By Sean Cronin
Christopher Head trainee and G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere runner-up Nighttime (Wootton Bassett) may have hit a bump in the road when sixth in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains, but he remains firmly on course for next month's G1 Prix Jean Prat after overcoming eight foes in Sunday's G2 Prix Paul de Moussac at ParisLongchamp.
“I am so happy because I love to see sons of Wootton Bassett win Group races at Longchamp,” the winning trainer reflected after following up last year's success of Maranoa Charlie, who is also a son of the ill-fated Coolmore sire. “He's really a very nice horse, he's been incredible as a two-year-old and he's becoming more incredible at three. I can't wait to see him in his next race, which will be the [July 12 G1] Prix Jean Prat [at Deauville]. That's what we're concentrating on for now.”
Last term's G3 Prix La Rochette winner and 11-5 favourite was swiftly into stride and stalked Imperior (Siyouni) in second from flagfall. Looming large going well with three furlongs remaining, he inched ahead passing the quarter-mile marker and refused to yield under final-furlong rousting, hitting the line with a 3/4-of-a-length buffer back to Listed Criterium du Languedoc victor Go Man (Goken).
The Francis Graffard-trained Listed Prix du Pont Neuf winner Synarana (Mehmas) was hampered on the turn for home and fairly flew home down the outside to be an unlucky-in-running close-up third.
Class prevails!
Nighttime was an eye-catcher in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains last time out and returns to winning ways in the Group Two Prix Paul De Moussac… 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/hNdohlpsuF
— Sky Sports Racing (@SkySportsRacing) June 7, 2026
Pedigree Notes
Nighttime, one of his sire's 60 pattern-race winners, is the third of five foals and the leading performer produced by a full-sister to Listed Height Of Fashion Stakes winner and G2 Ribblesdale Stakes runner-up Mori (Frankel).
His dam Daytime (Frankel) is also kin to G3 Sandown Classic Trial and G3 N E Manion Cup victor Midterm (Galileo), stakes-winning G3 Musidora Stakes second Noon Star (Galileo) and the dual stakes-placed Indelible (Shamardal).
Nighttime, whose second dam is multiple Group 1-winning distaffer Midday (Oasis Dream), is a half-brother to G3 Prix Cleopatre victrix Halfday (Lope De Vega). He is also kin to the hitherto unraced two-year-old colt Araki (Zarak), a yearling colt by Zarak and weanling filly by Kingman.
Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
PRIX PAUL DE MOUSSAC-G2, €119,000, ParisLongchamp, 6-7, 3yo/up, 7fT, 1:18.86, g/s.
1–NIGHTTIME (FR), 126, c, 3, by Wootton Bassett (GB)
1st Dam: Daytime (GB), by Frankel (GB)
2nd Dam: Midday (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB)
3rd Dam: Midsummer (GB), by Kingmambo
O/B-Wertheimer & Frere; T-Christopher Head; J-Maxime Guyon. €67,830. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Fr, 8-4-3-0, €260,660. *1/2 to Halfday (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), GSW-Fr. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Go Man (Fr), 126, c, 3, Goken (Fr)–Lady Lilnoi (GB), by Night Of Thunder (Ire). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€15,000 Ylg '24 ARQAUG; €210,000 RNA 2yo '25 ARQARC). O-Christian Faure, Jean-Michel Lefebvre, Richard Chotard, Osman Nuri Calik, Serge Tardy & Serge Mayan; B-Louis Baudron & Guy Pariente Holding; T-Richard Chotard. €26,180.
3–Synaran (Ire), 126, g, 3, Mehmas (Ire)–Syrdarya (Fr), by Invincible Spirit (Ire). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O/B-Aga Khan Studs; T-Francis-Henri Graffard. €12,495.
Margins: 3/4, HF, 3/4. Odds: 2.20, 17.00, 2.80.
Also Ran: Afandy (Fr), Imperior (Fr), Canalejas (Fr), Cielo Di Roma (Fr), Pitch Perfect (Fr), Good Bye Manu (Ire).
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