Jean-Francois Gribomont’s Prince Gibraltar heads to post as the hot favorite for
Sunday’s Group 1, €1.5 million Prix du Jockey Club at
Chantilly after the draw saw him fairly placed in nine.
So impressive when dispatching of the
re-opposing Earnshaw and Nolohay in the 10-furlong Prix Greffulhe at Saint-Cloud
on May 3, the homebred son of Rock of Gibraltar, who also took the Criterium de Saint-Cloud, will be partnered for the first time by Gerald
Mosse after Christophe Soumillon was retained by His Highness The Aga Khan for Shamkiyr.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for me, as
the horse is very good,” the three-times Jockey Club-winning rider told
PA Sport. “I have not ridden the horse on the track, but from what I saw
of him at Saint-Cloud he is a serious contender. The ground at the
moment is soft, which would suit him, but I think he would also show
a high level of form if it was good ground. I am very lucky to be able
to come in and ride a horse as good as this.”
Prince Gibraltar’s trainer Jean-Claude Rouget also saddles Daniel-Yves Treves’ unbeaten Gonna Run, who earned his place here with a smooth 10-furlong
conditions win at Longchamp on April 24 and is favorably berthed in three.
A
double-figure draw is seen mostly as a disadvantage in this race, but the last
four winners have all emerged from stall 10 and upward, as have five of the nine who
prevailed since the distance was shortened to 10 1/2 furlongs in 2005. Among those to have overcome
that problem were Intello and Lope de Vega, and
they both hailed from the Andre Fabre stable.
That trainer is responsible for Earnshaw and
Galiway this time and the latter carries the same Wertheimer silks as last year’s
winner, Intello. Like that homebred, he comes here on the back of a run in the Poule d’Essai
des Poulains (French Two Thousand Guineas) at Longchamp on May 11, but was less impressive when only fifth in that mile
classic. Bred to appreciate this rise in trip, the bay son of Gaileo has to beat stall 13 if he is to follow suit.
From
Britain is the May 15 Dante Stakes scorer The Grey Gatsby, who
beat the smart Arod and True Story in that York
contest, and trainer Kevin Ryan is hoping he can put it up to the home team from an inside post in six.
“He’s in good form, he has a great draw and he’s traveled over well,”
Ryan told PA Sport.
“Prince Gibraltar looks a good horse, but it’s the French Derby — you’re going to have to take on good
horses.”
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