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The flashy Diego Velazquez (Frankel) pictured winning the 2023 G2 Champion Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown over stable companion Capulet (Justify) for Ryan Moore and Aidan O’Brien.
The flashy Frankel colt, with four white stockings and a distinctive blaze held an entry for the Betfred Derby that was run over 1m4f at Epsom Downs yesterday. It was decided by Coolmore to run Diego Velazquez without any stable companions in the GQ Prix du Jockey Club French Derby 1m2f, after he ran on late for a well deserved fourth in the French 2000 guineas in May, looking and bred for further.
Diego Velazquez pictured at the Book 1 Tattersalls Yearling sale in Newmarket, earned his 2.4m guineas price tag after the impeccably bred Frankel colt was already a half brother to two multiple graded stakes winners in Broome (Australia) and Point Lonsdale (Australia), and on top of having a faultless physical structure to be a top racehorse.
The Prix Du Jockey Club is most certainly a stallion making race. If we look at the past twenty five runnings of the race, they have been won by the likes of Montjeu (Saddler’s Wells) 1999, Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway) 2005, Lawman (Invincible Spirit) 2007, Le Havre (Noverre) 2009, Lope De Vega (Shamardal) 2010, New Bay (Dubai) 2015, Almanzor (Wooten Bassett) 2016, Study Of Man (Deep Impact) 2018, Sottsass (Siyouni) 2019, Mishriff (Make Believe) 2020, Dt Mark’s Basilica (Siyouni) 2021, Vadeni (Churchill) 2022, and Ace Impact (Cracksman) 2023.
Last year’s winner Ace Impact showing a clean pair of heals to give his sire Cracksman a first winner in the race
Looking at the pedigrees of the past winners, and the line up for the French Derby, Frankel (Galileo) is the grandsire of pictured 2023 winner Ace Impact (Cracksman), Vadeni (Churchill) won the race in 2022 is a grandson of Galileo, 2021 victor St Mark’s Basilica is out of a Galileo mare, 2019 winner Sottsass is out of a Galileo mare, Study Of Man won in 2018 and is out of a Storm Cat mare, 2014 victor the Grey Gatsby descends from Danehill, Lope De Vega by Shamardal won in 2010 and descends from Storm Cat, Lawman won in 2007 descends from Green Desert, Shamardal was sired by Giant’s Causeway and produced Lope De Vega descend from Storm Cat, and finally Montjeu is by Saddler’s Wells, who sired Galileo. From above, Northern Dancer’s influence is once again very prominent in the French Derby.
This gives me confidence that Diego Velazquez is the one to beat, and bred to win with his sire Frankel, grandsire Galileo, and great grandsire Saddler’s Wells, and well as his grand dam sire Danehill prominent in pedigrees of previous winners of the race.
Diego Velazquez has beaten the likes of the above mentioned Capulet, who is a son of Justify and bred on the same cross as Epsom Derby hero City Of Troy and bred to stay the trip. Capulet won his Derby Trial in the Listed Dee Stakes impressively over 1m2f, which gives confidence that Diego Velazquez could relish the French Derby trip over the same distance when looking for more ground in the French Guineas over one mile. He also showed that he handles the French ground adding further confidence to Coolmore’s decision to rum him today as appose to yesterday.
Fast Tracker (Churchill) will be looking to give his sire a second French Derby Success, as well as Ghostwriter (Invincible Spirit) with Churchill and Invincible Spirit siring the winner’s in 2022 and 2007 respectively. Look De Vega and First Look will be looking to carry the Shamardal influence of the race, and give their 2010 French Derby winning sire Lope De Vega a first winner as a sire. Alcantor will be looking to give 2015 winner New Bay a first winner and a value bet at 15/2.
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Picks for the French Derby at Chantilly
June 2nd
15:05 GMT Qatar Prix Du Jockey Clup (Group 1)
Win - Diego Velazquez 4/1
Each Way - Look At Vega 6/1
Trifecta - Diego Velazquez, Fast Tracker, Look De Vega (Box)
Quartet/Superfecta - Diego Velazquez, Fast Tracker, Look De Vega, Ghost Writer (Box)
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