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Chantilly preview and tips for French Derby day

Horse Racing

Sun May 31, 2026 · 3h ago

The Prix du Jockey Club is the feature at Chantilly - don't miss Graeme North's preview and three recommended bets on the card.

North on Sunday selections

13:05 Chantilly - 0.5pts e.w. Temapica at 20/1 (2 places only)

14:17 Chantilly - 1pt win No Tune at 3/1

16:15 Chantilly - 1pt win Pierchic at 6/1

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This Sunday we have the third Classic of the French Flat season, the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly, more commonly known as the French Derby. Regular readers of this column will recall this day last season as a very profitable one with both Prix du Gros-Chene winner Monteille and Prix de Sandringham winner Godspeed tipped up at 80/1 and 11/2 respectively. It’s a tall order to come anywhere near repeating that feat but at least there looks to be one horse getting stuck into at generous odds.

Straight on to the big one and this year is the first since 2015 that the Jockey Club has been run before the start of June. That provides a potentially interesting parallel with 2015 given that renewal was the last won by a horse drawn in double figures (New Bay from 13) given hot favourite Constitution River is in 15 and since 2015 all ten winners have been drawn 8 or lower with six drawn 3 or lower.

Winning from a very high draw isn’t impossible – Lope De Vega managed it in 2010 as did Saonois in 2012 – and though track preparation may well have changed in the years since three horses (Cheshire Academy, Onesto and Azimpour) have finished close in fifth from ‘car-park draws’ since 2021.

What Constitution River has in his armoury that none of that trio horses had going into the race yet significantly New Bay did have is to have already shown a top-class level of form. The highest Timeform pre-race rating Cheshire Academy, Onesto or Azimpour had was 111; in contrast, New Bay went into the race rated a significantly higher 122 having finished a very unlucky second in the French 2000 Guineas while having 7lb and more in hand over the rest of the field. Constitution River's figure and superiority is even more marked; he’s rated 124 (with a p, as New Bay was too) after a devastating win in the Dee Stakes at Chester in a very fast time (timefigure also 124) and is rated 9lb superior. Despite his draw, he’s by far the most likely winner and the current 7/4 could be seen as fair value given New Bay, who won comfortably, was returned at 32/10 or around 9/4.

Constitution River impressed Timeform in the Dee Stakes

One of the three horses drawn in the lowest three ‘lucky’ stalls and ideally berthed right next to the rail in 1 given his enthusiasm to go from the front is Hankelow who won the Autumn Stakes last autumn and ran very well on his comeback after seven months off when third in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains earlier this month. He’s a strong-galloping type who might be more effective over this extra 500m but he finished just behind the re-opposing Komorebi that day and not only does Komorebi promise to stay too but according to the official tracking data covered much more ground that day than did Hankelow (and the winner Rayif) from a wide draw.

Pearled Majesty and the supplemented Oxagon are the other fortunate ones in the inside three. The former is a fluent-moving colt who has won his last three races including the Prix Noailles on good ground last time without really beating anything much of note while the latter won the Craven before finishing sixth in the 2000 Guineas, form which oughtn’t really be good enough unless significantly improved upon (Oxagon has yet to try the trip but should stay).

No middle-distance Group 1 these days is up to scratch without a strong compliment of runners trained by Aidan O’Brien and Francis Graffard, and besides Constitution River O’Brien saddles Hawk Mountain and Montreal while Graffard relies on the once-raced Daryzan.

Hawk Mountain and Montreal both ran in trials here, Hawk Mountain adding to his Futurity win last October by taking the Prix de Guiche in first-time cheekpieces (re-opposing Campacite back in third) and Montreal finishing second to the also re-opposing Dolmalan after setting an uncontested modest pace in front. Of the two, Hawk Mountain’s form looks stronger and though he didn’t negotiate the home bend well that day blinkers are on here instead of cheekpieces.

Daryzan, a half-brother to the Arc winner Daryz, is an intriguing contender but much as his trainer has to be respected for throwing him in at the deep end so soon, the newcomers race he won at Saint-Cloud earlier this month looked a muddling contest whose form hasn’t been tested yet among the principals, the eventual third going for home too soon and the runner-up staying on from last place with a quicker last 600m than Daryzan who for some time looked beaten in the penultimate furlong.

Of the others, pre-race maiden (although he shouldn’t have been) Alam won the Prix Greffulhe last time in something of a bunch finish in which the four runners were covered by a blanket most of the way while round-actioned German challenger Gostam is unbeaten and a proven stayer in bad ground; Dolmalan won the same race at Fontainebleau in November that Look De Vega won three years ago en route to the Jockey Club win and is quietly compiling a very progressive profile. He did well to reel in Montreal after giving him a four-length start last time, and while well drawn in 6, won’t have the advantage of race fitness this time or the assistance of Mickael Barzalona either.

What are the best bets at Chantilly?

The Jockey Club is supported by two Group 2 events, the Grand Prix de Chantilly and the Prix de Sandringham, two Group 3 races and a couple of listed contests. Six have been declared for the Grand Prix over 2400m. Two years ago Goliath was the top middle-distance horse in Europe but he’s not even second best in his own stable now with Calandagan and Daryz demonstrably his superior and he’s become less reliable too as time has gone on. That said, he’s still the form pick here having run to a Timeform rating of 120 or thereabouts in four of his last seven starts but a modest fourth in this race two years ago shows he’s far from failsafe.

Last year’s Jockey Club runner-up and Prix Niel winner Cualificar looked an improved performer despite the inadequate ten-furlong trip on his reappearance in the Prix d’Harcourt and is probably the one who’ll push him closest given Jockey Club Stakes runner-up Eydon couldn’t cope with two-miler Santorini Star last time out. Zarraf dictated a steady pace when pinching the listed Prix Seymour last time and was getting closed down rapidly late.

British and Irish trainers are represented in the Prix de Sandringham with Mubasimah (Andrew Balding) and Green Sense (Joseph O’Brien). Both have the same raw Timeform rating, 97, which Mubasimah achieved when runner-up in the Oh So Sharp Stakes last year and Green Sense achieved when third to Power Blue in the Phoenix Stakes behind Group 1 performers Power Blue and True Love.

Green Sense won the Prix Robert-Papin here last year when winning first time out too and now steps up to a mile on her reappearance despite having looked stretched by seven furlongs when last seen. Francis Graffard runs an interesting sort in Demah who was well on top under hands and heels despite looking green in a newcomers race here last month but the one who appeals most is the former Charlie Appleby inmate PIERCHIC who hasn’t won yet this season but has looked unlucky in her last two starts, the Prix de la Grotte won by subsequent 1000 Guineas second Evolutionist and then the listed Prix Des Lilas won by Edaja.

She ran the fastest last furlong in the former from too far back and then had nowhere to go when full of running on the rail in the latter here, passing the post with a flourish barely having had a race. She can put those runs to rights here.

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The Prix De Royaumont for three-year-old fillies who haven’t won a Group 1 has attracted six runners, all of whom are trained in France. The form lines to concentrate on are the listed Prix de la Seine at Longchamp in which Behrayna scored from Zlata and the listed Prix Caraville at Toulouse in which Hatanka Fal was second and TEMAPICA was third.

Zlata was given a fair bit to do in the former, but Behrayna quickened well on the soft ground, won readily and looks the form pick. Hatanka Fal finished a length ahead of Temapica at Toulouse but Temapica was the only one of the principals to have come from off the pace, really ought to have won and had that form franked when the winner Lapotheose went on to win the Prix Saint-Alary in which Behranya’s odds-on stable-companion Gilded Prize finished a disappointing fifth. The step up to 2400m should suit as should the longer straight (also came from second-last to first on her debut at Saint-Cloud despite meeting trouble) and looks overpriced at 20/1.

Only five go to post in the Prix du Gros-Chene. Evergreen veteran Ponntos is sure to take them along, but Sajir is the only proven Group 1 winner in the field even if it looks increasingly likely his Prix Maurice de Gheest win last summer flatters him. Given even 1100m looks a bare minimum for him it’s surprising to see him now being tried at 1000m for the first time.

He’s gone close twice this season without showing his best form; Afjan was a good second to Rayevka at this trip last time (Lessleparler third) and he was a much better two-year-old than the other three-year-old Moojeed and also finished ahead of him when the pair met earlier this season.

Seven of the nine runners in the listed five-furlong Prix La Fleche for two-year-olds are winners, including the two visitors, Miss Lizzy from the Charlie Fellowes yard and Vollering from Archie Watson’s stable. Neither horse has shown form good enough to win even an ordinary renewal of this, Miss Lizzy finally breaking her duck at the third time of asking at Wolverhampton and Vollering already beaten in similar company at Naas, but I don’t know enough yet about the relative strength of the home juvenile form to make a suggestion.

The other listed race, the Prix Marchand d’Or, is a domestic affair. Stablemates Shiri and How Are You finished first and second in a minor event here last time down the usually unfavoured part of the track but NO TUNE showed a good level of form when winning a similar event here a year ago and looked to have lost none of her ability when second behind My Calyx Cen (won Prix Sigy next time) on her latest start when she was the only one to come from off the pace.

Published at 08:25 GMT on 31/05/26

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