The Group I Prix du Jockey Club (2100m) was run at Longchamp overnight with a dominant win for unbeaten Lope de Vega colt Look de Vega, who was having his first start in a stakes race.
Trained by Carlos and Yann Lerner, Look de Vega won his only start leas season at two and resumed this year to win at Longchamp over 2000m earning a shot at the Derby at just his third start.
Ridden by Ronan Thomas, who steered him to victory in both previous wins, Look de Vega was strong to the line winning by two lengths over another Lope de Vega colt in First Look.
Look de Vega emulated the success of his sire Lope de Vega and grand-sire Shamardal, who also won the Prix du Jockey Club.
“I am so excited and so happy–this horse is a machine,” Carlos Lerner said.
“I have always had in the back of my mind that he would be a top horse and now I can say he is the best I ever trained. Twenty three years is a long wait to come across a top one again, but we have been lucky. He will stay further–he is in the Arc and that will be his target.”
Bred by Haras de la Morsangliere, the colt made € 160,000 at the Arqana Deauville August Yearling with his breeders retaining an interest in his ownership.
Look de Vega is the best of four winners from winning High Chaparral mare Lucelle, a half-sister to Group II winner The Black Princess from the family of Group I French Derby winner Lawman and French Oaks winner Latice.
He is the 130th stakes-winner and 21st Group I winner for Ballylinch Stud’s Lope de Vega, who shuttled to Australia in the early years of his stud career and now stands at a fee of €125,000.
Look de Vega also gives outstanding sire High Chaparral a 15th Group I winner as a broodmare sire.
The nick between the two sires has produced five winners from eight runners with another Group II winning colt Iberian bred the same way.
