French Derby Day at Chantilly

There is racing all over Europe today, but by far the best meeting is at Chantilly, where the Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) at 17.35 is the main feature of an excellent card. A maxmum field of 20 runners, and spice is added by the booking of Frankie Dettori (won this last year) for the grey filly Natagora, winner of the 1,000 Guineas and trained by Pascal Bary, who has an excellent record in this race. Whether she is good enogh to beat the colts (no filly has won this for over a century, and very few have even tried), and whether she really gets the trip of 2100 metres, remains to be seen, but we have our doubts. Chrisophe Lemaire, who normally rdes her, has been claimed to ride High Rock (Jean Claude Rouget), a spectacular winner of his last start, who is the likely favourite. Irish challenger Famous Name (Dermot Weld/ Pat Smullen) and Andre Fabre´s Thewayyouare (Stephane Pasquier) are others with major claims. Rouget and Lemaire can also team up to win the Group Three Prix du Royaumont (3yo filles, 1 1/2 miles) with the unbeaten Folle Allure, while Mario Hofer has also targheted two of the top races - Mood Music (Dominique Boeuf), in the Group Two Prox du Gros-Chene over 5 furlongs at 16.15, and First Stream (Christophe Lemaire) in the Grand Prix de Chantilly (Group Two, 12 furlongs - won last year by Saddex). Both should run well but face red-hot opposition.