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Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes (Group 2) (Colts & Geldings)

  • Prize money: £141775
  • 1m 3f 188y
  • Class 1
  • 6 runners
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Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes (Group 2) (Colts & Geldings)

Runners: 6 runners

Type: Flat Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Light rain

Form: 1-1312 D

Last run: 52 days

W: 9st 7lb

3 yo Colt

OR: 118

Form & Verdict
Galloped on relentlessly to win the Derby from Maltese Cross at Epsom, where nearly all the others sank without trace in the gruelling conditions, and ran just as well when he was again ridden prominently to finish second in the Irish Derby at the Curragh (1m4f, good; unraced on firmer) three weeks later, a neck in front of Pierre Bonnard; both of those rivals reoppose and he's now 5lb worse off with Pierre Bonnard, but won't go down without a fight.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2nd

4

(6)

28th Jun 2026

Good To Firm

1m 4f 0y

16:35 Curragh

Christmas Day

9st 2lb

J: Ronan Whelan

T: A P O’Brien

Maiden success was on heavy going and Group 3 Leopardstown win last October was on good-to-yielding; same going description when landing Group 3 Ballysax at Leopardstown, with James J Braddock back in fifth; outpaced on better ground when third in the Dante, 1 3/4l behind runner-up Action; rose to the occasion when prominently ridden in the Derby, with soft ground evidently in his favour; different conditions now, but his established stamina is a significant positive.

9/2

1st

8

(5)

6th Jun 2026

Good To Soft

1m 4f 6y

Class 1

16:00 Epsom

Christmas Day

9st 2lb

J: Ronan Whelan

T: A P O’Brien

Maiden success was on heavy going; Group 3 Ballysax at Leopardstown (1m2f, good to yielding) on April reappearance made it three wins in a row and his Dante third at York (10.2f, good) next time was at least as good on form; while lacking anything like the same dash as winner Item at York, and also unable to get to grips with stablemate Action, he did plug on as if 1m4f could help; it clearly needs to.

16/1

Form: 1-1121 D

Last run: 36 days

W: 9st 7lb

3 yo Colt

OR: 115

Form & Verdict
His only defeat this season came at the hands of Christmas Day when second, beaten two and three-quarter lengths, in the Derby at Epsom (1m4f, soft); snatched the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp (1m4f, good to firm) from the fire after trouble in running five weeks ago; has 5lb penalty but every race has brought improvement.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2nd

11

(1)

6th Jun 2026

Good To Soft

1m 4f 6y

Class 1

16:00 Epsom

Maltese Cross

9st 2lb

J: Tom Marquand

T: William Haggas

Debut was on soft; all four of his races were tight finishes and he won the last three; pulled it out of the fire against useful rivals in a valuable novice event at Newbury (1m2f, good) and narrowly maintained an advantage over Bay Of Brilliance as the pair drew clear in a ding-dong battle for the Lingfield Derby Trial (11.6f, good to firm) four weeks ago; his pedigree is all about 1m4f, including with his sire and dam's sire both Derby winners, and he also shapes as if every yard today will suit; needs to pull out more again but has to be in each-way calculations.

9/1

1st

6

(3)

9th May 2026

Good To Firm

1m 3f 133y

Class 1

13:58 Lingfield

Maltese Cross

9st 2lb

J: Tom Marquand

T: William Haggas

Went close on debut at Ascot (1m, soft) and beat notable rivals in a Newmarket maiden (1m, good) later in September; favourite for a valuable novice event at Newbury (1m2f, good) three weeks ago and battled his way to another narrow win, in a blanket finish but there's a good chance he will come on from that run and be suited by this longer trip (very much supported by pedigree); firmly in the mix.

5/2

OUR TIP

Form: 0-4410

Last run: 52 days

W: 9st 2lb

3 yo Colt

OR: 87

Form & Verdict
Twice made the running, including for 1m2f maiden win at Fairyhouse in June; disappointing on handicap debut next time and, as an inferior stablemate to two of the star acts in this field, probably set for front-running duties.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

12th

5

(2)

28th Jun 2026

Good To Firm

1m 1f 0y

17:15 Curragh

Antigua

9st 5lb

J: Ryan Moore

T: A P O’Brien

Modest form at two but shaped better when fourth in maidens at Leopardstown on first two runs this season; 1m4f seemed to stretch him; tongue-tie and blinkers seemed to do the trick in a 1m2f maiden at Fairyhouse; this trip may be a shade shorter than ideal

6/1

1st

1

(2)

5th Jun 2026

Good

1m 1f 190y

19:09 Fairyhouse

Antigua

9st 8lb

J: Jack Cleary

T: A P O’Brien

Rated 84; poor form at two but shaped better when fourth in maidens at Leopardstown in two runs this season; 1m4f seemed to stretch him latest when weakening under 2f out under a positive ride; tongue tie and blinkers replace cheekpieces; should go well dropped back in trip.

9/4

Form: 4162 D

Last run: 41 days

W: 9st 2lb

3 yo Colt

OR: 106

Form & Verdict
Steady improver in four-race career and he keeps on well for pressure, but this summer's 3l sixth of 11 at Royal Ascot (1m6f Group 2) and half-length second of five at Newmarket (1m5f Group 3, again good to firm) do not suggest he's a match for today's principals at 1m4f.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price
No Results Found

Form: 1-7273

Last run: 52 days

W: 9st 2lb

3 yo Colt

OR: 116

Form & Verdict
Looked every inch a serious Derby prospect last term, which he failed to confirm behind two of these in the mud at Epsom this June but the Irish Derby at the Curragh (1m4f, good) three weeks later addressed the doubts when he rallied well to finish just a neck behind runner-up Christmas Day; as he receives 5lb today from that rival and from Maltese Cross, that career-best performance puts him clear top on form.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3rd

6

(1)

28th Jun 2026

Good To Firm

1m 4f 0y

16:35 Curragh

Pierre Bonnard

9st 2lb

J: Wayne Lordan

T: A P O’Brien

Asserted late on to finish firmly on top last October in two 1m2f Pattern events, the Group 3 Zetland Stakes at Newmarket (good to firm) and Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud (very soft); 3yo campaign got off to a low-key start behind Christmas Day in the Ballysax at Leopardstown; much more like it when second to James J Braddock in the Derby Trial at the same venue; jury is out following a short-lived Derby challenge.

12/1

7th

12

(8)

6th Jun 2026

Good To Soft

1m 4f 6y

Class 1

16:00 Epsom

Pierre Bonnard

9st 2lb

J: Christophe Soumillon

T: A P O’Brien

Asserted late on to finish firmly on top last October in a Group 3 at Newmarket (good to firm) and Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud (very soft) and they were over 1m2f; 3yo campaign got off to a muted start but he briefly hit the front in Derby Trial at Leopardstown before James J Braddock swooped and Aidan O'Brien has stressed that he went gently with him at home until after that race; his sire and dam's sire were Derby winners (dam won 1m2f Group 1 Nassau) and he now moves up from 1m2f; he looked every inch a serious Derby contender last term and that's probably still the impression to go with.

6/1

Form: 4-111

Last run: 33 days

W: 9st 2lb

3 yo Colt

OR: 104

Form & Verdict
1,100,000gns yearling; won over 1m2f in a maiden at Leicester and novice at Newmarket, making all in the latter; passed a much tougher test with flying colours when 11-10 favourite for Listed race at Hamilton (1m3f, good to firm) in July, coming from fifth of six to assert gradually in the final 2f; keeps looking capable of better but today's company demands great deal more again.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1st

2

(1)

17th Jul 2026

Good To Firm

1m 3f 15y

Class 1

19:50 Hamilton

Superior Choice

9st 7lb

J: Shane Foley

T: John & Thady Gosden

Built upon the promise of his sole 2yo run to win Leicester maiden (1m2f, good to firm) on reappearance, and he followed up in a small-field novice at Newmarket (1m2f, good) last month; today is a much tougher test of his credentials but this blue-blooded colt may well be up to the task.

Evs

1st

1

(4)

19th Jun 2026

Good

1m 2f 0y

Class 3

17:25 Newmarket (July)

Superior Choice

9st 11lb

J: Shane Foley

T: John & Thady Gosden

1,100,000gns yearling; Dubawi filly out of 1m6f Group 1 winner; made a promising start when fourth at Newmarket last October and he built on that when scoring in good style on his reappearance at Leicester (1m2f, good to firm) in April; has a penalty but he's open to more progress and the Gosden yard has won this in four times since 2019.

5/6

Betting Forcast

5/2 Christmas Day, 2/1 Maltese Cross, 100/1 Antigua, 14/1 Galiyan, 3/1 Pierre Bonnard, 11/2 Superior Choice

Verdict

It was an interesting question whether Ryan Moore would ride Christmas Day, who won the Derby and was second in the Irish Derby, on neither occasion under him, or PIERRE BONNARD who has not won this season but finished a neck behind Christmas Day in the Irish Derby and is now weighted to reverse the placings. In the event, the weights-and-measures argument has been ignored and he is on board Christmas Day, but receiving 5lb still makes a pretty good case for Pierre Bonnard who seems to have come to himself a bit later in the season than his stablemate. Derby runner-up Maltese Cross keeps getting better and of course needs major respect but he too concedes 5lb to the selection, so he is a close third on the list. Superior Choice is an exciting prospect but this is a stiff introduction to Group races, in which Galiyan has already come up short.[Richard Austen]

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

Pierre Bonnard

NEWMARKET:

Maltese Cross

LAMBOURN:

Galiyan

The Star:

Superior Choice

POSTDATA:

Christmas Day

Daily Mail:

Galiyan

Telegraph:

Maltese Cross

The Guardian:

Maltese Cross

The Sun:

Maltese Cross

Daily Record:

Maltese Cross

RP RATINGS:

Pierre Bonnard

TOPSPEED:

Pierre Bonnard

The Times:

Pierre Bonnard

D Express:

Pierre Bonnard

Daily Mirror:

Pierre Bonnard