One proves a class Act

Gerald Leigh`s dreams of winning the French Derby moved a step closer to becoming reality at Longchamp in France this afternoon after Act One brushed aside the opposition in the Prix Greffulhe.

This Group Two event has been won by the likes of Peintre Celebre and Montjeu who both went on to glory in the Prix du Jockey-Club, and after this performance no one could deny that Act One has serious chance to follow suit.

After Leigh`s home-bred pounced on Caesarion, stretching clear to win by two and a half lengths, trainer Jonathan Pease nominated the Group One Prix Lupin back here next month as the grey`s next port of call before Chantilly.

'I`ve got nothing good enough to work him with at home,' he complained with a broad grin on his face.

'He`ll stay in France for the Jockey-Club, he`s not even entered at Epsom,' added the Chantilly-based Briton.

Act One had proved something of a party-pooper last year, scuppering Aidan O`Brien`s hopes of landing a clean sweep of Europe`stop two-year-old races in the Criterium International, and the horse that was beaten in that Group One at Saint-Cloud was Landseer who had been in action half an hour earlier in the Prix de Fontainbleau.

Jamie Spencer, last on O`Brien`s Canberra in the Greffulhe, had the odds-on shot tucked against the rails, but despite hard driving had to settle for third, beaten less than half a length by Bowman and Medecis.

Spencer said after this French 2000 Guineas trial: 'It took him time to settle, then he was bumped, but he was running on well towards the end.'

Bowman, trained by the 15-times French champion handler Andre Fabre, justified the decision to supplement him on Thursday. The first two will renew rivalry in the Poule d`Essai des Poulains next month.

O`Brien`s afternoon had started in encouraging fashion when his Cheveley Park Stakes runner-up Sophisticat, produced late by Spencer, took the Prix de la Grotte, a prep for the French 1000 Guineas.

'She`s full of class', said Spencer after the handsomely bred Ballydoyle raider`s three-quarter length defeat of Fabre`s inexperienced Dublino.

O`Brien, who chose to remain in Ireland for today`s racing at Leopardstown, was also pleased with Sophisticat`s win and revealed that she may now head back to France.

He said: 'She did it very sweetly. Jamie was pleased with her and she could go back to France for their Guineas.'

O`Brien thought his other runners were caught out by a lack of pace in their trial races but believes they will progress for their runs.

He added of Landseer: 'From what I am told it was a slowly run race and he finished third. He will come on a lot for the run.'

O`Brien also thought they had misjudged Canberra`s race, commenting: 'It was again a slowly run race. We dropped him in and got the tactics wrong. I think he will come on for it.'