Venice Beach fared best of the Aidan O'Brien trained runners in third© Photo Healy Racing
Venice Beach did best of Aidan O'Brien's three runners in the Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris.
The Chester Vase hero was only 12th in the Investec Derby but proved that running all wrong by staying on well for third, not beaten far by Shakeel and Permian.
The O'Brien-trained Orderofthegarter and Spanish Steps were further back and never a factor.
The Mark Johnston-trained Permian - only third in a Bath handicap on his seasonal debut in April - was having his seventh start of the year and was bidding to open his account at the top level after chalking up Group Two wins in the Dante Stakes and the King Edward VII Stakes.
William Buick's mount disputed matters through the early strides with Falcon Wings, but soon went on and was still answering every call deep inside the final furlong as Christophe Soumillon and Shakeel threw everything at him.
As they flashed past the post, it looked like Johnston's charge might just have held on, but the verdict of the photo-finish told another story.
The mile-and-a-half event, the racing highlight of Bastille Day in France, was again staged this year at Saint-Cloud as its traditional home of Longchamp undergoes redevelopment.
