Exciting young stallion Pinatubo continued his excellent start to the season when his three-year-old colt Croquis landed the Listed Derby du Languedoc over 2400m at Toulouse on Wednesday, 21 May. Making just his fourth start, he took his form to a new level, having finished a promising second in the Listed Prix de l’Avre at ParisLongchamp on his previous outing.
Settled in mid-division, the Christophe Ferland-trained colt was produced down the wide outside for an effort inside the final two furlongs and found plenty to collar long-time leader The Sheriff on the line.
Gets up where it matters!
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 21, 2025
Croquis flies home to collar The Sheriff on the run for the line to land Listed honours at Toulouse! 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/hpWavTia7F
Bred by Dayton Investments, the Wertheimer & Frere-owned three-year-old boasts an outstanding pedigree, being out of Galileo mare Miss Lara, whose high-class dam Miss France was a winner of the G1 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket in 2014. The dam of Miss France, Miss Tahiti, was also high-class, landing the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac as a two-year-old, before placing second in the G1 Prix de Diane.
Pinatubo is enjoying an excellent spell, having recently sired the Listed Fillies’ Trial Stakes winner Qilin Queen, who looks set to take her chance in the G1 Oaks next month. He now sits level with Frankel, New Bay and Camelot for three-year-old Stakes winners in 2025, and no other second-crop sire can better his total Stakes winners (3) or total Stakes performers (7).
