Prix Royal-Oak (Group 1)

The Wertheimer brothers Gerard and Alain, whose fortune derives from the Chanel fashion house, and Christophe Ferland, one of their trainers, have experienced some thin times of late.

So last Sunday at ParisLongchamp was a significant day for them as Double Major ran away with the final Group 1 race of the French season, the mile, seven furlongs and 110 yards Prix Royal-Oak.

Having suffered a five-year drought, this was the Wertheimers’ second top level victory of the month, while Ferland was ending a barren patch at the highest level that stretched back for a decade.

Given the surfeit of other big races staged on Arc weekend, Double Major, an Irish-bred son of DaIwa Major, made a modest impact when breaking his stakes race duck by holding off the Dermot Weld-trained Harbour Wind by three-quarters of a length in the Group 2 Prix Chaudenay four weeks earlier.

That was on fast ground, but he clearly relished this switch to a much more testing surface. He made virtually all the running prior to storming clear to register a seven and a half-length victory over Skazino, who was repeating his placing of two years previously, with Tashkan proving the pick of three British runners in third, another three-quarters of a length adrift.

“That was quite something, wasn’t it?,” said Ferland. “Double Major was so delicate as a young horse that he didn’t make his debut until March but he has done nothing but improve since, both physically and mentally. Winning the Chaudenay was a big deal and I was so relieved that he was withdrawn from the Arc Sale that evening, I didn’t want to lose him. He has earned a rest now and I will then start mapping out his 2024 programme with his owners, and see if we want to think about a trip to Dubai.”

Three-year-olds have a good recent record in this event and Double Major, the only member of an 11-strong field from the classic generation, was making the most of an 8lb weight allowance.