The Grey Gatsby won the Prix du Jockey Club by three lengths on Sunday at Chantilly, becoming the first England-based horse to land the French Derby since Holding Court did so in 2000.
Isla Bonita, the winner of the Japanese 2000 Guineas on April 20, will be favored to win the second leg of that country’s Triple Crown in Sunday’s $4,173,707 Japanese Derby at Tokyo Racecourse.
Prince Gibraltar in his final start at age 2 and first race at 3 looked like the best French horse of his generation, an impression he can confirm Sunday at Chantilly in the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club.
In April, Nuovo Record was caught in the final strides of the Grade 1 Japanese 1000 Guineas by Harp Star, losing the classic race by a neck. In Sunday’s $2,204,393 Japanese Oaks at Tokyo Racecourse, Nuovo Record held off a late challenge from the heavily favored Harp Star to win the first stakes of her career.
Now 8, Cirrus des Aigles won for the 20th time on Sunday at Longchamp, leading from start to finish and capturing the Prix d’Ispahan by 1 1/2 lengths over Anodin.
Kingman, the beaten favorite when second May 3 in the English 2000 Guineas, made amends with his first classic win in Saturday’s $376,188 Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh.
Harp Star, who rallied from last in a field of 18 to win the Japanese 1000 Guineas at Hanshin Racecourse in April, will be favored to win her third consecutive stakes in Sunday’s $2,204,393 Japanese Oaks at Tokyo Racecourse.
There is Group 1 racing in Ireland both Saturday and Sunday, but the big European race of the weekend is the Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan on Sunday at Longchamp, in which Olympic Glory ships from England to face the ageless French gelding Cirrus des Aigles.
Heavily favored Olympic Glory easily won his 4-year-old debut in the Group 1 J.T. Lockinge Stakes at Newbury in England on Saturday, as Verrazano, making his turf debut and first start for trainer Aidan O’Brien, finished a creditable third
Haskell Stakes winner Verrazano’s first start in Europe comes in an ambitious spot, the Group 1 J.T. Lockinge Stakes on Saturday at Newbury in England.
