The biggest race of the year for Chantilly will be run on Sunday with the next French classic, the Group 1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club over 1m 2½f, the French Derby.
A competitive field of eleven line up for the feature with contenders from the UK and Ireland travelling over to take on the best of the French colts.
Big Rock heads up the betting and seeks a fifth consecutive win. Trained by Christopher Head, the furthest he has run over so far is 1m 1f, but the colt caught the eye at this course last start when very impressive scoring by five lengths in the Group 3 Prix de Guiche, a traditional trial which saw Vadeni, Almanzor and Lawman win before progressing to win the Classic. The son of Rock of Gibraltar is the strongest candidate for the home contingent.
Feed The Flame may lack experience with only two race starts for two wins, however rates as a very interesting runner. Supplemented last week at a cost of more than £50,000 he was a five-and-a-half length winner of a Longchamp maiden, and then stepped up in trip to 1m 3f when scoring in a conditions event at the same Paris venue. The second-placed First Minister has since won the Group 3 Prix Hocquart to give the form a boost.
The Andreas Schutz trained, Marhaba Ya Sanafi was a surprise winner of the first French classic of 2023, the Group 1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas). This victory was no fluke, with the colt running well under pressure to score narrowly. Breeding would suggest the distance may prove too far for the colt.
American Flag was one of the market leaders for the Longchamp classic three weeks ago and was not disgraced to be a close fourth after missing the start badly. The son of Wootton Bassett posted an impressive victory in the Group 3 Prix de Fontainebleau prior and is likely to improve further upped in distance.
The UK has only one runner with the John & Thady Gosden trained, Epictetus who has swerved the Epsom Derby in favour of the shorter Prix du Jockey Club. He caught the eye on the undulating track at Epsom when successful in the Listed Blue Riband Trial Stakes over 1m 2f. The form of his fifth in the Group 2 Dante Stakes took a hit following the Epsom Derby, however it is worth noting, the son of Kingman was only beaten two-and-a-half lengths in that G2.
Group 2 Dante third, Continuous who dead-heated for that position at York with Passenger who failed in the Epsom Derby on Saturday represents leading Irish trainer, Aidan O'Brien. The son of Heart's Cry is not dismissed as he is a French group winner when landing the Group 3 Prix Thomas Bryon Stakes over 1m at Saint-Cloud last September.
Jean-Claude Rouget has won four of the past seven running's of this race and this year is represented with three runners, including the unbeaten Ace Impact, a last start 1m 2f Listed winner at the track a month ago. He also has Rajapour and Padishakh engaged.
Some of the outsiders that could out-run odds, include Winter Pudding, one of few proven over a longer trip when he won a Listed race over 1m 4f at Longchamp at the end of April.
