Dettori shines on Shamardal in French Derby
Frankie Dettori executed a copybook ride aboard the winner of the race best known as the French Derby, which was being run for the first time in its 169-year history over a new trip of one mile two and a half furlongs.
Having scraped home under another fine front-running ride in the French 2000 Guineas three weeks earlier, it was surprising to see Dettori being allowed to execute the same tactics.
Sweeping across from an unfavourable wide draw, Shamardal was soon at the head of affairs and had most of his rivals at work on the home turn.
Well-backed favourite Hurricane Run, caught flat-footed with two furlongs to run, made tremendous progress in the final 150 yards under Christophe Soumillon to get closest to the winner at the line. But Shamardal had enough in hand to hold on for a neck victory and provide Godolphin and trainer Saeed Bin Suroor with swift consolation for the third place of Dubawi behind Motivator 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."
Godolphin racing manager Simon 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.
"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.
"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. He doesn't need to be in front."
Shamardal was returned at 4-1 by British bookmakers, but at longer odds on the French pari-mutuel a possible reward for the hundreds of visitors who made the trip, only for a computer failure to prevent the majority of winners from being paid out at the track.
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.
But there is some disagreement within French racing as to whether the race can truly be considered as 'the French Derby' over its new distance.
However, a prize pot of €1.5m shows the French authorities are serious about getting the race established as a lure for British and Irish-trained runners.
And the alteration of the race's distance marks it out as a different challenge from its Epsom equivalent.
Crisford said that Shamardal would "probably" have lined up in the race 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.
Six horses have finished placed in the Prix du Jockey Club before going on to take the Arc.
Cashmans make Hurricane Run 9-4 to beat Motivator and win the Budweiser Irish Derby, the Epsom hero remaining an odds on 4-5 favourite.
