Pinatubo leads three-pronged Godolphin attack in Prix du Moulin de Longchamp

Appleby-trained horse joins Victor Ludorum and Persian King in Sunday’s Group 1 race

William Buick guides Pinatubo to victory in the Darley Dewhurst Stake at Newmarket in October 2019. PA

Godolphin is bidding for Sunday’s Group 1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp in France with a trio of horses that have won seven Group 1 between them.

The Charlie Appleby-trained Pinatubo joins Victor Ludorum and Persian King, the France-based pair of Andre Fabre, in Godolphin’s three-pronged attack at the prize.

Pinatubo was crowned Europe's best juvenile last year following an unbeaten campaign of six races that included Group 1 wins in both the Vincent O'Brien National Stakes and the Darley Dewhurst Stakes.

Returning to the track this year as a three-year-old Pinatubo suffered his first career defeat when finishing third in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on 6 June. He went down to Palace Pier by a length in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot two weeks later.

They were both over the mile trip, and he bounced back when dropped down in trip, to seven furlongs, in the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat at Deauville in July under James Doyle, who retains the ride on the Sharmadal colt.

“We were delighted to see Pinatubo get his head back in front in the Prix Jean Prat after gallant efforts in the 2,000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes,” Appleby told godolphin.com.

“We purposely gave him a break after that run with the view of going for this race. His preparation has gone well and we are looking forward to stepping him back up to a mile.

“It’s a very competitive race but we are very confident that we have Pinatubo in great shape and he is going to run a big race.

“I think it will be tactical but Pinatubo is blessed with the way he travels and his turn of foot. Hopefully, if we can get everything in the right order, he is going to be a big player.

“James knows Pinatubo very well, having ridden him for much of his two-year-old season including winning the Group 2 Vintage Stakes.”

Andre Fabre trains the French 2000 Guineas hero Victor Ludorum (Mickael Barzalona) and Persian King (Pierre-Charles Boudot), winner of the French Classic in 2019.

“Victor Ludorum has come out of his last race in good form and we are looking forward to seeing him back over a mile,” Fabre said.

Persian King failed to sparkle on heavy ground on his latest outing in the Group 1 Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville in August, in which he kept on in fourth behind Palace Pier.

“The Prix Jacques Le Marois was a race run under very particular circumstances and Persian King’s performance reflected that. The conditions are much more in his favour here,” Fabre added.

Challenging the Godolphin attack are a trio from Ireland led by Ger Lyons’ Irish 2000 Guineas victor Siskin.

Aidan O’Brien’s multiple Group 1 winner Circus Maximus and Ken Condon’s Romanised, winner of the Group 1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois in Deauville in 2019, are the two others.

Meanwhile, Dream Of Dreams in the silks of Dubai businessman Saeed Suhail bagged the Group 1 Sprint Cup Stakes at Haydock Park on Saturday.

The British champion jockey Oisin Murphy produced a late run on the Michael Stoute-trained six-year-old Dream Ahead gelding to win the six-furlong sprint from the Hollie Doyle-ridden Glen Shiel and Golden Horde under Adam Kirby by a length and-a-quarter and a length and-a-half respectively.