Europe's Derby circuit heads from Epsom to Chantilly in the space of 24 hours, with Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club offering a different type of test to its English counterpart without compromising on the degree of challenge. Run right-handed over 10 1/2 furlongs, with the draw all-important heading straight to the first turn, the €1.5 million prize is on its own as a unique “Derby” experience. Since the distance was shortened–controversially to some–from the traditional mile and a half in 2005, a trio of colts have completed a Classic double having also conquered the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains in Shamardal, Lope de Vega (Ire) and Brametot (Ire) (Rajsaman {Fr}). Fortunately, the Coolmore-Ballydoyle axis have long been committed to trying for that feat with the current ParisLongchamp mile Classic hero St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). This race will be staged on a similarly testing surface to that which he relished in the May 16 feature and his draw in two is a significant aid especially as some of his key rivals are out wide.
Despite having won the G1 Dewhurst S. and the Poulains, there is a sense that St Mark's Basilica remains an unknown quantity and Aidan O'Brien was giving nothing away on Saturday. “He's been lovely since the Guineas and it was always the plan to go back to France for the French Derby, so that's where he is,” he said. “We're very happy with him since and looking forward to seeing him run. He hasn't run over that trip, but we're looking forward to seeing it.” The Ballydoyle handler also saddles a live second-string in the impressive G1 Criterium International winner and G1 Irish 2000 Guineas third Van Gogh (American Pharoah) as he looks for a first renewal of the Classic.
“Van Gogh is a quality horse that had a very good run in the Irish 2000 Guineas,” he added. “For him to run that well, as we took our time on him in not a strongly-run race, we were very happy with him. He always works like a horse with plenty of class and with that type of horse you can never be sure until they go there. You would think there is a really good chance he will get a mile and a quarter. I don't think he needs soft ground, as he had some very nice runs here on nice ground.”
This is a fascinating renewal and almost certainly stronger competition than the Poulains, with all the main trial winners engaged. Pascal Bary won this race in its former guise on five occasions and over its new trip with Study of Man (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in 2018. Half of his tally came with the Jean-Louis Bouchard runners Celtic Arms (Fr), Ragmar (Fr) and Blue Canari (Fr) and it is that owner who supplies the stable's contender this year in Baby Rider (Fr) (Gleneagles {Ire}). Successful in three of his four starts, including the G2 Prix Greffulhe over this trip at Saint-Cloud May 1, he is re-opposed by Haras de la Gousserie's runner-up Smile Makers (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) and while he has to improve on that form his trainer is renowned at priming one for this race.
Haras de la Gousserie are also represented by last year's impressive G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Sealiway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}), who was eighth but not beaten far in the bunch behind St Mark's Basilica in the Poulains. Pauline Chehboub said of the Frederic Rossi-trained duo, “Sealiway is doing very well. Franck Blondel will be riding him, he rides him every morning and we thought that if Mickael Barzalona was unavailable then Franck would ride him. Contrary to what people say, Sealiway is not just a soft-ground type, he doesn't mind a soft track but he can also act on good ground. The Poule d'Essai is a race to forget–he needs to be bowling along and isn't a colt that can be held up off a four-wide trip. He struggled the whole race. In any case, he is in good order after his Paris-Longchamp exertions and we think he will stay the trip. Smile Makers has every chance. He's a relatively straightforward ride, easy to handle and he has never been out of the first three in his eight races to date. At Saint-Cloud, in the Prix Greffulhe, he raced from the front and battled throughout the straight. Physically speaking, he's a lump and needs to get into racing rhythm that suits him to a tee.”
From Britain, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's El Drama (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) takes part having beaten the subsequent G3 Gallinule S. winner Earlswood (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) in the Listed Dee S. at Chester May 6, while John Gosden who won his first Jockey Club last year with Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) saddles two live contenders. They are Anthony Oppenheimer's May 13 G2 Dante S. runner-up Megallan (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and Juddmonte's 'TDN Rising Star' Derab (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), with the draw doing neither a favour in 15 and 14 respectively. This is Derab's first run over middle distances, having produced a scintillating performance when breaking his maiden over a mile at Newmarket May 14 and the half-brother to Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) is again ridden by Martin Harley.
“Both horses cantered on Friday morning and seem in good form,” Thady Gosden said. “Derab has taken his Newmarket race well and Megallan ran very well in the Dante and has been in good form since. Chantilly is a hard enough track to ride without being drawn out on a wing, but it could have been worse. Martin Harley has ridden there a couple of times and Olivier Peslier [who rides Megallan] could go round there in his sleep, I'd imagine. They're forecast quite a bit of rain. Hopefully the ground doesn't get too soft.”
Stitching the various threads of the trials together is not an easy task, with Wertheimer et Frere's Adhamo (Ire) (Intello {Ger}) winning ParisLongchamp's G3 Prix la Force over nine furlongs Apr. 11 before disappointing when only fourth as favourite for the G3 Prix de Guiche over that trip here a month later. Behind Makaloun (Fr) (Bated Breath {GB}), Millebosc (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) and Fort Payne (Fr) (Rio de la Plata) there, the homebred son of the 2013 Jockey Club hero needs to bounce back. “In terms of ratings, Adhamo is one of the highest in the race. The colt is doing very well and I'm very happy with him,” trainer Freddy Head said. “The trip is not a problem and, if it rains, it won't be a problem either.”
Gerard Augustin-Normand's Millebosc joins Gerard Ryan's G3 Prix Thomas Bryon winner and Criterium International runner-up Normandy Bridge (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) as part of a two-pronged attack from the Stephanie Nigge stable. She said of them, “Millebosc is doing very well. There is a lot of speed in his pedigree, but he ran well over 1800 metres at Chantilly last time. It's not the first time in the history of this race that a colt goes into the race with doubts about his stamina. In Australia, horses run and win over a wide variety of distances. So it's important to give it a try, knowing that horses evolve over time. We're going to ride him in the way which suits him best, namely from the back of the field.”
“Strangely enough, his attempt [when seventh] in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains probably did Normandy Bridge some good,” the trainer added. “Physically, he has improved in condition. He didn't have a hard race and effectively only really raced for 200 metres. After getting going in the final 200 metres, he wasn't blowing afterwards. Gerald Mosse rode him with the future in mind and without being hard on him. Normandy Bridge will have no problem in staying the trip. He is a big colt, with a raking action and is one that needs to race. As he matures and settles better in his races, he will, for sure, be eventually tried over 2400 metres.”
Fort Payne hails from the Nicolas Caullery stable and he said, “This is my first runner in the Jockey Club and we have ambitions. There's no one outstanding colt in the field and we all have a chance of winning. There's no pressure, as they say! I have confidence in my colt and my jockey. I'm hoping that I will have no regrets and that the colt has a clean race. We have done everything right, all his preparation has gone well and there is no adverse weather forecast before the race so we will have no excuses at first glance. Thomas Trullier will ride him and he retains all my confidence as he knows the horse inside out and even better than me, because he has a rider's feel.”
The Aga Khan has seven renewals to his name and alongside Makaloun he also has the unbeaten May 4 Listed Prix de Suresnes winner Saiydabad (Blame), while their trainer Jean-Claude Rouget also supplies White Birch Farm's similarly unbeaten Cheshire Academy (Fr) (Flintshire {GB}). He was handed the Apr. 11 G3 Prix Noailles over this trip at ParisLongchamp upon the disqualification of the Mar. 21 Listed Prix Francois Mathet scorer Pretty Tiger (Ire) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) and they re-oppose. Adding further spice from the Czech Republic is Valentin Bukhtoyarov's Royal Word (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}). Jean-Pierre Deroubaix, representing the owner, said, “Royal Word is coming off two easy wins. Unbeaten this year, he has just won the Czech Guineas. The distance is a question mark, as he has never raced beyond 1800 metres. He was bred at the Haras du Quesnay on behalf of his owner, Valentin Bukhtoyarov, and he wishes to test his horse in a prestige race. An owner whose interests span Western Europe, Russia, the Czech Republic and the US, Valentin Bukhtoyarov likes to have runners at the big international meetings and to share his passion with his friends. For example, he has won the UAE Oaks and is a supporter of racing in Russia, where he sponsors a whole meeting. Valentin Bukhtoyarov also breeds English Thoroughbreds and his mares board at the Haras du Berlais. However, he races mainly in Russia with this breed.”
Sunday's rich card begins with the G2 Grand Prix de Chantilly, with last year's G1 Deutsches Derby hero and G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe runner-up In Swoop (Ire) (Adlerflug {Ger}) bidding to build on his cozy win in the G3 Prix d'Hedouville at ParisLongchamp May 13. He meets Abdullah Fahad Ah Al-Attiyah and Gerard Augustin-Normand's 2020 G2 Prix de Malleret winner Vaucelles (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), who drops back to a mile and a half having been runner-up over an extra quarter mile in the Listed Prix Gold River on the same card.
The G2 Prix de Sandringham sees Derek Ronald Lodge and Nicolas Campos's May 16 G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches third Kennella (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) take on Ecurie Jean-Louis Bouchard and Gerard Augustin-Normand's exciting Tahlie (Fr) (Rio de la Plata). Trained by Pascal Bary, Tahlie had the subsequent Pouliches heroine Coeursamba (Fr) (The Wow Signal {Ire}) back in third when winning a conditions event over this mile trip at ParisLongchamp Apr. 22 before coming to this course and distance to add the May 11 Listed Prix des Lilas to her tally. Also in the mix is Sean and Bernardine Mulryan, Linda Shanahan and Susan Magnier's 2020 G3 Prix Six Perfections scorer See the Rose (Ire) (Kendargent {Fr}) who is taking time to find her feet so far this season but who shaped encouragingly when fifth in the Pouliches. Also for the fillies is the 12-furlong G3 Prix de Royaumont, where another Bary trainee Harcanville (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) has unexposed potential coming off a success in a 10 1/2-furlong debutantes contest at Saint-Cloud May 10.
Sprinters get their chance in the G2 Prix du Gros-Chene, with Godolphin's 3-year-old filly Ideal Beauty (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) renews rivalry with Antoine Gilibert's Berneuil (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) who she had 3/4 of a length back in second in the G3 Prix de Saint-Georges over this five-furlong trip at ParisLongchamp May 16. Lisa-Jane Graffard said of the former, “Ideal Beauty came out of the Prix de Saint-Georges in good form and is really favoured in the weights again this time. She has a fantastic attitude and we have been delighted with everything she has achieved so far. She is not the biggest, so we are not sure how much physical progress is still to come, but is a very brave filly. It's not the best draw in stall nine, but we are hoping that she can run another good race.”
Classic action also takes place in Italy, with the G2 Oaks d'Italia highlighting Milan's card. Leonardo Ciampoli's Sopran Basilea (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) cuts an imposing figure, having won the Listed Premio Mario Incisa Della Rochetta by two lengths over a furlong shorter on May 22, and the second there, Zelandia (Fr) (Olympic Glory {Ire}), reopposes. Sopran Basilea looks to provide her sire with his second straight win in this Classic, following Auyantepui (Ity), who won the same prep en route, in 2020.
Among those Sopran Basilea will have to contend with from the local ranks include her stablemate Cima Star (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), a last-out conditions race winner, and Memo De L'Alguer (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), a last-out third in the G3 Italian 1000 Guineas on Apr. 25. Team Valor's Invite (Ire) (The Gurkha {Ire}) ships in for Marco Botti off a 10-length win in a 2000-metre Doncaster handicap three weeks ago. She has never been worse than second in four tries.
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