Godolphin Back On Top With Shamardal

Godolphin set up a major summer of big-race targets yesterday after Shamardal benefited from a terrific front-running ride from Frankie Dettori to win the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly.

The Classic, best known as the French Derby, was being run for the first time in its 169-year history over a new trip of 10 and a half furlongs.

And the shorter distance might well have made all the difference as Shamardal held off the late challenge of hot favourite Hurricane Run to win by a neck.

'We´re inclined to keep him to a mile or a mile and a quarter, which brings in races like the Eclipse and the Juddmonte, although he has plenty of options and a lot of entries,' said racing manager Simon Crisford afterwards.

With the likes of Doyen and Dubawi also in the camp, the boys in blue certainly have plenty to look forward to.

Dettori scraped home from the front in the French 2000 Guineas three weeks earlier and he was allowed to execute the same tactics after sweeping across from an unfavourable wide draw.

Most of his rivals were at work on the home turn and though Hurricane Run, caught flat-footed with two furlongs to run, made tremendous progress in the final 150 yards under Christophe Soumillon, he was still a neck behind at the line.

It was swift consolation for Godolphin, trainer Saeed Bin Suroor and the jockey after their third place with Dubawi in the Vodafone Derby at Epsom 24 hours earlier.

Dettori was winning the race for the second time, having scored in 1992 aboard Polytain.

Mick Channon´s outsider Rocamadour, who had tracked the winner for most of the race, faded close home into fourth place but was later promoted to third on the disqualification of Laverock, who was placed sixth after interfering with Ruwi at the furlong pole.

Dettori said: 'The pace wasn´t very strong, so I decided to make my own. We got a bit lost in front, but when Christophe came he picked up again.

'He challenged very wide and I´m not sure my horse could see him, but I think he heard him and he gave his all to hold him off.

'He has definitely improved since the French Guineas and had been working very well at home.

'I can hardly remember the first time I won this race as I was so young, but I won´t forget this one.'

Crisford added: 'He doesn´t have to be in front, but we looked at the race beforehand and couldn´t see much early pace, so we agreed with Frankie to try and make it again.

'He has definitely improved since the Guineas and he was beautifully relaxed in front.

'In his work he is just as relaxed coming from behind as he is at the front.

Sooner or later he will have to come from behind to win a race, but we´re convinced it won´t be a problem.'

Shamardal was returned at 4-1 by British bookmakers, but at longer odds on the French pari-mutuel.

The brave but far from universally-popular decision to chop a furlong and a half from the race appeared to pay initial dividends with a high-class line-up of 17 runners - the biggest field for over a decade.

Crisford said Shamardal would 'probably' have lined up even over its former distance, but that 'we wouldn´t have had so much confidence'.

The vibes from the camp of the runner-up were less cordial.

Soumillon had steam coming out of his ears as he returned to the weighing room, reportedly furious that his colleagues had allowed the winner an uncontested early lead.

He said: 'It is a shame that the pace was not faster. It was not enough of a test.

'I still think my colt is the best in the field and two strides later we would have won, but what can you say now?

'Dettori rode a fantastic race. You cannot make up four lengths on a Group One horse in the last two furlongs, especially when that horse is a true miler.'

Bookmakers Paddy Power quote Hurricane Run at 7-1 to gain compensation in the Prix de l´Arc de Triomphe in the autumn, with Motivator the 7-2 favourite.

Cashmans make Hurricane Run 9-4 to beat Motivator in the Budweiser Irish Derby, the Epsom hero remaining 4-5 favourite.

Rocamadour´s jockey, Ted Durcan, was thrilled with the performance of his mount, who earned connections over #120,000 when promoted to third.

He said: 'He has run the race of his life and I´m thrilled to bits with him.

'He was in a perfect position all the way and we had the winner in our sights, but he just wasn´t good enough. The winner is a very good horse and we´ve run a very good race.'

Willie Muir was not too disheartened by the run of Mister Genepi, who finished back in 14th.

'I said we would finish in front of Scorpion and we have done, but from that draw we never really had a chance of tucking in and getting any cover,' he said.

'He was staying on all right at the end of the race and passed a couple in the straight, but the winner was just given a brilliant ride.'

? PA Sport