Almanzor Surprises in French Derby
Description:
Trainer Jean-Claude Rouget sent out favorite Mekhtaal in the Prix du Jockey Club (Fr-I, French Derby) June 5 but his lightly regarded Almanzor pulled off the victory at 20-1 odds.
Jean-Bernard Eyquem drove Almanzor across finish line, 1 1/2 lengths ahead of late-running Zarak. Prix Hocquart (Fr-II) victor Mekhtaal, favored at 9-2, was a non-threatening eighth of 16 runners in the French classic at Chantilly.
Talismanic led early before Robin of Navan took up the running after the first quarter-mile. Eyquem waited in midfield with Almanzor, who quickened to lead in the final furlong to seal the win.
The time for about 2,100 meters (about 1 5/16 miles) was 2:11.62 on soft turf.
French Guineas fifth-place finisher Zarak, a son of Dubawi out of the Aga Khan's undefeated star mare Zarkava, put in a good run after racing at the back of field early and outfinished supplementary entrant Dicton by 1 3/4 lengths for second. The Aga Khan was seeking a second Derby triumph in as many days following Harzand's victory Saturday in the Investec Epsom Derby (Eng-I).
Rouget landed his second triumph in the French Derby following Le Havre in 2009 and his second of the season after Le Havre's daughter La Cressonniere took the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (Fr-I, French One Thousand Guineas).
"I've always liked him and he was well drawn, but you couldn't say before he was among the favorites," he said about Almanzor, whom he secured for €100,000 ($134,000) at the 2014 Arqana Deauville yearling sale. The colt won a minor stakes at 2 and captured the Prix de Guiche (Fr-III) by two lengths May 10 at Chantilly. "To win races like (the French Derby) is why we all get up every morning."
Almanzor is owned by Ecurie Antonio Caro and Gerard Augustin-Normand, also owners of La Cressonniere. He has five wins and a third from seven starts. In his outing prior to the Prix de Guiche, he finished third to Dicton in the Prix de Fontainebleau (Fr-III) in April at Chantilly.
Bred in France by Haras d'Etreham, Almanzor is from the first crop of French group I-winning juvenile Wootton Bassett and is his sire's first black-type winner. He is out of the unraced Maria's Mon mare Darkova, whose family was developed by the Aga Khan and his daughter Zahra.