Wootton Bassett’s Camille Pissarro Takes Prix du Jockey Club
Camille Pissarro (3c Wootton Bassett – Entreat, by Pivotal) produced an impressive turn of foot when it mattered in Sunday’s Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club, to provide Ballydoyle, Coolmore partners, Ryan Moore and Wootton Bassett with their second French Classic success of the season so far.
A Group 1 winning two-year-old and third in the French 2,000 Guineas last month, he was sent off favourite from stall one and was given a patient ride by Moore. Quickening in the straight, he was forced to bide his time behind a wall of horses two furlongs from home and pounced once a gap appeared approaching the final furlong.
Soon in command, he was ridden to deny Qualificar by half a length, with a neck back to Detain (Wootton Bassett) in third. Fellow Ballydoyle inmate Trinity College was just a head further back in fourth.
“He’s a top horse and Ryan gave him a masterclass, putting him to sleep and then producing him very late,” O’Brien said after the race. “He’s very exciting because he’s a top Group 1 winner at two and now he’s a French Derby winner and we know how important French Derby winners are.
“It’s a difficult race to win. You need a horse with a lot of speed and they need to get the trip as well, but it’s a very important race and it makes him a very important horse now. He is the perfect big, powerful, black horse by Wootton Bassett and it is incredible.”
The winning rider added: “He’s always been a very good-looking horse. He was highly thought of early on and he ran in the Coventry. I just wasn’t getting him quite right and Christophe showed me how to ride him. He recommended he would go over this distance and it all worked out beautifully.
“I just had to show a bit of patience and wait for a run to present itself. I had plenty of horse and he took it very well. It was a very smart performance from a horse who just seems to be getting better.”
Soumillon had partnered Camille Pissarro last time out at Longchamp, where he finished strongly from stall 15 to finish third to stablemate Henri Matisse (Wootton Bassett), beaten a length and a quarter in total. When asked to compare the two colts, Moore commented: “There’s very little between them, they’re two very high-class horses; both Group 1-winning two-year-olds, both Classic-winning three-year-olds.”
Camille Pissaro’s previous career highlight came at Longchamp, having captured the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. Bred by Cn Farm, the Wootton Bassett colt was bought by MV Magnier and White Birch Farm as a yearling for 1.25million guineas and is now owned by Coolmore partners with Peter Brant.