Study of Man Triumphs in French Derby

Flaxman Stables Ireland's Study of Man bested 15 rival 3-year-old colts to land the the €1,500,000 QIPCO Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby, G1) at Chantilly on June 3, coming home a half-length in front of longshot Patascoy. Louis d'Or, another longshot, was a head back in third.

The Pascal Bary-trained colt won the Prix Greffulhe (G2) at Saint-Cloud last time out. He became the 23rd winner of that trial to go on to Derby success and the first since Dalakhani in 2003.

Settled in midfield for much of the race by jockey Stephane Pasquier, Study of Man challenged in the straight and stayed on strongly, leading inside the final furlong and holding on well to score in a blanket finish in front of Patascoy, who got the better of Louis d'Or and Intellogent for second.

It was the first French Derby win for Pasquier.

"I had to be a wee bit more aggressive than I'd have liked from the start because it was quite a rough race," he said. "That's why I had to force things more than, for instance, in the Prix Greffulhe."

The winner, a 7-2 second choice, finished in 2:07.44 for the 2,100-meter (10 1/2-furlong) test on a Chantilly track rated soft.

The win was Bary's sixth in the French Derby. He last won with Blue Canari in 2004.

"Ever since he arrived in the yard, he's been a fantastic horse because he understands everything," Bary said. "He does everything well. … To train him is a dream. The horse has more of a miler's pedigree than for a mile and a half, and if we're going to go up to that trip, we had to do it progressively. He's a young horse who'd run only three—and now four—times, and so you mustn't ask the impossible straight away."

Study of Man—bred and campaigned by the Niarchos family's Flaxman Stables Ireland—is by Japanese sire sensation Deep Impact and out the Storm Cat mare Second Happiness—a half sister to French classic winners Kingmambo and East of the Moon and daughter of dual Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) heroine Miesque.

Favorite Olmedo was seeking to add the Jockey Club to his score in last month's Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French Two Thousand Guineas, G1) over 1,600 meters (one mile) at ParisLongchamp, but trainer Jean-Claude Rouget's charge was found wanting over the longer distance. The son of Declaration of War  held every chance early in the straight, but stamina failed him in the closing stages and he weakened out of contention, finishing 13th.

"Olmedo was very tense," Rouget said. "He tugged a lot and completely ran out of breath."