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Previews04 June 2023

Frankie Dettori and Ryan Moore in action in French Derby - but is 'steamroller' Big Rock the one to beat?

Big Rock and Aurelien Lemaitre after the G3 Prix La Force
Big Rock: favourite for the Prix du Jockey Club

France has never really attempted to embrace ante-post betting and this year's Qatar Prix du Jockey Club is arguably exhibit A as to why the Gallic punter might not be ready to rush to embrace futures wagering.

When entries were made on February 15, Sunday's likely favourite Big Rock had broken his maiden just four days earlier in an all-weather handicap off a mark of 81, while his major market rival Feed The Flame was almost two weeks away from making his racecourse debut. 

Of the two unusual paths to Classic prominence, not racing at two is the less exceptional, with Sulamani (2002) and Reliable Man (2011) both lifting the Jockey Club without seeing the racecourse in the juvenile year. 

The pair offer a fascinating contrast in styles, with Big Rock the long-striding battlecruiser of a colt who breaks the spirit of his rivals from the front, while Feed The Flame's two wins at Longchamp have been delivered cold from off the pace and settled with an impressive turn of foot. 

The draw is often a factor over 1m2½f at Chantilly, and while a field of just 11 should mean nobody drawn high is truly inconvenienced, the potential for a less frantically run early part of the race might leave some jockeys with an unenviable choice – settle three wide around the long single sweep that takes the runners past the Grandes Ecuries and the chateau, or else take back off a pace where the leaders are not having to work as hard as they would with more runners. 

Aurelien Lemaitre is perfectly drawn on the favourite in stall two to attempt to dictate the fractions, while American Flag in three and surprise Poulains winner Marhaba Ya Sanafi can also be ridden positively. 

Feed The Flame in stall six should get his shot at the leaders and it will be a case of when Christophe Soumillon tries to put him in the race. 

Continuous is drawn in stall one, and while it would be a surprise to see him try to take on Big Rock for the lead, Ryan Moore would be riding completely against type were he to give up the shortest route round. 

Epictetus will be Frankie Dettori's last ride in France's Derby and may be better suited to the demands of Chantilly than he was at York last time.

Jean-Claude Rouget has won five of the last 14 runnings of this race and fields three. The unbeaten Ace Impact has emerged as the stable number-one thanks to winning the Listed Prix de Suresnes – the prep Sottsass took en route to victory in 2019 – but he didn't have the same body of work before that success as a typical Rouget winner of this race. 

Rajapour has been given the favoured route and, like stablemate Padishakh and the Andre Fabre-trained Flight Leader, has to be forgiven a non-race in monsoon conditions behind Big Rock in the Prix de Guiche. 

The ground will have been watered to be at 3.3 on the penetrometer on the morning of the race, which sun and wind will probably move to a French reading of good by racetime, or in British and Irish terms, somewhere between good and good to firm.
Analysis by Scott Burton

Favourite out to cement trainer's arrival at the top table  

With a first Classic safely tucked away courtesy of Blue Rose Cen and an impressive strike-rate of 30 per cent so far this calendar year, Christopher Head and his main supporter, owner Leopoldo Fernandez Pujals, head into the Jockey Club with the wind in their sails.

Big Rock is four from four since joining Head, including two wins at Group level in the Prix la Force and the Prix de Guiche, both over 1m1f.

Christopher Head: works closely with Big Rock's owner, Leopoldo Fernandez Pujals
Christopher Head: Big Rock is unbeaten in his careCredit: Edward Whitaker

Given his attacking running style, the big question surrounding Big Rock is whether he can sustain the gallop for an extra furlong and a half.

Head says: "Big Rock is a steamroller and the only question is whether he can successfully transfer that style of running to 2,100 metres. On pedigree I don't see any issues with him lasting the distance and even 2,400 metres [a mile and a half]. It's just a matter of whether he has the aptitude to stretch out. I'm not worried about faster ground and it might even bring about improvement."

What they say

Andre Fabre, trainer of Flight Leader
He hasn't done any serious work since the Guiche, but he seems to very much enjoy the drying conditions so I expect him to run well. I would say that he's not exactly a Chantilly type of horse and might be better at Longchamp, but he deserves to take his chance.

Andreas Schutz, trainer of Marhaba Ya Sanafi
He has enough speed to put him where you like in a race, he doesn’t have to go forward or sit behind. I think he still has room to improve further and perhaps the step up in trip will help him.

Jean-Claude Rouget, trainer of Rajapour, Padishakh and Ace Impact
Rajapour is very well. He has a very good action and, although he won on soft ground at two, I think the going was why he ran no race in the Prix de Guiche. He is probably a bit more certain to stay than Padishakh, who was unbeaten at two and ran well on his comeback, finishing not far behind Big Rock. He too went to the Guiche, which was completely wrecked by the heavy ground. That didn't tell us much, but he's a horse we've always thought plenty of. He's not short of pace so we'll cover him up and ride him for a place. Ace Impact is Monsieur 'no worries'. I've taken my time with him, but he's never given any problems and he put on a demonstration in the Prix de Suresnes.

Pascal Bary, trainer of Feed The Flame
I ran him twice in 20 days in order to give myself time to build him up for the Jockey Club, and it was another easy win last time. He ran on soft ground for his debut, but the track was brand new and so in perfect condition. The last time it was very heavy and I don’t see the ground as being a problem here. It’s June, the weather will be fine and there will be a great covering of grass on the track.

Alessandro Botti, trainer of Winter Pudding
I think he's as good as my other Prix du Jockey Club runner Bubble Chic, who was second in 2011, but I'm a bit worried about coming back to 2,100 metres on good ground. Behind the two favourites I think it's a pretty even bunch and there are lots of horses unproven on a quicker surface.

Yann Barberot, trainer of American Flag
I think stepping up in trip from the 1,600 metres of the Poulains will only help American Flag. I don't see an overwhelming favourite in this field and he has his chance.

Aidan O'Brien, trainer of Continuous
He had just the two runs last year and one so far this year in the Dante. He didn't have a clear run up to York, so we're delighted everything has gone well since. We didn't want to leave him too long before we ran him again when he's in a good place, so that's the idea behind going to France with him.

John Gosden, joint-trainer of Epictetus
He wasn't beaten far in the Dante where he may not have quite seen the trip out and he has come out of that in good shape. He's a bit of a wide draw, but it's not a big field so he should be okay. He should be suited by the track.


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