Feed The Flame hungry for French Derby success

Exciting Pascal Bary-trained colt takes Classic challenge at Chantilly.

Pascal Bary’s Feed The Flame will bid to maintain his flawless record in the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly on Sunday.

The son of Kingman did not run as a two-year-old and made his debut at ParisLongchamp in April, winning a maiden by five and a half lengths under Christophe Soumillon.

He then returned to the same track later that month to contest the Prix de Ferrieres, a race he won by a length and a quarter over a mile and three furlongs.

The exciting colt has not been seen since and returns to action to try to make it three from three in the French Derby.

“We gave him some time off after he won for the second time, even though he had won easily twice,” said Bary.

“After that we’ve built him up again for Sunday.

“On his debut the ground was perfect, next time it was very soft but there is a big cushion in the ground at the moment, so there’s no reason he won’t handle it.

“I don’t think the draw (stall six) is going to be an issue, there are not going to be that many runners, but you have to ride him the way that suits him anyway.

“Christophe has ridden him. He hasn’t had a retainer this year. He’s one of the best jockeys, so if you can get him it makes sense.

“I do think he will be better over a mile and a half, despite his pedigree, but I think he’ll be quicker on his feet on Sunday than he has been in the past.”

Christopher Head will aim for the second Classic winner of his career as Big Rock attempts to extend a unbeaten run that has seen him win all four starts this term.

After taking a handicap and a Listed event, the Rock Of Gibraltar colt landed two Group Threes in the Prix la Force and the Prix de Guiche and now steps up both in trip and in grade.

“We didn’t know the limits of this horse, that was before he ran in the Prix de Guiche, he then won it by five lengths,” said Head, who trains the brilliant filly Blue Rose Cen.

“When I talk about limits, what I mean is that I didn’t really know how far he could go and he has proven that he is a horse that has a lot of speed and who can go over that trip.

“The thing is with him is that he’s got that cruising speed, he travels at that cruising speed and you can see how he finishes and how he responds over that trip.”

Continuous and Ryan Moore
Continuous and Ryan Moore (Donall Farmer/PA)

Ryan Moore will partner Aidan O’Brien’s Continuous, a Heart’s Cry colt who was last seen dead-heating for third in the Dante at York.

Prior to that he was twice a winner as a two-year-old, taking a Curragh maiden and then the Group Three Prix Thomas Bryon at Chantilly.

Moore told Betfair: “This looks a very hot contest. We have the French 2000 Guineas winner Marhaba Ya Sanafi, the unbeaten and unexposed Feed The Flame, and the impressive Chantilly winner Big Rock in here, to name but three, but I do think Continuous has a good shot at this.

“I thought he shaped very promisingly indeed for me when dead-heating for third with Passenger in the Dante, a race in which he just got a bit tired late on, on his first start since September.

“I would have thought that race would have brought him on a good deal, and he is a colt I rate. It’s a very deep French Derby but he should go well.”

O’Brien added: “Continuous is well. We’re happy with everything he’s done and we always thought soft ground suited him. He went to York and did it, and if it’s soft he definitely won’t mind it.”

Marhaba Ya Sanafi, trained by Andreas Schutz, takes his chance after a short-neck success in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, the French 2000 Guineas, last time out.

The sole British-trained runner is John and Thady Gosden’s Epictetus, second to Auguste Rodin in the Vertem Futurity Trophy as a juvenile, the winner of the Listed Blue Riband Trial on debut this year and then fifth in the Dante. Frankie Dettori takes the ride.

Andre Fabre’s Flight Leader joins Yann Barberot’s American Flag and Alessandro and Giuseppe Botti’s Winter Pudding in the line-up.

Jean-Claude Rouget has a trio or runners in Rajapour, Padishakh and the unbeaten Ace Impact.

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