There was a surprise result in the Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains as 33/1 shot Marhaba Ya Sanafi narrowly got the better of Isaac Shelby.
British raider Isaac Shelby, representing trainer Brian Meehan, was 3/1 second-favourite on the back of his Greenham Stakes victory and he put up a brave display, only overhauled close home by Marhaba Ya Sanafi who swept home on the outside in the hands of Derby-winning rider Mickael Barzalona.
Isaac Shelby appeared to have the perfect slot sat in third but he was a fraction keen through the early stages and that ultimately took its toll as the Andreas Schutz-trained winner gained the upper hand inside the final furlong.
Marhaba Ya Sanafi had previously finished second to the big-race favourite American Flag (10/11) in the Prix de Fontainebleau over the same course and distance, but the latter failed to pick up from near the back of the field and could only run on to finish a well-held fourth, with third going to 40/1 chance Breizh Sky.
The Simon and Ed Crisford-trained Knight, seventh in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury on his comeback having been unbeaten in a couple of starts at two, had to be withdrawn at the start after losing a shoe and not satisfying the vet on trotting up. That incident caused a brief delay to the start, with most of the runners already in the stalls before being taken out again, and then finally reloaded for the race proper.
"I’m not at all (surprised), I expected him to run in the first five,” said Schutz on Sky Sports Racing.
“You couldn’t tell what the result would be. I wasn’t expecting to win, but I was hoping he would get a good amount of money because I thought the horse had really improved from his last run.
“He didn’t have a hard preparation going into his first two races of the season, so I thought if any horse was to improve, it would be him.
“He came off the bridle quite early in the race, but when he got daylight into the straight, you could tell there was a bit of gas left in the tank. Everything worked out to plan.”
Schutz confirmed the Prix du Jockey Club, the French Derby, as the most “logical” next port of call.
Meehan said of Isaac Shelby: "I'm a little bit frustrated with the pace, in the middle third of the race they went a bit steady for him.
"But I'm very proud of the horse, he's run a lovely race. It's always good to be at that end of a Classic.
"I think there's more to come, he's better than he showed. And I think the pace might have had something to do with it.
"But we're very happy. It'll possibly be the St James's Palace or the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot which will be his next target."
Betfair left the runner-up unchanged at 5/1 for the St James's Palace Stakes.
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