The French classics for three year-olds over a mile were run overnight at Longchamp with Coolmore shuttler Wootton Bassett (GB) having first and third in the colts renewal, while there was a protest in the fillies race that produced victory for an Agha Khan homebred filly by Siyouni.
The Group I Poule d’Essai des Poulains (1600m) was won by the race favourite Henri Matisse, who scored a head win over Juddmonte Farms homebred Lope de Vega colt Jonquil with Wootton Bassett colt Camille Pissarro a length further back in third.
The race was run in blistering time with Henri Matisse setting a new race and course record in clocking 1:33.91 seconds.
Trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, Henri Matisse finished his juvenile season at Del Mar winning the Group I Breeders Cup Turf Juvenile and returned with a win in the Group III Red Rocks Stakes at Leopardstown on March 30.
He now has the overall record of six wins from eight starts and Royal Ascot is his likely next target.
“Henri Matisse doesn't like to be in front too long and it was a nice even pace. We were hoping it would be like that because he was going to be ridden back. When the pace is usually strong and even, if you have the best horse you have a chance,” said Aidan O’Brien.
“I'm never confident, I'm always hopeful. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but Ryan [Moore] gave him a brilliant ride. I We think he's going to be a St James's Palace horse, but the lads will decide that.”
Bred by the Immortal Verse Syndicate and retained to race by the Coolmore partners, Henri Matisse is a half-brother to Champion European 2YO Filly and dual Group I winner Tenebrism as well as Group II winner Statuette being the third stakes-winner among five winners from dual Group I winning Pivotal mare Immortal Verse.
It’s an elite Black Type packed family that features champion sire Last Tycoon.
The Group I The Group I Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (1600m) saw Sioux Nation filly She’s Perfect first past the post, but stewards intervened to give the win to Aga Khan homebred Siyouni filly Zarigana, who started favourite.
Trained by Francis- Henri Graffard and ridden by Mickael Barzalona, Zarigana finished hard in the manner and has four wins from five starts.
“It was a tough few minutes and we don't like to win like this. I feel sorry for connections of Shes Perfect but this is racing and it's happened to me before,” Francis- Henri Graffard.
“When Zarigana came with a run she got unbalanced at the wrong time and then only lost by a nose, so it was decided in the stewards' room. There's a lot of expectation around this filly so I'm thrilled she's done that. It's not an easy race to win but she deserved to. She's a very good filly. We have to discuss her next steps but I'm not sure she needs to be stepped up in trip. If we decide to stick to a mile she'll go for the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.”
Zarigana is the best of two winners from stakes-winning Frankel mare Zarkamiya, a half-sister to Group I winning sire Zarak from 2008 European Horse of the Year Zarkava.
Zarigana is the 11th Group I winner for Siyouni, who was making news in Australia last week when his Aussie G1 winning daughter Amelia’s Jewel sold for $3.8million at Inglis Chairman’s Sale.
