First European Group I Winner for American Pharoah
Triple Crown hero American Pharoah sired his first European Group I winner in France when blue-blooded colt Van Gogh (2c American Pharoah x Imagine, by Sadler's Wells) captured the Group I Criterium International (1m) at Saint-Cloud.
Trained by Aidan O’Brien for the Coolmore partners, Van Gogh has been very progressive this year and brought good form into the race having been Group placed in two of his past three starts on either side of a strong maiden win at The Curragh.
He powered clear for Pierre-Charles Boudot to win by four lengths running away, his overall record now two wins and three seconds from seven starts.
Van Gogh is a half-brother to Group I winner Horatio Nelson, who won the same race as a two year-old, as well as Group I winners Viscount Nelson, Kitty Matchem and Point Piper being the tenth winner from Sadler’s Wells’ Group I Epsom Oaks winner Imagine.
He is the 11th stakes-winner worldwide for American Pharoah and is his second Group I winner joining Harvey’s Lil Goil, who won the Group I Keeneland Queen Elizabeth II Challenge in the US earlier this month.
American Pharoah is back in Australia this spring at a fee of $55,000 and will have his first Australian runners here this season.