By Tom Frary
Jean-Claude Rouget's health issues are well-documented, but at the end of a troubled year the stable favourite Arrow Eagle (Gleneagles) swooped to conquer to raise morale in the G1 Prix Royal-Oak at Saint-Cloud. A highly respectable sixth in the Arc, Waltraut Spanner's homebred half-brother to the illustrious Ace Impact showed no ill-effects of that recent effort when storming by Queenstown (Galileo) and dominating the final furlong.
At the line, the 11-5 favourite had registered an authoritative two-length success from that Ballydoyle outsider, with Sevenna's Knight (Camelot) a short head away in third. For rider Cristian Demuro, who will win the Crevache d'Or for being France's leading jockey in 2025, the result carried extra weight. “It's a pleasure to be part of this family, I won the Arc de Triomphe and many Group 1s on his brother and now this horse has won a Group 1 as well.”
“All the time we thought this horse could be a good stayer and we tried today–he liked the left-handed track and did everything very easily,” he added. “I had the perfect trip and coming into the straight I was going really easily–when I pulled him out, he showed a good turn of foot. We've taken time to find his optimum conditions, but he is improving race-by-race.”
One of Rouget's flagbearers this year, Arrow Eagle had won four on the bounce prior to running below-par in the Prix Foy and running above himself in the Arc. His two defeats of the subsequent Preis von Europa winner Sibayan in the Prix d'Hedouville and Grand Prix de Chantilly marked him as one of his country's leading middle-distance performers and this move into new territory saw him elevate his status further.
Rouget's long-serving assistant Jean-Rene Dubosc confirmed that he will be put away until 2026. “Last time he pushed himself a bit too hard and it was only a question of the quick turnaround, but we have n excellent team and the step up in trip suited him well today,” he said. “He will now head off for a break until April.”
Arrow Eagle comes home best of all to win the Group One Prix Royal-Oak at Saint-Cloud! 🏆🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/AapqhopcG9
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 26, 2025
Pedigree Notes
Arrow Eagle, who becomes the fifth Group 1 winner for his sire, is further proof that the Listed-placed Absolutly Me (Anabaa Blue) is a stellar broodmare. Few can follow producing an unbeaten Arc and Prix du Jockey Club hero such as Cracksman's Ace Impact so quickly with another winner at the top level and she is also responsible for two Listed performers in Alessandro (Australia) and Apollo Flight (Rock Of Gibraltar).
From the family of the international heavyweights Ibn Bey and Teleprompter and the Yorkshire Oaks heroine Roseate Tern who produced smart types for Shadwell, Absolutly Me has a yearling colt by Almanzor named Akeno and a colt foal by Frankel to come.
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