Christopher Head

Eleven fillies will head postward for Sunday's G1 Prix de Diane Longines at Chantilly after declarations were confirmed Thursday morning. Ryan Moore is set to partner G1 Prix Marcel Boussac and G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine, and likely favourite, Diamond Necklace (St Mark's Basilica), who has drawn stall three. Her Aidan O'Brien stablemate Moments Of Joy (Justify) will exit stall eight under Wayne Lordan. "Everything has gone well with Diamond Necklace since she won the French Guineas and I've been very happy with her," O'Brien commented, "The plan was...

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...

Saint-Cloud's Prix Chapeau Rouge maiden had gone the way of subsequent top-level performers Zulu Kingdom (Ten Sovereigns), Alcantor (New Bay) and Arapaho (Lope De Vega) in recent years and Christopher Head trainee Avec Toi (No Nay Never) added his name to an illustrious list with a TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard, performance in Tuesday's latest renewal of the seven-furlong newcomers' test. Coolmore and Westerberg's Kentucky-bred becomes the 14th Rising Star for his sire. "This is our first two-year-old winner of the year, I think he's a very good colt...

The Wertheimers unveiled a smart prospect on Friday as Turbulente (Australia) scored in style on debut at Chantilly. Sent off at 5-1 for the 9 1/2-furlong contest on the Polytrack, the Christopher Head-trained relative of the Melbourne Cup-winning champion Americain (Dynaformer) shadowed the early leader before taking control two out en route to a comfortable two-length success from the experienced Persian Grace (Persian King). The winner, whose family also features the Prix Marcel Boussac runner-up Tasmania (Zoffany), holds an entry in the Prix de Diane. The Listed-winning dam's two-year-old colt is...

The multiple Group winner Topgear has been retired from racing and will stand at Capital Stud for the 2026 breeding season. The son of Wootton Bassett will command a fee of €7,500. Topgear was unbeaten in three starts as a juvenile for trainer Fabrice Chappet, culminating with a narrow success in the G3 Prix Eclipse at Chantilly. Transferred to the care of Christopher Head after failing to add to his tally in six starts the following season, the Hisaaki Saito-owned colt then peaked towards the end of his four-year-old campaign...

This year's G1 Prix de la Foret winner Maranoa Charlie has been retired from racing and will stand at Tally-Ho Stud in 2026. Trained by Christopher Head, Maranoa Charlie was beaten just once in four starts as a two-year-old, notably winning the G3 Prix Thomas Bryon at Saint-Cloud by eight lengths. "I don't think I've ever trained a horse like Maranoa Charlie, one with his desire to run and who can take the others on like that," said Head in the aftermath of that impressive victory. "He gets better with...

In many ways, the seven-furlong G1 Qatar Prix de la Foret around ParisLongchamp's bends was tailor-made for Maranoa Charlie (Wootton Bassett) and with the all-important draw and testing ground in his favour he was able to produce a career-defining performance on what looks to be his swansong. While this is a 'Win And You're In' for the Breeders' Cup Mile, the chances are we have seen the last of Bond Thoroughbred's high-powered cruiser who had so long promised to live up to his status as a TDN Rising Star, presented...

Hisaaki Saito's Waybreaker (Galiway), who backed up a debut win at Deauville in August with a fifth back there in the Listed Criterium du Fonds Europeen de l'Elevage later that month, made the leap forward and secured a first black-type triumph in Friday's G3 Prix de Conde Jockey Club de Turquie at Saint-Cloud, a contest won last year by G1 Derby runner-up and G1 Irish Derby third Lazy Griff (Protectionist). "He looked real well in his work at home, but we never got to the bottom of why he ran...

Alain and Gerard Wertheimer's hitherto undefeated Green Spirit (Kingman) made a black-type breakthrough in last month's G3 Prix Six Perfections and provided her owner-breeders, trainer Christopher Head and jockey Maxime Guyon with a quickfire pattern-race double when dominating the closing stages of Thursday's G2 Prix d'Aumale at ParisLongchamp. "She is all class and always does the minimum," reflected Head. "I wasn't worried seeing her race in last as I think, ultimately, she will have to be ridden like that. It was really, or at least it looked like, a perfect...

Not seen since snagging July's Listed Prix Roland de Chambure, Alain and Gerard Wertheimer homebred Nighttime (Wootton Bassett) continued on the upgrade with a first pattern-race triumph in Thursday's G3 Prix La Rochette at ParisLongchamp. "Nighttime confirmed today everything he had shown in his previous starts--quality and class," said Christopher Head. "He has the speed to do well over that distance and Wootton Bassett is an amazing sire. Beforehand, it was the intention to go for the [G1] Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and now, more than ever, we want to go....

Leaving it late to extend her unbeaten record on Sunday, the Wertheimers' Green Spirit (Kingman) was in front where it mattered at the death in Deauville's G3 Sky Sports Racing Prix Six Perfections. Successful twice at Saint-Cloud in May and June, the Christopher Head-trained homebred needed every yard of the seven-furlong trip to reel in the Albany third Balantina (Ten Sovereigns) but was favoured by the bob to register a short-head success as the Aga Khan Studs TDN Rising Star Narissa (Siyouni) finished 1 1/2 lengths away in third. "She...

Last month's G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches demotee Shes Perfect (Sioux Nation) heads a field of one dozen contenders for Sunday's G1 Prix de Diane Longines after Thursday morning's final declarations were announced for the €1-million Chantilly Classic. Basher Watts Racing's Charlie Fellowes trainee, who has drawn stall seven, will be reopposed by Princess Zahra Aga Khan's TDN Rising Star and Pouliches third Mandanaba (Ghaiyyath), who will emerge from stall 10. Mandanaba will be accompanied by Francis Graffard stablemates Cankoura (Persian King) and G2 Prix Saint-Alary victrix Gezora (Almanzor), who...