Camille Pissarro made a late surge to clinch victory in the Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at ParisLongchamp. Trained by Aidan O’Brien, the colt secured his first Group One triumph in the seven-furlong contest, thanks to a masterful ride from Christophe Soumillon.
Soumillon displayed patience in the early stages, guiding Camille Pissarro smoothly into contention down the straight. Rashabar, trained by Brian Meehan, made a strong bid for glory, but Camille Pissarro, who had finished far behind Rashabar in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, snatched victory at the post. The front-running Misunderstood held on for third.
O’Brien praised his colt, saying, "He’s always been a fantastic workhorse, but I think we hadn’t been riding him right. He’s got great speed and quickens well. We’ve always thought highly of him, but he’ll be even better next year. Christophe gave him an excellent ride."
O’Brien also reflected on the colt’s progression: "He’s a big horse and still growing stronger. I’ve made some mistakes with him, but he’s really come through. He has the potential to be a Guineas horse or even a sprinter."
For Soumillon, it was his first win in the prestigious race. "It’s a great honour to ride for the world’s best trainer," he said. "I knew I had to wait at the back, but once we hit the straight, he responded beautifully."
Meehan, trainer of runner-up Rashabar, was proud of his colt’s effort but noted the ground wasn’t ideal. "The softer ground stunted his speed and pick-up, but it was still a fantastic run. He’s a Guineas horse for next year, and we’ll wait for a Guineas trial before deciding on his next steps."
Meanwhile, Henri Matisse, the 13-10 favourite ridden by Ryan Moore, finished fifth after encountering trouble early in the race. O’Brien explained, "He got a bad bump and with the blinkers on, that would’ve shocked him. He’s still immature, but we’re not losing faith in him."