The Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère (G1) at Longchamp produced a result straight out of a racing fairytale — and, remarkably, an exact mirror image of the Prix Marcel Boussac run just minutes earlier. Once again, a Coolmore-owned runner trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by Christophe Soumillon took top honors, ahead of a Wertheimer & Frère colt trained by Christopher Head and a Francis Graffard-trained Aga Khan representative in third.

This time the hero was Puerto Rico, a striking son of the late Wootton Bassett, who led from the start and never looked back. Tracking him throughout was stablemate Nighttime, also by Wootton Bassett, while Rayif (Sea The Moon) filled third after mounting his challenge down the center of the course. The front three held their positions virtually from the jump — a display of authority from Puerto Rico, who stopped the clock at 1’41’’31, finishing one length ahead of Nighttime and another 1¼ lengths clear of Rayif.

For O’Brien, it was yet another masterclass in two-year-old management, while for Wootton Bassett, it was a poignant posthumous triumph. The dual Group 1 success of his progeny on the same afternoon reaffirmed his enduring impact — a fitting tribute to a stallion who began his career in France and later shuttled to Australia before his untimely passing earlier this year.

Soumillon, who deputized for Ryan Moore (currently sidelined by injury), executed a textbook front-running ride. The Belgian-born rider, long a dominant force in French racing, judged the pace to perfection and never allowed his rivals a sniff of the lead.

Aidan O’Brien, trainer of Puerto Rico (1st):
“I’m delighted with this colt. When we stepped him up to 1,400 metres last time, he really progressed, and Christophe gave him a lovely ride. He’s a beautiful horse — big, strong, mature, and with plenty of speed. It’s special because Wootton Bassett himself won this race, and we lost him recently. This colt reminds me a lot of him — big, powerful, dark, and very fast.”

O’Brien went on to hint that Puerto Rico’s future could stretch beyond the mile, though stamina remains a question.

“Christophe said he’s a very fast horse, a real miler. Maybe he won’t go beyond that trip, but he has an awful lot of pace. (…) We might have run him over trips too short earlier, but once we stretched him to 1,400, he showed his real ability. Camille Pissarro went on to win the French Derby, and maybe this colt can too, even if we’re not sure he’ll stay 2,000 metres.”

With Puerto Rico’s commanding Lagardère victory, Coolmore’s European dominance at two-year-old level continues unabated, while Wootton Bassett’s legacy shines brighter than ever. It was, in every sense, a race — and a result — that echoed both history and emotion at Longchamp.

Official Result – Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère (G1)
1st – Puerto Rico (Christophe Soumillon)
2nd – Nighttime (Maxime Guyon)
3rd – Rayif (Mickaël Barzalona)
Time: 1’41’’31 — Margins: 1 – 1¼ – Nose