Henri Matisse claims French 2000 Guineas
PARIS Owned by Irish powerhouse Coolmore, Henri Matisse has got up in the nick of time to claim the €650,000 (S$947,000) Group 1 Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains (1,600m) at Longchamp on May 11.
It was Henri Matisse's first Group 1 win in France. The Aidan O'Brien-trained three-year-old previously claimed the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (1,600m) in Del Mar on Nov 1, 2024.
He also won the Group 2 Futurity Stakes (1,408m) in Curragh, Ireland on Aug 24, 2024 and the Group 3 Red Rocks Stakes (1,436m) in Leopardstown, Ireland on March 30.
Once the gates sprang open in the race also known as the French 2000 Guineas, four horses set a blistering early pace. The Mario Baratti-trained Misunderstood (Alexis Pouchin) vied for the lead with another O'Brien-trained galloper, Serengeti (Sean Levey), who eventually led on the rails.
When the field of 16 turned into the straight, the pacesetters gradually faded away.
That set the stage for a duel between British runner Jonquil (Oisin Murphy) - who had travelled just behind the leaders - and the Irish-trained Henri Matisse (Ryan Moore, $17), who came from mid-pack to pick off his rivals one by one along the rails.
The Wootton Bassett colt motored home strongly in the closing stages before holding off the surging Jonquil for the win. Coolmore's other Irish contender Camille Pissarro (Christophe Soumillon) - also trained by O'Brien - stormed home late to finish third.
Out of the French champion mare Immortal Verse, Henri Matisse also made history as he smashed the race and course records, setting a mark of 1min 33.91sec for the 1,600m on the turf.
His Irish handler was over the moon after the yard picked up a win and a third in the time-honoured French classic.
"We're absolutely delighted. It's a victory for the whole team," he said.
"He's (Henri Matisse) a really good horse with a fantastic pedigree. Ryan told me he was never worried during the race.
"The horse doesn't like hitting the front too early. When a race is truly run like today, everyone has a fair chance.
"Henri Matisse can accelerate after relaxing in the run. He was able to find another gear when challenged.
"What's next? Returning to France for the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club is a real possibility. It depends on what the owners want. We could also consider the St James' Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.
"Christophe Soumillon thinks Camille Pissarro also has the profile for the French Derby. Again, it's up to the lads to decide."
The Group 1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club (2,100m), which is the French Derby, will be run at Chantilly on June 1 while the Group 1 St James' Palace Stakes (1,600m) will be at Ascot on June 17.
Named after the renowned master of modern art, Henri Matisse has now posted six wins from eight starts. Camille Pissarro, another three-year-old by Wootton Bassett, has recorded two wins from nine starts.
While the Poule d'Essai des Poulains had a clear winner, the victor in the €500,000 Group 1 Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (1,600m) at the same meeting could only be established after the stewards' inquiry.
British filly Shes Perfect (Kieran Shoemark) had pulled off an impressive gate-to-wire victory. But the daughter of Sioux Nation also drifted significantly in the home straight, bumping into Exactly (Moore), who in turn, severely hampered Zarigana (Mickael Barzalona), who finished a nose behind in second.
The stewards reversed the quinella, with the Francis-Henri Graffard-trained Zarigana promoted as the winner and Shes Perfect relegated to second place. Zarigana's stablemate Mandanaba (Maxime Guyon) ran third. France Galop
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