French Racing Tips: Modern Games can bag second Classic

Patrick Weaver
04 June 2022

William Buick and Charlie Appleby plan to win the French Derby with Modern Games

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Patrick Weaver previews the French Derby card at Chantilly on Sunday afternoon...

"The Irish champion trainer won this with a Classic winner 12 months ago - this time his duo have won two maidens and a handicap between them. Who are we to question O'Brien but it does seem optimistic and neither figured in their Guineas."

The Prix du Jockey Club at 15:00 will forever be in the shadow of the Derby, while it is staged the same weekend.

At least it is not the same day, as that enables all the top jockeys to ride in both races.

Sunday's race has attracted 15 runners with William Buick, Ryan Moore, Frankie Dettori, Tom Marquand, and James Doyle all taking part.

Buick is on the favourite trained by Charlie Appleby - Modern Games, winner of the French 2,000. The Godolphin colt closed out his first season with victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar, making him the only runner this weekend with two Group 1 successes.

The other Group 1 winner is James' Ferguson's El Bodegon, who took the Criterium de Saint-Cloud over 10 furlongs. He disappointed in the Dante at York but is well capable of making the first three on his 2021 form.

Ferguson, being a shrewdie, has booked former champion Ioritz Mendizabal, who won both the French 2,000 and Derby last year on Aidan O'Brien's St Mark's Basilica.

The third English runner is Doyle's mount, Imperial Fighter, who ran on into third in the Irish 2,000 Guineas. He has been doing his best work at the finish of all his races, and as they have been over seven and eight furlongs you would hope he will stay a mile and a quarter-plus.

Onesto 12.011/1 holds the strongest claims of the home team. He won the Group 2 Prix Greffulhe at Saint-Cloud on good to soft over today's trip, beating Agave one of the favourites for the French Oaks in two weeks' time.

Vadeni, Welwal, Mister Saint Paul and Ancient Rome (Marquand) are Group 3 winners that make more appeal than O'Brien's pair Ivy League (Moore) and The Acropolis (Dettori).

The Irish champion trainer won this with a Classic winner 12 months ago - this time his duo have won two maidens and a handicap between them. Who are we to question O'Brien but it does seem optimistic and neither figured in their Guineas.

Logically, the race should go to Modern Games 3.55/2. If he fails to stay the trip or meets trouble in running, Imperial Fighter 15.014/1 could run into a place at a long price.

Bank on Barzalona and Dimples

Hidden Dimples looks the best bet on the card in the Prix de Royaumont at 13:45.

A daughter of Frankel, she does not have a penalty for her Listed win at Longchamp. That was over 11 furlongs, so it is admittedly a gamble whether she gets the extra furlong.

The pair that have won over 12 are Manisha and Duchess Of Dubai whose minor successes came at Chantilly and Nancy respectively. They will be staying on from the turn into the straight but Hidden Dimples {2.0] should be capable of holding their challenges.

Marquand has place claims on supporting card

Tom Marquand is the sole English rider with a mount in the Prix La Fleche for two-year-olds at 13:00 - Funny Money Honey, the only maiden among the eight that go to post.

He is also the only British-based jockey in the Grand Prix de Chantilly at 14:20, a Group 2 over 12 furlongs in which he rides Grocer Jack for William Haggas.

This stallion prospect changed hands for 700,000gns last autumn after several good runs in Group races in France and Germany for his previous trainer Waldemar Hickst. His debut run for Haggas out in Saudi was another fine effort and I could see him being placed, and possibly winning.

Fonteyn getting better with each run

I really liked the way Fonteyn 4.57/2 and Grande Dame drew away from the other fillies in their race at York last month.

The former, trained by Kevin Ryan, is one of three English runners in the Prix De Sandringham at 16:20 and I fancy her despite her moving up from Listed level to Group 2.

Marquand and Haggas team up for Purplepay, 3.259/4 a €2million filly that was sixth behind the Oaks winner Tuesday in the Irish 1,000. A winner three times as a two-year-old at around a mile, she has an undeniable chance after that run and her third in the Group 1 Criterium International at Saint-Cloud last October.

Buick's mount Pennine Hills 11.010/1 was with Joseph O'Brien until April. She made a winning debut for Jerome Reynier in a Listed over this course and distance, and should again run a good race. Definitely one to consider each-way, though Fonteyn and Purplepay are preferred.

Two Newmarket runners in the Prix Marchand d'Or

In addition to Grocer Jack in the 14:20 and Purplepay in the 16:20, Haggas saddles Perfect News in the Prix Marchand D'Or at 16:55.

The Frankel filly reverts to six furlongs after her fifth to Fonteyn in a Listed company at York over a mile.

The other Newmarket runner is the George Boughey-trained Hellomydarlin placed in three Listed sprints since her third in the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin over course and distance last July. She is out of form but could go well on her return to the track where she ran her best race.

Brostaigh can score for Joseph O'Brien

The final Group race on the card is the Prix du Gros-Chene at 17:30, a sprint over five furlongs.

Roger Varian runs Saint Lawrence 5.04/1 (Jamie Doyle). Karl Burke has booked Gerald Mosse for White Lavender 9.08/1 and Cristian Demuro for Guilded.15.014/1 Joseph O'Brien runs Brostaigh 5.59/2 ridden by Dylan McMonagle as she was when winning a Listed over the trip at Naas last month.

McMonagle has ridden 105 winners in Ireland, and O'Brien wouldn't put him up in a Group 2 in France unless he felt he was up to it.

There was a lot to like about Saint Lawrence's third to Khaadem and Existent on his first start over five in the Group 3 Betfair Palace House Stakes at Newmarket's Guineas meeting.

I would choose between the two and give last year's runner-up Berneuil 3.259/4 a close look. He led with 100 yards to go that day and was only beaten a short neck with Air De Valse three lengths back in fourth.