Pleasant problem for Pantall after Phelps speeds home

Prix de Guiche (Group 3) 3yo colts and geldings | 1m1f Turf

The Qipco Prix du Jockey Club has featured a healthy number of fairytale successes among the regally bred champions and, in Phelps Win (Pierre-Charles Boudot), Alex Pantall could have a worthy candidate to add to that record.

In defeating the highly rated Plumatic by three and a half lengths, Phelps Win presented his small owner-breeder Nadine Chiari with an interesting decision to make in a month's time.

Pantall said: "He is not in the Jockey Club so we will enjoy this and then have a think about it. I wouldn't say he is a swimmer exactly but he appreciates give in the ground.

"He wasn't entered originally in the Jockey Club because I had a doubt over his stamina, given his pedigree but, he looked there like he would stay."

Plumatic was not given a hard time by Maxime Guyon once defeat was assured and Pierre-Yves Bureau, racing manager to his owners, Alain and Gerard Wertheimer, is not ruling out the Jockey Club.

"We brought him back in trip so he could run his prep at Chantilly," said Bureau.

"It was very soft ground but he was beaten by a good horse and, while he maybe lacked experience he didn’t run badly. We'll see what happens with Akihiro tomorrow and then we will sit down and look at the programme."

Also at Chantilly

Prix de la Seine (Listed) 3yo fillies | 1m3f

Musawaah put in an eyecatching performance when running right away from her rivals to give her young sire Union Rags a first stakes winner in Europe.

Aurelian Lemaitre dictated matters before winding it up again early in the straight, striking for home nearly three furlongs out to beat Kitesurf by two furlongs.

"She stays and puts plenty of rhythm in the race," said trainer Freddy Head, who was in no hurry to rule out a crack at the Prix de Diane Longines on June 18.

"To go from this straight to a Group 1 might be a bit presumptious, so we will see. She could go for the Royaumont or maybe the Diane."

Earlier on the card the Andre Fabre-trained Pamplemousse returned to winning ways in the Listed Prix du Pont-Neuf after finishing fourth in the Nell Gwyn at Newmarket on her previous start.