Longchamp Group 1 Score For Wootton Bassett’s Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico (2c Wootton Bassett - April Showers, by Galileo) stepped up from Group 2 success at Doncaster for top-flight glory in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp on Sunday.

Having captured the Champagne Stakes in front-running style last month, the Ballydoyle colt again made all and piled on the pressure to win by two and a half lengths under Christophe Soumillon. In second was another son of the late Wootton Bassett in Nighttime.

Aidan O’Brien said: “I’m delighted with this horse, when we stepped up to seven furlongs in Doncaster he really improved and Christophe gave him a beautiful ride. With Ryan [Moore] off, we’re lucky Christophe doesn’t have a retainer – he’s an unbelievably special rider.

“This horse is like Wootton Bassett, and Camille Pissarro [last year’s Lagardere winner] was the same – big, strong, black horses with loads of speed.

“Christophe said he’s a very quick horse who is going to be a miler, but probably won’t go any further than a mile.

“Camille won the French Derby, whether this horse will get a mile and a quarter we’re not sure, but we didn’t think Camille would get a mile and a quarter and he got it in the French Derby.”

On a more imminent target, O’Brien added: “The lads were thinking of the Breeders’ Cup, they asked him [Soumillon] about the ground and he said it [faster ground] would be no problem.

Puerto Rico was bred by the April Showers Syndicate.