Oxagon supplemented for French Derby

Oxagon has been given the opportunity to emulate Mishriff after being added to the French Derby field, setting the stage for a potentially thrilling afternoon for owner Prince Faisal, whose colours may also be carried by Eydon and Sajir at Chantilly.

Mishriff famously won the Prix du Jockey Club for John Gosden – who now trains in conjunction with son Thady – and Prince Faisal in 2020 and despite Oxagon’s early season exploits at a mile, the Craven winner has always been earmarked for France by the Clarehaven training team.

“Winning the French Derby is always a difficult feat to do but if you aren’t in the race you can’t win,” said Prince Faisal’s racing adviser Ted Voute after it cost €72,000 to supplement the son of Frankel.

“In fairness to John Gosden, straight after the Dewhurst, he said this is our French Derby horse. Then we went through a confusing patch at the beginning of the year when we didn’t put him in. John said again after the Guineas that this is our French Derby horse even though he isn’t in it.

“The horse was giving us different messages at the beginning of the year and I think that is why he wasn’t in.

“Fair dues to Prince Faisal for supplementing him as he could still get a bad draw and it could still prove a fruitless exercise that doesn’t prove much, which is the risk you run at Chantilly.

“I think he deserves to be there and he is probably going to be the third or fourth favourite depending on what Aidan O’Brien runs. He’s still got plenty in there and quite what he does with Constitution River could determine everyone else’s fate given that was a mighty impressive run (at Chester).”

While Oxagon will bid for Classic honours in the centrepiece of Sunday’s action in France, some of the owners’ stalwarts could be in action on the undercard, with Andrew Balding’s Eydon set to swerve a red-hot Coronation Cup at Epsom in favour of the Grand Prix de Chantilly.

The form of his Jockey Club Stakes second to Santorini Star was given a timely boost when William Haggas’ winner went close in the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier last week with connections keen to strike while the often fragile son of Olden Times is in peak condition.

“We might have Eydon and Sajir running as well so we will make a day of it, the big plus is Oisin (Murphy) being available to ride all three” continued Voute.

“Andrew rang me this morning and said I think we should go to Chantilly with Eydon. He’s in the Coronation Cup but that looks a tough race. He’s in form and sound – which is always a plus with him – so we’ll take the French route and he will be declared for the Grand Prix de Chantilly.”

Meanwhile, last year’s Prix Maurice de Gheest winner Sajir is set for the Prix du Gros-Chene prior to an outing in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Voute added: “I haven’t spoke to Andre (Fabre) about Sajir for about a week, but this has always been the plan and it might just bring him on point ahead of Royal Ascot.

“Andre doesn’t have too many horses to work him with at home being someone not necessarily known to train sprinters and he just felt he would like to run him again to get a bit more sharpness into him before the Queen Elizabeth at Ascot, which has been his target all along.”