Lazzat sets up Goodwood date as Jerome Reynier eyes huge end-of-season prize in Australia

Lazzat made it five wins from as many starts after he shrugged off a penalty and turned away the challenge of Havana Cigar to win the Group 3 Prix Paul de Moussac over seven furlongs.

In doing so he gave trainer Jerome Reynier a timely confidence-boost ahead of Royal Ascot, where he will be represented by Facteur Cheval, Darlinghurst and Zarakem. 

For owner-breeder Nurlan Bizakov, the dream of heading to Sydney for the A$10,000,000 (£5.2m/€6.1m) Golden Eagle on November 2 is firmly alive with the three-year-old son of Territories.

"I think that will have done him a lot of good because he's only just learning to battle," said Reynier. "He was able to follow his pacemaker, whereas previously he's had to make his own running and he wouldn't have learned as much by doing that again today.

"We've all sorts of plans and options. If our long-term objective is to go to Sydney for the Golden Eagle, I need to try to avoid him getting involved in any really tough fights."

Jerome Reynier with Lazzat after winning at LongchampCredit: Racing Post/Burton

Paddy Power cut Lazzat to 10-1 (from 14) for the Qatar Sussex Stakes, though he could take in another Goodwood prize 24 hours earlier to leave the way open for last year's runner-up Facteur Cheval to be the stable's representative in that race.

"I think maybe the Lennox Stakes might be the right fit, as opposed to taking on hardened older sprinters in the Prix Maurice de Gheest," said Reynier. "However, he has the French premiums, so that race has its attractions.

"If we want to go to Australia, we have to use the next race in the best way possible as his prep for that, because after that he'll have two weeks of quarantine in Newmarket and the same at the other end of the flight. 

"It's quite an epic undertaking but it's 1,500 metres [seven and a half furlongs] going right handed and he'd be taking on southern hemisphere four-year-olds with a pull at the weights, so why not give it a try?"

La Coupe for Calif

Carlos and Yann Lerner continued to surf the wave of their Prix du Jockey Club victory by striking in the Group 3 La Coupe with Calif on his first start for the yard.

Calif surged to the front under Alexis Pouchin inside the two-furlong pole and held off the challenge of the long-absent Al Hakeem.

Yann Lerner (second left) and his father Carlos (holding trophy) with Calif after victory in La CoupeCredit: Racing Post/Burton

Carlos Lerner said: "He's a different horse with the blinkers on and we were given some confidence because he did a racecourse gallop before the Jockey Club with Look De Vega. Seeing what he did last Sunday, we decided it wasn't a bad line of form!"

Runner-up Al Hakeem looked to have a huge future when fourth to Alpinista in the 2022 Arc, but he had not been seen since picking up an injury on his return to action last April.

"He looked to get down and work very well there and clearly still has the will to run," said Jean-Bernard Roth, assistant to trainer Jean-Claude Rouget. 

"I don't think he was all that short of work but we didn't want him to have a hard race and, while we'll have to see how he comes out of today, that was very reassuring for everyone."

Read more: 

'He's been visited by a lot of people' - suitors queue up for Look De Vega as French Derby hero's options are assessed 

'He was sensational' - Look De Vega powers past Prix du Jockey Club rivals to maintain unbeaten record 

Sign up to receive On The Nose, our essential daily newsletter, from the Racing Post. Your unmissable morning feed, direct to your email inbox every morning.