark, who endured even more classic heartache.
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Having lost his job as first jockey to John and Thady Gosden on the back of his second on Field Of Joy in last weekend’s English 2,000 Guineas, Shoemark was first past the post in the French 1,000 Guineas on She’s Perfect, only to be thrown out by the stewards.
In a highly controversial decision, the Longchamp officials demoted the English outsider to behind the odds-on home favourite Zarigana, who had failed by a nose to overhaul her rival.
Although She’s Perfect hung left in the straight, and on to the O’Brien number one Exactly, it looked a fortunate result for the Zarigana team, whose jockey Mickael Barzalona lost his whip a furlong down. Barzalona also lodged an objection to the winner.
“I think she deserved to win, I think she’s a very good filly, but I’m very sorry for the connections of She’s Perfect,” said Zarigana’s trainer, Francis-Henri Graffard. “It is quite hard to really enjoy, more relief than proper joy.”
She’s Perfect’s trainer Charlie Fellowes commented: “I thought it was minimal obviously, and a long way out. In England that would not be overturned, we would have kept it, but I don’t know the rules over here.”
The English trainer didn’t rule out an appeal on the disqualification.
The stewards also had a look at the finish of the 2,000 Guineas where Barzalona on the eventual fifth Ridari was squeezed out by the first two just strides from the line. No action was taken though which was a timely outcome for the Irish team.
O’Brien holds a record 10 victories in the Newmarket 2,000 Guineas and a dozen in the Irish equivalent at the Curragh.
But this was his first 2,000 Guineas of any version in four years, bridging a significant gap for the Coolmore Stud team to whom mile-classic success is at a premium in the stallion-making business.
Coming on the back of last weekend’s classic clean sweep by their superpower rivals at Godolphin, Henri Matisse’s victory as a 9/4 favourite was a timely boost for the Irish operation.
Royal Ascot’s St James’s Palace Stakes is likely to be Henri Matisse’s next target as O’Brien suggested last year’s Breeders’ Cup winner will be kept to a mile.
“We were delighted that they went fast and the even pace suited as he’s a horse who doesn’t like to be in front for too long. He’s a horse who likes to be ridden like that but when you’re ridden back like that you’re never sure how it’s going to pan out but Ryan [Moore] gave him a brilliant ride,” O’Brien reported.
“I think he could be a miler and we think he’s probably going to be a St James’s Palace Stakes horse but the lads [owners] will decide that. There’s every chance he will go to Ascot.
“Christophe thought his horse could be a French Derby horse so the lads will probably split them up and see what happens,” he added.
A bumper field of 16 runners lined up for the Poulains, with Jessica Harrington taking out her hope Hotazhell on the eve of the race.
Moore navigated a sure route up the inside on Henri Matisse and landed a second win in the race after The Gurkha’s success in 2016.
“He travelled very well, very comfortable, and I always felt like he was going to win,” Moore said. “He’s a horse with an awful lot of ability. He was good in America last year and good on his comeback. I think he’s getting better. I think he will get better. He’s pacy and got a lot of gears.”
