Horatio Nelson may not have been the most popular name with the home element of the Longchamp crowd but it was relatively plain sailing for the colt who extended his unbeaten sequence to four – and completed a big juvenile double for Aidan O’Brien and Kieren Fallon – in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, Gr. 1.

O’Brien’s sixth winner in the Group 1 contest – his previous successes included those of Rock Of Gibraltar and Oratorio – is now as short as 7-1 with Ladbrokes for the Derby. Hills were longer at 10-1 while VCbet, Totesport and Coral hold the middle ground on 8-1.

Soon prominent under Fallon, the winner looked in trouble as Solario Stakes winner Opera Cape poked his nose ahead under John Egan to give trainer Sylvester Kirk hopes of a first Group 1 winner from his first such runner. However, Horatio Nelson responded to Fallon and it was a cruise through the final furlong, even though Opera Cape never gave up.

O’Brien suggested that Horatio Nelson could run again in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes.
While this son of Danehill is Derby favourite, O’Brien said: “All his races have been in fast times. He is a lovely laid-back horse but he has plenty of speed and could be a Dewhurst horse.”