Lord Shanakill gives  Burke first Group 1 win

Report: France, Sunday

Chantilly: Etihad Airways Prix Jean Prat (Group 1) 1m, 3yo colts and fillies

LORD SHANAKILL gave trainer Karl Burke his first Group 1 winner when holding off the late charge of Oiseau De Feu at Chantilly on Sunday.

The Speightstown colt was narrowly denied such honours when going down by a nose to Intense Focus in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket last autumn.

He then bounced back from a poor run in the Stanjames.com 2,000 Guineas when finishing third in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot last month.

Burke, who also saddled Corporal Maddox to be third in a Group 3 earlier on the card, said: "On the betting here he went out to something like 11-1 and I thought that was an amazing price as we felt we were coming here with a favourites chance, we really did.

"It is my first Group 1 winner and it does so much for the horses cvso we are really delighted.

"The Prix Jacques le Marois is a possibility and the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, they are the races to consider."

Sent off at 4-1 to become the first British-trained winner of the Prix Jean Prat since Olden Times in 2001, Lord Shanakill was tucked in behind front-running Milanais.

 

Further back though Westphalia, the 3-1 favourite, was lit up by the first-time blinkers and pulled too hard before fading for trainer Aidan O'Brien and jockey Jimmy Fortune.

Rounding the turn and entering the straight Lord Shanakill continued to travel smoothly for jockey Jim Crowley and eased past the ridden Milanais  and into a clear lead.

The danger appeared to be the equallystrong travelling Oiseau De Feu, representing the all-conquering pair of Jean-Claude Rouget and Christophe Lemaire, and the son of Stravinsky made up ground hand-over-fist through the final furlong.

However it was not enough and Lord Shanakill held on by a head, while German 2,000 Guineas winner Irian came home in third.