Clive Cox was “very happy and relieved” to keep away from a large draw with Ghostwriter in Sunday’s Prix du Jockey Membership at Chantilly, stay on Sky Sports activities Racing.
The son of Invincible Spirit carries rock-solid credentials into the French Derby after overcoming bother in operating to complete fourth within the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.
That kind has been franked by positioned horses Rosallion and Haatem happening to dominate the Irish equal, whereas sixth-placed Inisherin dropped down in journey to safe a formidable success within the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock.
With Ghostwriter having prevailed over a mile as a juvenile within the Royal Lodge after which staying on strongly within the Guineas, a step up in distance appears positive to swimsuit the Jeff Smith-owned colt.
Cox mentioned: “We’re very happy with the 2 stall. With 15 runners, we’re very pleased with that. We do not have to fret about being out huge now, so thank goodness. We’re very completely satisfied and that is positively a chunk of the jigsaw that has been sorted out.
“He is in excellent form and we’re wanting ahead to travelling over. I actually assume stepping as much as 10 furlongs will likely be useful for him and the bottom is similar for each horse.
“He is solely carried out on a faster floor, in order that’s a territory we’re simply going to have to seek out out about, however I am assured with the best way he strikes that he’ll deal with himself on softer floor.
“We’ve had a good week so far and at this time of year it’s pleasing with some very nice races coming up.
“Ghostwriter’s foremost goal was the Guineas to start with and he ran an excellent race to complete fourth. With no shadow of a doubt, the type of the Guineas is already exhibiting how sturdy a Guineas it was.
“You have the first and second in the Irish Guineas and then the sixth horse winning the Sandy Lane. It’s very pleasing to see that form look so solid.
“We’re wanting ahead to stepping as much as a mile and 1 / 4, he is out of a Champs Elysees mare and I very a lot consider that successful over a mile within the Royal Lodge final yr gave us that confidence that with extra power we’d have the ability to step up in journey.
“And after such a pleasing run in the Guineas, we’re really looking forward to it.”
Aidan O’Brien, who claimed this prize three years in the past with St Mark’s Basilica, can also be wanting ahead to making an attempt Diego Velazquez over an extended journey.
The son of Frankel received the Group Two Golden Fleece Stakes over a mile at Leopardstown at two and was doing his finest work on the enterprise finish when a detailed fourth within the French 2,000 Guineas first trip this time period.
O’Brien mentioned: “With Diego, we felt a mile is as short as he wanted to go and we thought a mile and a quarter might be his ideal trip.
“Clearly he might get additional, however we all the time considered him as a French Derby horse greater than anything.
“We thought and hoped Chantilly would suit him. Everything has gone very well since the French Guineas, he came out of it very well.
“He stays and he is uncomplicated. It was an excellent run-out the final time, we had been over the moon, and Christophe (Soumillon) was very pleased with him as properly.
“We definitely think he has plenty of class, especially for a mile-and-a-quarter horse.”
David Menuisier’s Sunway has been a overwhelmed favorite in two begins this season however does have a Group One victory in France on his CV from final time period, when upsetting the reopposing Alcantor within the Criterium Worldwide at Saint-Cloud on very delicate floor.
“One day, he’ll show the same class in the afternoon as he does in the morning,” mentioned Menuisier. “Sunway proved last year that he was a very good horse and has a big race in him.”
Quick Tracker is rated the main residence hope by bookmakers, with the Henri-Alex Pantall-trained son of Churchill having been snapped up by Wathnan Racing since scoring by a large margin at Listed stage over this course and distance.
James Doyle takes the experience and Pantall mentioned: “Fast Tracker is a straightforward ride as he races handily, doesn’t pull and he’ll be able to adapt. He exhibits just one flaw in his racing style, as he takes time to pick up when the pace quickens.”
Look De Vega is unbeaten after two outings for Carlos and Yann Lerner, whereas Ace Affect’s half-brother Arrow Eagle represents final yr’s successful mixture of coach Jean-Claude Rouget and jockey Cristian Demuro.
Rouget additionally saddles Wahdan and Grecian Storm as he bids to finish a hat-trick of Prix du Jockey Membership triumphs.
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