Whether at Longchamp in 2023 or at Saint-Cloud this year, the Prix Royal Oak seems to have become Double Major’s domain, who achieved the remarkable feat of defending his title. Guided by the expert hands of Maxime Guyon, this horse reaffirmed his standing in the last Group I race of the year in France.
Representing the iconic Wertheimer brothers’ silks, this charge of Christophe Ferland claimed the second Group I win of his career this Sunday. The first came in the same Prix Royal Oak, won on October 29, 2023. This race seems tailor-made for the son of Daiwa Major and Dancequest (Dansili), who has now become the first to secure back-to-back victories since Vazirabad in 2015-2016. Recently disappointing with a fifth-place finish in the Prix du Cadran (Gr.1), Double Major redeemed himself well on the turf of the Val d’Or.
Double Major Redeemed:
Having never finished worse than third, the Irish-bred horse opened his account in his third official outing at the ParisLongchamp racecourse, then claimed his black-type status on August 31, 2023, in the Prix Gérald De Geoffre (Prix de Lutèce), a Group III race in which he secured second place. Barely a month later, he lined up for his first Group I, the Royal Oak 2023, and clinched it with aplomb. However, his performance on October 5 in the Prix du Cadran left his connections and observers disappointed. His struggle with the 4-kilometer (2.5-mile) course turned out to be just a hiccup, swiftly corrected. Following this setback, Double Major returned to prove his quality against strong contenders, including Trueshan, a son of Planteur and Shao Line (General Holme), and Grosvenor Square, sired by the legendary Galileo. The only filly in the race, Shakti, is bred from Zarak and La Divinandra, a daughter of the esteemed Le Havre. She finished sixth in 3’35″52 under Augustin Madamet, unable to secure a top-five finish despite hitting a top speed of 37.3 mph (60.05 km/h) and an average speed of 32.3 mph (51.9 km/h) in her first attempt at this level.
The Race Data:
Compared to the 2023 edition, Double Major was relentless, completing this year’s 3,100-meter (1.9-mile) race in 3’33″16 (against last year’s 3’35″89). With eight competitors at the starting line, it was Trueshan, who ultimately finished third, who took the early lead. Dominating the first four sectors, he appeared a strong contender for victory under jockey Hollie Doyle, one of the leading female jockeys of her generation. Despite a solid performance and an average speed of 32.5 mph (52.3 km/h), Alan King’s charge could not fend off Double Major’s assault as the latter accelerated 400 meters (0.25 miles) from the finish line. Clocked at 37.1 mph (59.65 km/h) from the very first segment, Double Major maintained his pace and surged to secure the title yet again. Behind this four-year-old, Sevenna’s Knight took the runner-up spot, covering the course in 3’33″39. On heavy ground (5), both horses and jockeys gave their all in this final Group I event of the French season.
And with good reason, as this ultimate race is part of a broader rivalry: the Cravache d’Or contest and the Guyon-Barzalona duel. Riding the runner-up to Double Major in this event, Mickaël Barzalona finished behind Maxime Guyon, whom he’s also trailing in the annual jockey standings in France’s Cravache d’Or race. Both having one victory in this meeting, Maxime Guyon and Mickaël Barzalona remain neck-and-neck in the Cravache d’Or chase, set to conclude on October 31. The current leader maintains a four-win lead (188 to 184) over the next top jockey for the Aga Khan’s princely silks.
Double Major’s 2024 Prix Royal Oak double extends beyond mere victory, highlighting the combination of precise training (undertaken by Christophe Ferland in Chantilly), flawless race strategy from Maxime Guyon, and innate talent in this gelding.