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SARGA.CO - Double Major, the unconventional son of Japanese champion Daiwa Major, has been retired from horse racing after a seventh-place finish in the G1 Prix Royal-Oak at Saint-Cloud on 25 October 2026.
Trained by Christophe Ferland and raced by Wertheimer & Frère, the six-year-old was one of France’s leading stayers, winning the Prix Royal-Oak in both 2023 and 2024. His retirement ends a career of consistency, with two top-level triumphs at long distance.
"Today will be his last race. He has raced 31 times (with 9 wins) and has only finished 6th or lower twice. He is a wonderful horse, has won two G1 races, and has worked very hard for a long time," said Ferland after the 2026 Prix Royal-Oak.
The Stayer Who Made His Mark in France
Double Major’s sire, Daiwa Major, was a five-time G1 winner in Japan and a two-time JRA Best Sprinter or Miler. A son of Sunday Silence, Daiwa Major built a successful stallion career, producing major winners in Japan and abroad. As such, Double Major became his sire’s first European G1 winner.
Out of Dancequest, a daughter of Dansili, Double Major also came from a distinguished Wertheimer family with established G1 success in its female line.
When Double Major first won the Prix Royal-Oak at ParisLongchamp in October 2023, he did so by seven and a half lengths. The run marked his arrival among Europe’s elite stayers and added a major international win to his Japanese sire’s record.
Upon returning to defend his title in 2024, he delivered again. Ridden by Maxime Guyon, Double Major chased the pace before blasting ahead in the straight to defeat Sevenna’s Knight by a length and a quarter, with established stayer Trueshan in third.
The back-to-back victories placed Double Major among a select group of horses to win the Prix Royal-Oak twice. The historic G1, first run in 1861, is one of France’s foremost staying contests and tests horses over a marathon distance of 3,100 metres.
A Consistent Career Concludes
Double Major’s final season included more top-flight appearances, but his farewell was at the Prix Royal-Oak, the race of his greatest achievements. On 25 October, he finished seventh behind Aidan O’Brien’s Queenstown, who won the 2026 edition at Saint-Cloud.
The result was a rare finish outside the top five for a horse with a notably reliable record. According to Ferland, Double Major won 9 races in 31 starts, only finishing sixth or worse twice.
His retirement ends a career that connected Japan’s influence on international breeding with France’s tradition of long-distance racing. Although Double Major will no longer compete, his two Prix Royal-Oaks remain the defining achievements of a durable and accomplished stayer.
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