Vision D'Etat has earned a tilt at the Prince of Wales's Stakes on June 17 after winning Sunday's G1 Prix Ganay at Longchamp.
Although it wasn't a spectacular success, the 13-8 favourite was picking up his second Group 1 race of his career after last year's Prix du Jockey-Club.
Ioritz Mendizabal had to be patient as he was tucked in on the rail in the early stages but this was a good thing as Vision D'Etat settled better than he did in the Prix d'Harcourt earlier in the month.
He saw daylight at the furlong marker and quickened well and was not hard pressed to hold off his old rival Loup Breton and the German five-year-old Adlerflug, who made up a lot of late ground. The distances were three-parts of a length and a short head.
The Aidan O'Brien-trained Thewayyouare didn't put a bad performance considering he had not been on the track for nearly 11 months.
He was well up from the start in the hands of Johnny Murtagh and took the advantage in the straight before being collared by Vision D'Etat (Chichicastenango-Uberaba, by Garde Royale) and finally finishing under two lengths away fourth.
Vision D'Etat is trained by Eric Libaud for his wife Vicky and Jacques Detre. "I think he has more speed than in 2008 and has certainly strengthened during the winter," said the trainer.
"There is a good chance now he will run in the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Ascot."Although he looked a little hemmed in halfway up the straight Mendizabal was never worried.
"I didn't have an anxious moment and it helped as I didn't want him to take the lead too early as he can stop in front and always has," said the French champion. "If we go to Ascot it will be my first time at the track!"
Things opened up well for Anthony Crastus and Loup Breton in the straight but they never looked like pegging back the winner.
"I thought he ran up to expectations and the plan now is to go for the Prix d'Ispahan," said trainer Elie Lelouche.
"I didn't enter the colt at Ascot as things didn't work out well last time - and with softer ground we would have been much closer."
This would have also been the case with Adlerflug, the fast-finishing third.
His trainer Jens Hirschberger said: "We were very happy with his run on unsuitable ground and the plan now is to go for either the Coronation Cup or the Gran Premio di Milano."
Aidan O'Brien made the trip to Longchamp and he had hoped before the Ganay that the forecast rain had softened the track.
The French Met Office got things wrong on this occasion and the going, although officially good, was certainly a little firmer.
"I thought he ran well and we've gotoff to a start," said O'Brien. "It's still early in the season and was happy with the way the horse ran."
Luca Cumani was away in Hong Kong after the victory of Previsis so he was represented by his wife Sarah.
"Unfortunately there was not a lot of pace in the race for Cima de Triomphe," she said.
Richard Hills, who finished last on Tajaaweed, was making similar noises.
He said: "They were just playing games early on and I was hindered by the pacemaker when I tried to put pace into the race. The ground was also too firm for Tajaaweed."
