Sunday afternoon saw the 2025 Classic campaign make its next stop at Chantilly with the latest edition of the Prix du Jockey Club. Just under a week before the English Derby, a talented field of 18 colts locked horns over 1m2½f in the French equivalent of the Epsom showpiece.
Only two of the 20 runners remaining in the Epsom Derby hail from France. The British and Irish trainers were more prevalent at Chantilly, with six of the 18 contenders hailing from a British or Irish yard. Responsible for a third of the field, the raiding party looked to have a fair chance of landing the prize. Would that numerical strength be enough to claim a prize that had remained on home soil in 20 of the previous 25 editions?
O’Brien And Moore Plot a Winning Course
John and Thady Gosden, Richard Hannon, and Charlie Fellowes were all represented in the 2025 Prix du Jockey Club, but the trainer who struck the most fear into the hearts of the home team was undoubtedly Aidan O’Brien. The Ballydoyle maestro had claimed this event on only one previous occasion, with St Mark’s Basilica in 2021. However, such is his reputation on the global Group 1 stage that his runners always merit the utmost respect.
O’Brien sent two to post in 2025, in the shape of Trinity College and Camille Pissarro. The former brought bags of potential to the table, but it was the latter who boasted the strongest claims. A fast-finishing third in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French 2,000 Guineas) on his previous start, he was the choice of Ryan Moore and the betting market.
Prix du Jockey Club 2025 Full Result
| Position | Horse | SP | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Camille Pissarro | 12/5 | Aidan O’Brien | Ryan Moore |
| 2nd | Cualificar | 11/1 | Andre Fabre | William Buick |
| 3rd | Detain | 66/10 | John & Thady Gosden | Christophe Soumillon |
| 4th | Trinity College | 24/1 | Aidan O’Brien | Wayne Lordan |
| 5th | Azimpour | 52/1 | Francis-Henri Graffard | Clement Lecoeuvre |
| 6th | Ridari | 15/2 | Mikel Delzangles | Mickael Barzalona |
| 7th | Frankly Good Cen | 53/1 | Victoria Head | Augustin Madamet |
| 8th | Sinileo | 74/10 | Andre Fabre | Maxime Guyon |
| 9th | King Of Cities | 17/1 | Richard Hannon | James Doyle |
| 10th | Parachutiste | 25/1 | Francis-Henri Graffard | Oisin Murphy |
| 11th | Tipinso | 30/1 | Jean-Claude Rouget | Cristian Demuro |
| 12th | Al Aali | 55/1 | Lucie Pontoir | Anthony Crastus |
| 13th | Nitoi | 20/1 | Andre Fabre | Alexis Pouchin |
| 14th | Bowmark | 12/1 | John & Thady Gosden | Tom Marquand |
| 15th | Luther | 24/1 | Charlie Fellowes | Kieran Shoemark |
| 16th | Curragh Camp | 40/1 | Francis-Henri Graffard | Stephane Pasquier |
| 17th | Leffard | 27/1 | Jean-Claude Rouget | Jean-Bernard Eyquem |
| 18th | Heybetli | 110/1 | Tony Piccone | Alicja Karkosa |
Drawn in stall one, the race didn’t begin particularly smoothly for the 7/2f, with Camille Pissarro receiving a hefty bump from stablemate Trinity College. However, Moore soon gained a handy position against the inside rail, as Trinity College and the Gosden runner, Bowmark, set about making the running.
Sitting fourth around the home bend, Camille Pissarro briefly looked to be in trouble with nowhere to go behind the two leaders. However, as Bowmark backpedalled and Trinity College moved off the rail, Moore seized his moment. Shooting through the gap once asked to quicken, Camille Pissarro hit the front inside the final furlong to score by half a length from home hope Cualificar, with the John and Thady Gosden-trained Detain sticking on well for third.
Where Next for the Winner?
Following the success of Henri Matisse in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, Camille Pissarro achieved a notable French Classic double for trainer Aidan O’Brien, jockey Ryan Moore, and sire Wootton Bassett. Now a Group 1 winner at two and three, he has a raft of possible targets over the remaining months of the season. But where are we likely to see him next?
The answer to that question may hinge on how Delacroix, The Lion In Winter, Puppet Master, and Lambourn fair in the Derby. A win for any of that O’Brien quartet would make them the obvious choice for the major 1m4f events, whilst Lake Victoria, Henri Matisse, and potentially Twain provide considerable strength in the mile division.
All of which suggests Camille Pissarro may remain at 1m2f, making the Coral-Eclipse, Juddmonte International, and the English and Irish Champion Stakes likely targets. He is now as short as 8/1 for the first of those events, which takes place at Sandown on the 5th of July.
Delacroix Next to Enter Classic Gallery?
Those with a knowledge of art history may have spotted a theme running through O’Brien’s Classic winners. French 2,000 champ Henri Matisse is named in honour of the revolutionary artist, while Camille Pissarro takes his name from the 19th-century Danish-French impressionist.
When looking at O’Brien’s Derby entries, The Lion In Winter, Puppet Master, and Lambourn fail to tick the artistically named box. However, it is Delacroix who is out on his own at the head of the market. A perfect two from two in 2025, including an impressive win in the Leopardstown Derby Trial, could the Dubawi colt, who bears the name of the French romantic artist, continue the trend on the biggest stage of all?
