Vermeer sole raider in Grand Prix de Paris Aidan O'Brien's Jan Vermeer is the only challenger from Britain or Ireland in Wednesday's Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp. Widely referred to as the French Derby since the Prix du Jockey Club reduced in distance to 10 furlongs, O'Brien last took the spoils in 2005 with Scorpion. Jan Vermeer finished fourth in the Investec Derby when sent off favourite and went on to be third to stable companion Cape Blanco in the Dubai Duty Free-sponsored Irish equivalent at the Curragh. Andre Fabre has dominated the race having taken it 10 times since 1989, including 12 months ago with Cavalryman. This year Fabre runs Godolphin's Lawspeaker, winner of a Listed race on his last start, and Goldwaki, a Group Three winner and supplemented for this. Elie Lellouche runs Planteur, second to Fabre's Lope De Vega in the Jockey Club, while Pascal Bary will be looking for more from Ice Blue after he slightly disappointed in the same race. The Aga Khan's Behkabad, fourth in the Jockey Club, is another in the nine-strong field.
