Burke sending Hankelow into Classic battle at Chantilly

Karl Burke feels Hankelow may have been underestimated ahead of the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly on Sunday.

Last season’s Autumn Stakes winner ran a tremendous race from the front in the French 2000 Guineas three weeks ago on what was his first start of the season, only giving best deep inside the final furlong to be beaten a little over a length in third by Royal Ascot-bound winner Rayif.

While Aidan O’Brien’s hot favourite Constitution River has been given a nightmare draw in stall 15 of 16, Hankelow looks far better placed in stall one and eight years after winning the French Oaks with superstar filly Laurens, Burke is again out to strike Classic gold across the Channel, this time in the French Derby.

“We’ve got a good draw and the horse is in great form – I’ve been very happy with him since the Guineas. He’ll definitely strip a tiny little bit fitter and is working really well,” said the North Yorkshire-based handler.

“He’s got to prove he stays the mile and a quarter, but there’s plenty of stamina on the dam’s side in the family, so we’re hopeful of a big run anyway. We’d prefer a bit more rain and a bit of easy ground, but we’ll see what happens.”

But even though Constitution River’s task has seemingly been made much more difficult by his wide starting berth, Burke believes he will still be hard to beat, adding: “It will be interesting, but it wouldn’t be a total shock if he still won – I think he’s a very good horse.”

Constitution River is one of three runners for O’Brien, who is chasing a third Jockey Club following St Mark’s Basilica five years ago and Camille Pissarro last season.

Not since New Bay 11 years ago has a horse won the Jockey Club from a double-figure draw (13), but there can be no doubting the regard in which Dee Stakes winner Constitution River is held by his trainer.

“We always thought the world of him, he won nicely at Chester and this is going to be very interesting,” said O’Brien.

“We thought the Jockey Club would be another step for him and a little bit more demanding at a mile and a quarter. He hasn’t raced around a right-handed bend and he’s drawn out wide and it’s going to be a little bit more difficult probably tactically for Ryan (Moore).

“It’s probably not as straightforward as it would be if he was drawn lower, so we’ll see what will happen.”

Constitution River is joined by Hawk Mountain and Montreal, both of whom have performed with credit in a couple of French Derby trials at Chantilly this spring.

Last season’s Futurity Trophy winner Hawk Mountain overcame late waywardness to win the Group Three Prix de Guiche and on the advice of jockey Christophe Soumillon the cheekpieces have been replaced by a visor, while Montreal – who will bid to provide Wayne Lordan with a third Classic win of the year – was beaten a head by fellow Jockey Club contender Dolmalan in late April.

O’Brien added: “Everything has gone very well with Hawk Mountain. He was in the Craven and we were going to run him and then we decided to wait with him and he went to Chantilly for his trial, which was lovely.

“He has a slightly more favourable draw (11) than Constitution River. Christophe will decide what he wants to do. He knows the horse and has ridden him on this track,

“Montreal has made good progress since his first run like we thought he would and we’re looking forward to seeing him as well – we always thought he was this type of horse and we couldn’t be happier with him. He is straightforward and has already run on the track, which we always consider to be a major advantage.”

The home team is headed by the exciting Daryzan, a half-brother to trainer Francis-Henri Graffard’s brilliant Arc hero Daryz and a runaway winner on his sole start at Saint-Cloud.

“He was very soft through the winter. He was always a little bit on his toes, so I took him to the Polytrack at Chantilly, just to put him on the horse box, do a canter and come back on the horse box, all these things to make him mature and understand what it’s all about,” said Graffard.

“He behaved very well at Saint-Cloud, but it’s really how he’s been since the race – he’s much more relaxed in the mornings.

“Obviously there will be a big crowd on Sunday, he will have his hood on in the pre-parade ring so we will try to make sure like his brother everything goes nice and relaxed for him. I just have to cross my fingers, but mentally I think he’s going the right way to handle a day like that.”

Daryzan is one of two runners for the Aga Khan team alongside the unbeaten Dolmalan, whose trainer Mikel Delzangles also saddles the Prix Greffulhe winner Alam.