Alson, Armory square off in Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere

Alson and Armory, second and third in the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere on the undercard of the Prix de l’Arc de Tromphe on Oct. 6, are part of a four-horse field in Sunday’s $276,975 Criterium International at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris, the final Group 1 of the year for 2-year-olds in Europe.

Alson, trained by Jean-Pierre Carvalho, was beaten three-quarters of a length by Victor Ludorum in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at a mile on soft turf. Alson is the only French-trained runner in Sunday’s field. Aidan O’Brien of Ireland starts Armory and Wichita, while his son Joseph runs the filly Lady Penelope.

Wichita was third behind the highly regarded Pinatubo in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes at seven furlongs at Newmarket on Oct. 12. Wichita won the Group 3 Tattersalls Stakes at seven furlongs at Newmarket on Sept. 26 for his first stakes win in his third start.

Lady Penelope won a maiden race at Down Royal in Northern Ireland on Aug. 31 and was later fourth in the Group 2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte at six furlongs on Oct. 12 behind Shadn, who has been pre-entered in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita on Nov. 1.

Armory was second to Pinatubo in the Group 1 National Stakes at The Curragh in September before the third-place finish in the Prix Jean Luc-Largardere.

The Criterium International is run at seven furlongs and is restricted to colts and fillies.

The richest race on Sunday’s Longchamp program is the Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak, which is worth $387,765 and is run at 1 15/16 miles.

Holdthasigreen and Call the Wind, first and second by three-quarters of a length in the Group 1 Prix du Cadran at 2 1/2 miles at Longchamp on Oct. 5, are the two leading candidates in a field of eight.