 | 2004 PRIX DU JOCKEY CLUB 1 Blue Canari 33-1
Thierry Thulliez (P Bary) 2 Prospect Park 7-1
Olivier Peslier (C Laffon-Parias) 3 Valixir 15-2
Eric Legrix (A Fabre)
Chantilly - 1m 4f - 15 ran. |
Outsider Blue Canari put in a late finishing burst to clinch victory in the Prix du Jockey Club (the French Derby) at Chantilly. The 33-1 shot, ridden by Thierry Thulliez and trained by Pascal Bary, just pipped Prospect Park in a photo-finish with Valixir third.
Day Flight, ridden by Richard Hughes, was the best-placed British horse in the Group One contest, coming fourth.
The John Gosden-trained colt took up the lead coming into the home straight but faded in the final furlong.
Gosden, whose Let The Lion Roar was third in Saturday's Epsom Derby, said Day Flight could now be aimed at the Irish equivalent.
It was winning trainer Bary's fifth French Derby triumph while Thulliez was collecting his second victory in the race after scoring on Sulamani (also trained by Bary) in 1992.
Bary admitted that he had not thought Blue Canari would be able to win.
"It was only a last minute decision to run him. He had form but I didn't think he was good enough," he said.
Aidan O'Brien's Five Dynasties finished eighth with the Marcus Tregoning-trained Manyana 11th and Mick Channon's Top Seed disappointing in 13th.
MMIX
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