JEAN-Claude Rouget more than deserved his second Group 1 success of the season as several of his top performers are still recovering after a bout of a virulent form of equine flu.

Last Sunday at Chantilly, Mekhtaal and Gregory Benoist came with a perfectly-timed late run to capture the Prix d’Ispahan by a neck from the English visitor Robin Of Navan.

The odds-on favourite Zarak did not fire on this occasion and finished last of the five runners. But his connections did have better luck in the Group 2 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier as Vazirabad was first past the post in a race which was run in a manner unsuitable to the likings of the gelding. Christophe Soumillon was up to the task and rode a brilliant race.

TOP RACES

Mekhtaal has been knocking on the door of top races for some time. The son of Sea The Stars thrashed the field in the Prix Hocquart last year but was no match for stablemate Almanzor in the Prix du Jockey Club and he failed to win again in 2016.

He began the year with a close second to Cloth Of Stars in the Prix d’Harcourt and has now given another Group 1 victory to Rouget, who won the Poule d’Essai des Poulains with Brametot earlier in the month.

The early pace in the d’Ispahan was set by Robin Of Navan and Cristian Demuro and they only surrendered the lead after forcing Mekhtaal to pull out all the stops. The winning distance was a neck and a slightly unlucky Usherette finished half a length away in third.

“I was able to tuck him in and there was a nice pace. He is a late sort and still maturing and 10 furlongs is the perfect trip,” commented Benoist. Rouget, who first won the d’Ispahan with Never On Sunday in 2009, added: “We never really thought of running him at two. Mekhtaal has taken time to mature and we always had his four-year-old career in mind.

“I liked what I saw today and he quickened well at the end. His best distance appears to be 10 furlongs so we will aim him now at the Prince of Wales’s Stakes as Ascot. Later in the year, we will think about the English and Irish Champion Stakes.” Rouget took these Group 1 contests last year with Almanzor.

How Robin Of Navan started at 18/1 is a mystery as he won the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud in 2015 and was not too far behind Mekhtaal in the d’Harcourt. He ran his heart out but, sadly, Harry Dunlop was unable to witness the fine effort due to the British Airways computer fiasco back at home. However, part owner Richard Foden did make it to Chantilly.

He said: “The ground was possibly a little too firm for him but he ran an excellent race. It was a little shorter for him today but he stayed on well to hold second place. It would be nice if Robin Of Navan could win another group race someday.”

Usherette was somewhat short of room when making a forward move and she will now be supplemented into the Group 2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes, which the mare won last year.

The ground was considered a little lively for Zarak who was finally beaten by nearly 11 lengths but not given a hard time by Soumillon when beaten.

VICTOMTESSE VIGIER

The Belgian was at his brilliant best on Vazirabad in a Victomtesse Vigier which finally attracted just three runners. The winning time was ridiculously slow and all the field pulled hard early on as there were no takers to take the field along.

It was total confusion and a reluctant Vazirabad, the 2/11 favourite, retook the lead after four furlongs but was collared by the German six-year-old Sirius half way up the straight.

But Soumillon had kept something in hand on the son of Manduro who rallied again before winning by a short-neck from Sirius, with Travelling Man further back in third. Vazirabad was taking the Group 2 staying event for a second consecutive year.

“It wasn’t a very amusing race but a good lesson.” commented Soumillon before adding: “It was a sprint at the end of a 12-furlong race but good for his morale before the Ascot Gold Cup.”

Alain de Royer-Dupre said: “I hope there’ll be more runners at Ascot to take him along. He didn’t start to gallop until Sirius came up alongside. At least, he didn’t have a hard race as it was a hot afternoon.”

Pascal Bary may well have a candidate for the Prix de Diane Longines following the victory of Monroe Bay in the Listed Prix Finlande earlier in the afternoon. Jointly owned by Jean-Louis Bouchard and Lady Chryss O’Reilly (also the part breeder), the daughter of Makfi is definitely going the right way.

Volta suffers heart attack

TRAGEDY struck on the gallops at Chantilly last Saturday when Volta collapsed and died of a heart attack. She was a classy daughter of Siyouni and a great favourite of Francis Graffard who trained her to win the Group 2 Prix de Sandringham and into places in both the Prix de Diane Longines and the Prix Rothschild.

She had yet to make her seasonal debut but had been entered in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes and the Beverly D at Arlington Park.

Almanzor waits for York

JEAN-Claude Rouget has delayed the 2017 start of his crack Almanzor whose programme has been curtailed after a nasty virus struck part of his trainer’s team.

The colt, who won the Prix du Jockey Club last year before the Qipco sponsored English and Irish Champion Stakes, will first be seen out in the Group 2 Sky Bet York Stakes at the end of July prior, hopefully, to a tilt at the Juddmonte International at the same track the following month.