Ace Impact breaks Big Rock in French Derby

By Duane Fonseca

French conditioner Jean-Claude Rouget picked up a fifth Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club title in eight years at Chantilly Sunday afternoon after Ace Impact’s terrific late burst saw him rein in the field under Cristian Demuro in record time.

A field of 11 took to the gates for the 2100m turf affair, with Christopher Head’s Big Rock handed the favourites tag for winning the Group 3 Prix de Guiche by a massive five lengths four weeks ago. That, the Rock of Gibraltar colt’s fourth straight win, had been gained over an 1800m trip. However, if connections felt the extra 300m of the French Derby would be no problem for Big Rock, they would have patted themselves on the back until he brought the field into the straight. Then, he started to tire.

Contrastingly, Ace Impact’s only Stakes level success was gained in the Listed Prix de Suresnes a month prior, but that was over a 2000 trip and a contest in which the Cracksman colt bolted across the finish much akin to a sprinter.

Demuro let Aurelien Lemaitre take Big Rock forward and sat mid-division. He turned widest aboard Ace Impact and left it until the 400m marker showed up to shift his mount into top gear. When Ace Impact got his orders, he went forward furiously and gobbled up ground in no time catching up with Big Rock 100m from the finish and sprinting on to win with three and a half lengths to spare. A further two and a half back in third was the Emirati Jaber Abdullah-owned Marhaba Ya Sanafi, trained by Andreas Schultz and ridden by Mickael Barzalona.

Ace Impact’s winning time of 2:02.63 further lowered a track record set in 2019 by Sottsass, who won the same race for Rouget. Ace Impact’s victory helped him extend his unbeaten record to four and made him a first Group 1/Classic winner for his sire Cracksman, a Darley stallion. It was also Demuro’s third win in the race and marked a sixth overall title for 69yo Rouget, who first won with Le Havre in 2009.

Rouget won the title last year with Vadeni, and said: “These are special moments. I've only once won this race with a favourite, and almost always from the position of challenger. 

“I thought I saw something in him when he won at Cagnes in the winter. I feel sorry for the runner-up because he's a very good horse to have. But he's been beaten by a better one.”

Ace Impact holds an entry in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown, but Rouget will wait to assess him on his return to the yard, adding: “We’ll see how he is in the next few weeks and make a programme.”

Earlier on the card, Stephane Wattel’s Simca Mille turned up a comfortable winner of the 2400m Group 2 Grand Prix de Chantilly under Alexis Pouchin, who brought the 4yo Tamayuz entire to the front virtually in cruise control from where he bolted in the final 300m to run out an easy three and a half length winner from Kertez, trained by Andre Fabre and ridden by Maxime Guyon. A further head back in third was Lastotchka for trainer Jean-Marie Beguigne and jockey Theo Bachelot.

Trainer Carlos Laffon-Parias and jockey Maxime Guyon combined to land the Group 2 Prix de Sandringham, Kelina justifying her favourites billing in the 3yo fillies’ affair with a sensational two length victory ahead of Sauterne, who was a further three ahead of Paz. 

Patrice Cottier’s longshot Game Run dominated the finish in the 1000m Group 2 Prix du Gros-Chene under Marvin Grandin, relegating favourite Marshman to third behind second placed Get Ahead. 

The Group 3 Prix de Royaumont over 2400m went to Andre Fabre’s Ottery, who under Bauyrzhan Murzabayev, headed Aidan O’Brien’s Boogie Woogie in the final furlong and raced on to win by a length and a half. Engaliwe was a further five and half back in third.

George Boughey’s Perdika, Murzabayev up, won the 1200m Listed Prix Marchand d’Or by a head from Vicious, the pair a further three and a half ahead of Demain.