The Lion In Winter Next Race: Goodwood or Deauville on agenda

July 7, 2025

The Lion In Winter’s next target is either Goodwood or Deauville according to his trainer Aidan O’Brien following a bounceback run in France.

The three-year-old returned to form with a bronze medal in the Prix Jean Prat at Deauville on Sunday, beaten a quarter of a length by Woodshauna as he tackled seven furlongs for the first time since his juvenile campaign.

Through the winter he was the clear ante-post favourite for the Epsom Derby and English 2,000 Guineas before a disappointing, albeit excusable showing on reappearance in the Dante Stakes at York in May pushed him down the pecking order at Ballydoyle.

After winning at the Curragh on debut last August, he improved to land the Acomb Stakes at York a month later – beating subsequent Guineas hero Ruling Court – but was shut down the for season with a setback prior to an intended crack at the Dewhurst Stakes.

The son of Sea The Stars was the stable third string on the day at Epsom, a well-beaten 14th of 18 when failing to stay the 1m 4f trip and corroborating O’Brien’s initial suspicions that he would be more effective at a shorter distance.

The Tipperary-based handler had always insisted The Lion In Winter worked like a miler but due to his pedigree by a Derby and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner, his owners at Coolmore opted to roll the dice.

A third-place finish in the hands of Ryan Moore at Deauville was a promising result to get his career back on track, staying on strongly after coming under pressure early and shaping as if he will improve in abundance for an extra furlong.

WATCH: The Lion In Winter’s third-place finish in the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat

WOODSHAUNA WINS THE PRIX JEAN PRAT! pic.twitter.com/LV5oMMdCJ3

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) July 6, 2025

O’Brien told the Racing Post: “I’m very happy, he ran a very good race. He has plenty of speed and has the choice of the Sussex or coming back here for the mile race [Jacques le Marois], depending on how he is.”

The colt will take on the mile division next with his two options the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood on Wednesday, July 30 or the Prix Jacques le Marois back at Deauville on Sunday, August 17.

The Lion In Winter is as big as 12/1 to win the Sussex Stakes with the best horse racing betting sites, where he could face St James’s Palace Stakes hero Field Of Gold – the top-rated three-year-old in Europe.

His end-of-season target could be something like the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on British Champions Day in October, potentially following in the footsteps of last year’s winner Charyn who won the Jacques le Marois as well.