Full Stop for the Career of Camille Pissarro, the French Derby Winner

Winner of the Prix du Jockey Club, the Wootton Bassett colt sustained an injury that forced the decision

Camille Pissarro, Dual G1 Winner, Faces Early Retirement / COOLMORE

COUNTY KILDARE, Irlanda (Special for Turf Diario).-The promising Camille Pissarro (Wootton Bassett), winner of this season’s Prix du Jockey Club (G1), has been retired after sustaining a fracture to a fetlock. Trainer Aidan O’Brien described the colt as “an extremely classy horse,” praising his rare blend of speed and quality.

Purchased for 1.25 million guineas at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, the Wootton Bassett colt hinted at his potential from the outset, breaking his maiden as a juvenile before sealing top-level honors in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère (G1) late in his 2-year-old campaign. At three, he confirmed his class in France—first finishing third in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains (G1) behind stablemate Henri Matisse (Wootton Bassett), and then producing a bold inside move under Ryan Moore to land the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly by half a length over Cualificar (Lope de Vega).

His final start came in the Coral-Eclipse Stakes (G1) at Sandown on July 5, where he finished fourth behind stable companion Delacroix (Dubawi).

“In the Eclipse, he lost a shoe and Christophe [Soumillon] told me he was leaning to the left and feeling something,” O’Brien explained. “He was sore in front after the race, so we X-rayed him, but it didn’t show anything. Then we scanned him, and the fracture was detected, so he had to be retired.”

Despite a relatively short career, Camille Pissarro left an impressive résumé: three wins from 11 starts, two at G1 level, and earnings of £1,138,646. O’Brien added: “He was a top-class colt—he had speed and class. He won the Lagardère on Arc weekend and then showed everyone how good he was in the French Derby. He was very genuine.”

Bred by CN Farm Ltd., Camille Pissarro is out of the high-class Entreat (Pivotal), dam of Golden Horde (Lethal Force), winner of the Commonwealth Cup (G1), and stakes scorer Line Of Departure (Mehmas). His pedigree and racetrack performance make him a valuable stallion prospect, with stud plans to be announced in due course.

With his retirement, European racing bids farewell to a colt who combined class, speed, and memorable performances, leaving his mark on the Classics and adding yet another chapter to Aidan O’Brien’s record of developing champions. Though his path now leads away from competition, Camille Pissarro’s legacy in top-level European racing is already secure.