Henri Matisse produces his greatest masterpiece and breaks the Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains record
The Irish powerhouse Coolmore is known for naming its horses after great men. Just over two years ago, they named a colt Henri Matisse, after the renowned master of modern art. On Sunday, Henri Matisse—by the French champion Immortal Verse—won the Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains (Group 1) at ParisLongchamp. Last year, he had already claimed a prestigious international victory by winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in the U.S. as a 2-year-old.
On Sunday, over the 1,600m of the Grand Piste, four horses set a blistering early pace… allowing Henri Matisse to make history by smashing both the race and course records in 1’33’’91 (the previous records stood at 1’34’’50 for the race and 1’34’’10 for the course).
After giving their all, the four frontrunners had to surrender, setting the stage for a duel between two horses: the British runner Jonquil (by Lope de Vega), who had travelled just behind the leaders, and the Irish-trained Henri Matisse (by Wootton Bassett), who came from mid-pack and picked off his rivals one by one along the rail. On the far outside, Coolmore’s other Irish contender Camille Pissarro (also by Wootton Bassett), named in tribute to another great French painter, produced a storming finish to take third place from British colt Luther (by Frankel). The first French horse home was Ridari (by Churchill), who finished fifth.
Official Result
EMIRATES POULE D’ESSAI DES POULAINS
1st: HENRI MATISSE (R. Moore)
2nd: JONQUIL (O. Murphy)
3rd: CAMILLE PISSARRO (C. Soumillon)
Time: 1’33’’91 – Margins: Head – 1 – Short Neck
Quotes
Aidan O’Brien – Trainer of Henri Matisse (1st) and Camille Pissarro (3rd), Ireland
“We're absolutely delighted. It's a victory for the whole team. He’s a really good horse with a fantastic pedigree. Ryan [Moore, the jockey] told me he was never worried during the race. The horse doesn’t like hitting the front too early. When a race is truly run like today, everyone has a fair chance. Henri Matisse is that kind of horse—he can accelerate after relaxing during the run. He was able to find another gear when challenged. In the Lagardère, the ground was very soft and he was hampered at the start. We went to the U.S. because we knew the Lagardère didn’t reflect his true ability.
What’s next? Returning to France for the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club is a real possibility—it depends on what the lads [the owners] want. We could also consider the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.”
“Christophe Soumillon thinks Camille Pissarro also has the profile for the French Derby. Again, it’s up to the lads to decide. Seeing so many sons of Wootton Bassett in the race [six of the runners were by the Coolmore stallion] shows just how extraordinary he is. You don’t see this often. They’re fast, they stay, they have turn of foot… all while maintaining a high cruising speed!”
Andrew Balding – Trainer of Jonquil (2nd), England
“Oisin gave him a brilliant ride. It’s obviously frustrating not to win, but the horse ran a huge race. We now have quite a few options. He’s entered in the Jersey Stakes and the St James’s Palace Stakes… we need to figure out which race will suit him best.”