Double Derby misery for O’Brien as Blanco draws a blank
After 9-4 favourite Jan Vermeer’s defeat at Epsom on Saturday, the Ballydoyle trainer’s Cape Blanco was also sent off favourite for Sunday’s French equivalent, the Prix du Jockey Club, but failed to deliver and finished unplaced along with the stable’s other runner Viscount Nelson.
The race was a runaway victory for French 2000 Guineas winner Lope De Vega who slipped the field early in the straight at Chantilly to romp home by an easy three lengths.
None of his 21 rivals got near enough to put in a challenge and he scored easily from Planteur. Frankie Dettori was third on the Nicolas Clement-trained Pain Perdu.
Much had been expected of Cape Blanco, ridden by Johnny Murtagh, after his impressive Dante Stakes win at York where he had beaten Saturday’s Epsom Derby hero Workforce.
But the Andre Fabre trained Lope De Vega, named after the 17th century Spanish playwright, turned it into a one-horse race as soon as he hit the front in the hands of jockey Maxime Guyon.
The winner was the last of the 22 runners to enter the stalls but he was smartly away as Vive Libre set the pace for Planteur, the Elie Lellouche first string.
Ryan Moore, bidding to follow up his Epsom triumph on Workforce, had his mount Ice Blue handy while Brian Meehan’s Dancing David and the O’Brien pair were also well placed.
Once they turned for home, though, it was quickly all over as Vivre Libre cried enough and Lope De Vega set sail for home.
Fabre said: “He is an excitable kind of horse. I had a doubt about him staying, there was a question mark there. I am tempted to drop him back to a mile. It is better to run over too short than too far.”
Despite Fabre’s comments, bookmaker William Hill gave Lope De Vega a 10-1 quote for the mile and a half Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in October for which Workforce is the 3-1 favourite.
Cape Blanco finished 10th while Viscount Nelson came home fifth. O’Brien said: “Cape Blanco loves fast ground, but Johnny said he didn’t pick up out there.”
Arc betting: 3 Workforce, 6 Fame And Glory, 10 Lope De Vega, St Nicholas Abbey, 14 Dar Re Mi, Sariska, 20 Cavalryman, Jan Vermeer, 25 Cutlass Bay, Daryakana, Youmzain, 33 Rewilding, 40 Anna Salai (Odds: William Hill)
