O'Brien's Oratorio wins Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere

Oratorio, trained by Aidan O'Brien and ridden by Jamie Spencer, won the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp this afternoon.

Aidan O'Brien has not had the greatest of seasons by any stretch of the imagination, but things are looking up now and his Oratorio landed the money in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.

The master of Ballydoyle bagged the Middle Park with Ad Valorem at Newmarket on Friday and quickly followed up in this seven-furlong contest with his son of Danehill, who was sent off at 5-2.

Jamie Spencer was looking for racing room in the straight but a huge gap appeared on the far rail and Oratorio produced a fine turn of foot to cut down Early March and Layman in the shadow of the post.

O'Brien, previously successful in this race with Giant's Causeway (1999), Rock Of Gibraltar (2001) and Hold That Tiger (2002), said: ``He got held up after he won his Group Two at the Curragh and we were a bit worried about his fitness. We were hoping he was ready to come racing.

“He was in good form and he had been working well, but when they get a break like that you are always a bit worried. But he’s a tough horse with plenty of speed and he loves the fast ground.

“He’s a real racer with a tough constitution.”