Henri Matisse (nearest)© Photo Healy Racing
Henri Matisse came out on top to land the Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar.
Aidan O’Brien’s colt and his rivals were made to wait in the stalls after Aomori City broke through the starting gates and had to be reloaded.
When the field got away, the winner’s class showed as he overcame a wide passage to soar to success on a fruitful day for Ryan Moore and the Coolmore team.
Henri Matisse was O’Brien’s 20th Breeders’ Cup winner, equalling the record of the great D Wayne Lukas.
“It’s incredible, we all know what a special man he is. I’m honoured to be anywhere close to his record,” said O’Brien.
“I’m delighted for everybody. What can you say about Wayne? He rang me earlier in the week and he told me about this track, how to ride it and what to do and what not to do.
“He was saying about the Classic and how he thought we should ride our horse (City Of Troy). We feel very grateful and really privileged that he was so good to tell us everything – honoured really.
“I remember Wayne came down and told us what to do about the pony (when Giant’s Causeway ran in the 2000 Classic), then he said ‘I’ll come down and I’ll do it for you’.
“That was the Giant’s Causeway time and ever since he’s been such a help to us, we’re just so grateful to him. What a special man.”
Henri Matisse won his first three starts and then finished second in the National Stakes, prompting O’Brien to try him in blinkers in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.
The trainer said: “He went to the front in the National Stakes and dinked a bit. Then he had another legitimate excuse when I put blinkers on him.
“Ryan thought in France we did the wrong thing in putting blinkers on him, he was a little bit shy and he got a bad bump early and got a bit of a fright.
“He had to come through the bad ground and Ryan said to put a line through the run, there were a good few things went wrong.
“We always thought he was a very good horse, he’s another Wootton Bassett, an unbelievable talent.
“He’s not finished article yet but Ryan gave him a brilliant ride, he’s a beautiful horse, a very well bred horse.
“It’s so special and one thing about them is they get better every week.
“Ryan thinks he’ll be a miler, which means he’ll be a Guineas horse.”
Moore was impressed with the manner of Henri Matisse’s victory over Iron Man Cal, with Aomori City having made up late ground to take third.
The rider said: “He won that very easily, he showed us ability right from the start but things didn’t go his way in the National Stakes.
“A couple came out today and he was drawn 12 but he was easily the best. It was a very good performance.”
