Sunday, the 181st edition of the Qatar Prix du Jockey-Club will hold sway at Chantilly. The top European three-year-olds will battle it out over 2,100m and, with a purse of EUR1.5mn on offer, it’s the second most valuable French flat race (behind the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe).
The winner will be crowned the best colt of his generation, ensure that he is a much sought-after commodity at stud, and will set him up for the big autumnal clashes, the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe being the focal point.
This year, the Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains winner, the Irish-trained St Mark’s Basilica, will be seeking to do the double by adding the Qatar Prix du Jockey-Club to his CV.
Last year heralded the triumph of the British colt Mishriff, who was ridden by the Basque jockey Ioritz Mendizabal.
He also enabled the British trainer John Gosden to savour his first Qatar Prix du Jockey-Club win.
The handler, who has a huge reputation in Britain and is based at Newmarket, is renowned for having trained, amongst others, the mare Enable: the winner of the 2017 and 2018 editions of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Despite the fact that travel plans have been complicated by Covid-19 (accompanying stable staff have to undergo quarantine on arrival in France), three cross channel raiders, two of them trained by Gosden, have made the trip.
Gosden, who now trains in partnership with his son Thady, has Megallan, who carries the US colours of Anthony Oppenheimer (who won the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 2015 with Golden Horn), and Derab, who represents the estate of the late Prince Khalid Abdullah, owner of Enable among others, in tomorrow’s race. Megallan boasts a second place in the Dante Stakes, a traditional Epsom Derby prep, whereas Derab, the younger brother of the great Enable, has only raced three times to date, which includes a recent win at Newmarket: a race of comparatively modest level.
Another British trainer — Roger Varian — also seeks his place in the sun with El Drama, who is coming off a listed win at Chester, and will be partnered by French jockey Mickael Barzalona.
As many as five runners from Chantilly will be out to capitalise on familiar environment. It is at Chantilly, and in neighbouring communes, that Pascal Bary (whose Baby Rider bids to give the handler his seventh Jockey-Club win), Pia and Joakim Brandt (Policy of Truth), Freddy Head (Adhamo), Nicolas Caullery (Fort Payne) and Fabrice Vermeulen (Pretty Tiger), all hold court.
Training centres of Calas-Cabriès (30-odd kms from Marseille) will be represented by the Frédéric Rossi duo Sealiway and Smile Makers.
Deauville will be sending five runners, three from the yards of Jean-Claude Rouget and two from Stephanie Nigge, who set up shop there last year.
Rouget will have Peter Brant-owned Cheshire Academy, and The Aga Khan-owned Saiydabad and Makaloun in the race. The latter’s colours have triumphed on seven occasions.
Nigge has two sons of Le Havre (the winner of the Prix du Jockey-Club in 2009) — Millebosc and Normandy Bridge — in the event.
Lastly, Philippe Sogorb will represent the South-West, as he trains from his base at Mont-de-Marsan in the Landes region. A former jockey who turned trainer in 2011, he will saddle the statuesque Ninth Titan, who races in the prestigious colours of the Niarchos Family, who were victorious in 2002 (Sulamani) and 1998 (Dream Well).