Aidan O’Brien can inch closer to his own record of Group and Grade 1 wins in a year at Saint-Cloud on Sunday.
His current best of 28, set in 2017, is under increased threat after Hawk Mountain won the Futurity Trophy at Doncaster to give him 23 for the year.
He sends a strong team to France with three Group 1s on offer and while Queenstown looks to face a stiff task in the Prix Royal-Oak, the two-year-olds Puerto Rico and Pierre Bonnard will be all the rage.
Puerto Rico, while always looking a nice horse, has really blossomed since being upped in trip, winning the Champagne Stakes and the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere on Arc weekend.
He steps up to a mile for the Criterium International, which O’Brien won last year with Twain and in which he also runs Piazza San Marco, New Zealand, Daytona and Port Of Spain.
“Since we stepped him up to seven furlongs he’s improved a lot,” said O’Brien.
“We’re stepping him up to a mile now, he seems to be in very good form at home so we thought he could go again.”
Pierre Bonnard knocked paddock watchers eyes out at Newmarket prior to his run in the Zetland Stakes and he backed up his looks with a dominant display in the Group 3.
“He’s a beautiful looking horse and we were delighted with him at Newmarket as that was his first time over 10 furlongs,” said O’Brien.
“This race was always a possible after he won, we just wanted to keep an eye on him but he came out of his race well.”
O'Brien is also responsible for Christmas Day (the mount of Tom Marquand), Endorsement and Isaac Newton.
Saint-Cloud Sunday
12.30 Criterium International (Group 1) (2yo Colts & Fillies) 1m
The last three of the 28 annual Group 1 races on the French calendar all take place at Saint-Cloud on Sunday, starting with the eight-runner Criterium International, an event which has not been successfully defended by the home team since way back in 2013.
While Aidan O’Brien, who has already landed this mile juvenile contest a record six times, saddles no less than four, headed by Puerto Rico. The solitary domestically-trained candidate is Campacite, who was almost five lengths behind Puerto Rico when they finished first and fourth in the seven-furlong Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere three weeks ago.
The other three Ballydoyle representatives are Piazza San Marco, New Zealand and Port Of Spain.
Puerto Rico is the stand out member not just of that quartet but of the entire field, as he had the only British visitor in the line-up, Ralph Beckett’s Cape Orator, two and three quarter lengths adrift when they crossed the line first and third in the Group 2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster. Cape Orator has since gone on to comfortably account for 15 opponents in a valuable Arqana sales race.
Two more interesting runners are Joseph O’Brien’s Group 2 Champions Juvenile Stakes runner-up, Hardy Warrior, and the Andreas Wohler-trained Gostam, a Saxon Warrior colt who has yet to be extended in three easy victories in his native Germany. Neither is likely to be able to cope with Puerto Rico, who can confirm his superiority over Cape Orator to land a second straight top level triumph.
SELECTION: PUERTO RICO
Next best: Cape Orator
1.34 Criterium de Saint-Cloud (Group 1) (2yo Colts & Fillies) 1m 2f
Aidan O’Brien can complete a Group 1 two-year-old double by landing the mile and a quarter Criterium de Saint-Cloud with Pierre Bonnard, whose chief opposition from an 11-strong field may come from familiar foes in the shape of his stablemate Christmas Day and A Boy Named Susie, trained by Aidan’s son, Donnacha.
Pierre Bonnard, a son of Camelot and the Group 1 Nassau Stakes victrix Sultanina, had some shrewd judges purring when he registered a comfortable length and a half victory over another Balldoyle resident, Endorsement, over this trip in the Group 3 Zetland Stakes at Newmarket a fortnight ago. Endorsement reopposes but is likely to struggle to stay so close this time around.
Christmas Day and A Boy Named Susie fought out a tight finish to the Group 3 Eyrefield Stakes with Christmas Day prevailing by a short head. O’Brien senior is also represented by Isaac Newton while Donnacha’s brother, Joseph, runs his wide margin Tipperary maiden winner, Shosholoza.
Pick of the four home-trained runners is Czajkowski, who can reverse recent Group 3 course and distance form with Waybreaker.
SELECTION: PIERRE BONNARD
Next best: Christmas Day
2.50 Prix Royal-Oak (Group 1) (3yo+) 1m 7f 110y
The Christophe Ferland-trained Double Major can complete the rare feat of winning the same Group 1 event for a third consecutive year by landing the seven-runner Prix Royal-Oak.
As usual, Double Major has taken time to come to hand this season, but he has lifted Pattern prizes on each of his last two starts and should be able to complete the hat-trick at the expense of Arrow Eagle, who was a fine sixth in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on his latest start but is going beyond a mile and a half for the first time here.
The form of the recent two-and-a-half-mile Group 1 Prix du Cadran looks sub-standard, so its first, third and fourth, Caballo de Mar, the Aidan O’Brien-trained Queenstown and Sunway, are all readily opposed on this drop back in trip.
SELECTION: DOUBLE MAJOR
Next best: Arrow Eagle
Irish invaders target Group 3s
There are Irish invaders in two of the three Group 3 contests on the undercard. Paddy Twomey saddles last month’s Listed Oyster Stakes heroine La Isla Mujeres against seven opponents in the one-mile, six-furlong Prix Belle de Nuit while Henry de Bromhead’s Higher Leaves, already twice a blacktype winner in France and back to form when runner-up at Gowran Park last time, is part of an 11-runner field for the mile and a quarter Prix de Flore.