Mutual Trust another potential star for Fabre

ANDRE Fabre has another leading three-year-old colt on his hands in the shape of Mutual Trust after his narrow victory in the Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly yesterday.

Fresh from Fabre landing his first Epsom Derby with Pour Moi last month, Mutual Trust maintained his unbeaten record under Maxime Guyon at the chief expense of Aidan O’Brien’s Zoffany and Richard Hannon’s Strong Suit.

Zoffany was sent off favourite after getting closer to Frankel than any other horse has to date this season in the St James’s Palace Stakes.

Strong Suit was attempting to give Hannon and Richard Hughes their second successive win in the race after Dick Turpin 12 months ago, having returned to his best in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot following a successful breathing operation.

There was minor drama at the start when Temps Au Temps dwelt on leaving the stalls and was so far behind he was pulled up.

With the lack of a pacemaker, Hughes decided to make the running on Strong Suit but set only a sedate pace as Mutual Trust followed him into the straight.

At the business end Strong Suit initially showed a better turn of foot and held a definite advantage approaching the final furlong, while Ryan Moore was furiously trying to get Zoffany into contention.

Strong Suit began to tire with 100 yards to go, allowing Fabre’s colt and Zoffany their chance and as the three crossed the line together, Mutual Trust was given the verdict by a head from Zoffany with a nose back to Strong Suit.

A possible clash with Goldikova could be on the cards for the winner, whose sire Cacique is no longer on the stallion roster after being found to be infertile.

Michael Owen’s tilt at the Deutsches Derby with Brown Panther ended with a gallant fourth place as Waldpark ran out a good winner in Hamburg.

Richard Kingscote attempted to make all the running on Royal Ascot winner Brown Panther, bred and owned by former England striker Owen.

Trainer Tom Dascombe had left no stone unturned in his preparation as he travelled to check out the track and facilities over a week ago.

Kingscote slowed up the pace going down the back straight and kicked clear turning into the home straight.

For a few strides it looked as if Kingscote had executed his plan to perfection, but Andreas Wohler’s Waldpark came with a withering run down the outside for Jozef Bojko to claim the Classic and keep his unbeaten record intact.