Puerto Rico far too hot for Lagardere rivals

Christophe Soumillon delivered a front-running masterclass aboard Puerto Rico to claim a cosy victory in the Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at ParisLongchamp.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained colt broke his maiden in winning the Group Two Champagne Stakes at Doncaster last time on his first try at seven furlongs and made an effortless switch to the highest level in the French capital.

Ridden with supreme confidence, the son of Wootton Bassett travelled beautifully in front and when asked to kick on in the straight, he pulled away from Nighttime in style, with Rayif back in third.

O’Brien and Soumillon were completing a quickfire Group One double after Diamond Necklace landed the opening Prix Marcel Boussac.

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 (today). 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 obviously 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.”

More immediately, Puerto Rico could head for America, with his trainer adding: “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.

“He’s a fast horse and I’d say by the way Christophe was talking he definitely could be one for the Juvenile Turf.”

Soumillon said: “It’s such a lucky moment for me and we are missing Ryan. A weekend like this, you can’t dream about it, so I’m thinking about him. I spoke to him yesterday and he told me a lot about all of these horses, including Puerto Rico – he felt the ground would be a big help for him.

“Since he jumped the gates so well I just took him to the front and he was really relaxed. He was hanging out for a while, but when I took him to the rail in the straight he picked up so good I felt nobody would be able to follow him.”