Moutonshoek’s successful stallion The United States hails from an outstanding female line, and this remarkable family got another notable boost on Sunday.
Top-class three-year-old Henri Matisse, whose third dam Mill Princess is the fourth dam of The United States, showed his class when he won Sunday’s G1 Emirates Poule d’ Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas).

Aidan O’Brien picked up a sixth French 2000 Guineas though it was far from plain sailing for 9/4 favourite Henri Matisse who had favourite backers sweating in what was an odd race to the eye as Dos Mukasan set a strong tempo in the early stages before Misunderstood and Serengeti pressed on before halfway in a stretched-out field.

Last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Henri Matisse had plenty of ground to make up under Ryan Moore turning for home as the Andrew Balding-trained Jonquil took over the running under Oisin Murphy with two furlongs to go.

However, the Ballydoyle runner picked up very well and hit the front a furlong out. Jonquil rallied once headed, however, and only went down by a narrow margin at the line.

A tilt at the G1 St James’s Palace Stakes could be next for Henri Matisse.

A colt by Wootton Bassett (also the sire of Poulains third place finisher Camille Pissarro), Henri Matisse has won six of eight starts.

He is out of the top-class Pivotal (also broodmare sire of The United States) mare Immortal Verse, winner of both the G1 Coronation Stakes and G1 Prix Jacques le Marois. An outstanding producer, Immortal Verse is also the dam of dual G1 winner Tenebrism and G2 winner Statuette.

His G1 Ranvet Stakes winning relative The United States came up with a pair of winners over the past weekend, with the chestnut’s son House Of Sussex scoring at Fairview on Friday and another son, Navajo Nation, winning at Turffontein on Sunday.