Two Key Shippers to Watch Sunday at Saint-Cloud

There are 24 British- and Irish-trained horses declared in the six group races, which includes three group 1s, at Saint-Cloud Oct. 26, making up more than half of the runners in those races. Here are two 2-year-olds you should be watching especially closely, plus quotes from their trainers on their stablemates. Puerto Rico You imagine there are a lot of expectations on Puerto Rico (IRE) from the Coolmore operation. He is a son of Wootton Bassett, their star sire who died earlier this year, from one of their leading families. His dam April Showers was no great shakes, but she is out of the same mare as classic winner Misty For Me (IRE) and Prix Marcel Boussac (G1) winner Ballydoyle (IRE). This 2-year-old has not looked back since stepping up beyond sprint trips. He landed the Champagne Stakes (G2) at Doncaster, beating Oxagon (FR), then took the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (G1) with plenty in hand at ParisLongchamp last time. He has been bet well below even money for Sunday's Criterium International (G1), a mile race that has drawn a field of seven 2-year-olds, four of them from Ballydoyle. Puerto Rico holds an Irish Two Thousand Guineas (G1) entry and, one way or another, is surely bound for the classics in the spring. A win in this race would put him in the vanguard of the winter antepost markets. Of his four contenders in the race, O'Brien said: "Puerto Rico is stepping up to a mile and we were very happy with him at Longchamp. He's come out of it very well and everything has gone well with him since. "Piazza San Marco and Port of Spain are both coming back in distance and have come out of Leopardstown in good form. New Zealand ran a very good race at Newmarket but still looked very green, so we thought this experience would do him good for next year." Pierre Bonnard Nominated by Tom Segal as a classic winner waiting to happen after he scored on Future Champions Weekend at Newmarket, Pierre Bonnard (IRE) has since been carried to near the head of the Epsom Derby (G1) betting. If things go right for him in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud (G1) Sunday, the Camelot (GB) colt could be Derby favorite by teatime. His route to this point is a little unorthodox. He won his maiden at Dundalk, then the Zetland Stakes over 1 1/4 miles at Newmarket—the same distance as Sunday's race, which drew 11 runners, again four of them trained by O'Brien. Pierre Bonnard might not have been in Aidan O'Brien's A team before the Zetland, but he might be there now. O'Brien has won this race with classy Fame And Glory and Los Angeles (IRE). "We were delighted Pierre Bonnard at Newmarket," O'Brien said. "Obviously today, the ground will be a little bit different but he's in good form since and we thought this experience would do him good. "Christmas Day is an improving horse and got the trip well at Leopardstown the last day. Endorsement ran a very good race at Newmarket and we think he'll handle more ease in the ground as well. We were a bit disappointed with Isaac Newton the last day but we think there's more in there. We don't think we've seen it yet so we're going to learn more about him." The third group 1 on Sunday's card is the Prix Royal-Oak (G1) for older horses going a mile and 7 1/2 furlongs. Caballo de Mar (IRE) heads the betting.