Global Weekly Preview: Godolphin trio to make a splash in Jockey Club

It is debatable whether the French have attracted a better class of three-year-old to the G1 Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly since reducing the distance of the race by a furlong and a half back in 2005.

But there can be no argument that a different type of Classic winner is now identified. 

For example, last year's winner, Almanzor excelled at distances of 10 furlongs and fractionally more and later collected the G1 Irish Champion Stakes and Ascot's G1 Champion Stakes to become Timeform's Horse Of The Year.

New Bay, the Jockey Club winner in 2015, won the G2 Prix Niel and took third in the G1 Arc, but he was never quite as effective as at 2,100m (ten and a half furlongs). The Grey Gatsby (2014) was a similar case.

Brametot, winner of five of his six starts, has attracted plenty of headlines following his authoritative victory in last month's G1 French 2,000 Guineas at Deauville and may well fit the mould of the modern day French Derby winner. He has done little wrong so far.

But Godolphin has a serious chance of success, namely with the Andre Fabre-trained Soleil Marin, backed up by Charlie Appleby's Bay Of Poets and D'bai.

Soleil Marin displayed plenty of courage when landing the G3 Prix Noailles at Chantilly. The course and distance win pleased his trainer Andre Fabre, who remains upbeat about his prospects.

"He has come on since his win in the Prix Noailles. He comes into the race in good form and he is ready to run up to his best," Fabre said.

Appleby is equally hopeful for his two colts. "Bay Of Poets is very consistent and has been mixing it with English Derby contenders and running really well. D'bai has been running creditably, and his second in a Listed race at Saint-Cloud was good. We will be looking for him to step up on that," he added.

Others of note in the 12-runner French Derby are the William Haggas-trained Rivet, placed in Newmarket's G3 Craven Stakes and G1 French 2,000 Guineas at Deauville, and Recolitos, winner of the G2 Prix Greffulhe at Saint-Cloud in very soft ground.

Waldgeist was slightly disappointing when runner-up in the Prix Greffulhe.