Godolphin add Key Victory to Jockey Club as likely field of 18 takes shape

Charlie Appleby is preparing for a huge weekend of Classic action after Key Victory was supplemented on Wednesday for Sunday's Qipco Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly.

The Godolphin trainer also saddles favourite Wild Illusion in the Investec Oaks on Friday and Masar in the Investec Derby on Saturday, giving him the chance of completing a famous Classic treble.

Key Victory, unbeaten in two starts, was added to the French Derby at a cost of €72,000. He tuned up for his trip to Chantilly with success in the Listed Havana Gold Newmarket Stakes over 1m2f on 2,000 Guineas day.

"This is a race that has been on our minds since that win and the second horse Old Persian, who is also ours, has come out and franked the form since at Listed level," said Appleby. "He has been pleasing me at home so the decision was made to supplement."

The going at Chantilly was measured at 3.7 (soft) on Wednesday morning with the track having taken 28 millimetres of rain in the preceding 48 hours.

"His two wins have been on a sound surface but I don't see soft or good to soft being an inconvenience to him," said Appleby. "His half-brother Blair House handles give in the ground, which gives us encouragement.

"I wouldn't say he's necessarily streetwise yet but he will have learnt a lot from his last run. It was a little like his maiden win in that he got a little bit lost in the Dip and took a while to get organised, but Chantilly is a fair track and should suit him."

There were no major surprises among the four horses taken out at Wednesday's penultimate declaration stage, with the Appleby-trained Masar and Qatar Racing's Roaring Lion heading to Epsom instead.

Chilean and Seaheange also came out, leaving Aidan O'Brien with Rostropovich, Flag Of Honour, Kenya and Hunting Horn as potential starters prior to final declarations on Thursday morning.

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