Kesampour favored over 20 in Prix du Jockey-Club

Sunday's Group 1 Prix du Jockey-Club (French Derby) at Chantilly will see a

maximum field of 20, with His Highness The Aga Khan looking for an eighth

renewal courtesy of the unbeaten Mikel Delzangles-trained Kesampour. Drawn in a

favorable post in five down towards the all-important inner rail, the homebred

will be joined by the same owner/breeder's Lunayir, who will break from 15 as he

bids to provide Alain de Royer-Dupre with a sixth edition.

After beating subsequent Group 2 Prix Hocquart scorer Top Trip in the Prix

Francois Mathet over the 1 5/16-mile trip at Saint-Cloud April 1, Kesampour

returned there to inch out the re-opposing Albion in the 10-furlong Group 2 Prix

Greffulhe May 5, where the Group 3 Prix la Force hero Saonois was a half-length

away in fourth.

"He won well enough last time and I think, on top of that, better ground will

help on Sunday," Delzangles told Racing Post.

Alongside the progressive Albion, who will have to emulate recent winners

Blue Canari, Shamardal and his son Lope de Vega in defying a double-figure

stall, Andre Fabre also saddles a runner in the Godolphin France livery in Saint

Baudolino. Unlike his stable companion, he has been handed a major advantage

exiting from stall three and he looked a colt on the rise when upsetting Sofast

despite suffering a troubled passage through in the Group 3 Prix de Guiche over

nine furlongs May 11. Lawman took that race en route to glory here five years

ago and Fabre's stable jockey Maxime Guyon is on his back.

Frankie Dettori, who has steered four colts to success in this classic, is

hardly a negative booked for Albion, who has to overcome a troublesome draw in

17. He beat Lunayir in a 10-furlong conditions event on soft ground at Longchamp

April 19 prior to his narrow Greffulhe defeat, where he looked as if he needed a

sterner stamina test.

French Fifteen had the pace to take Maisons-Laffitte's Group 3 Prix Djebel

over seven furlongs on his seasonal reappearance April 5 and the stamina to make

Camelot work on a rain-softened surface at Newmarket, but has not been helped by

a wide draw in 13.

"Everything has gone well since Newmarket," trainer Nicolas Clement told PA

Sport. "The horse has had a very good preparation, he looks great and is working

great. He is drawn in stall 13 of 20, which I am happy with and we have

Christophe Soumillon booked to ride, which is great. He is riding well and rode

the horse in a piece of work on the racecourse 10 days ago and everything went

well. He will be riding a patient race and we'll see what happens. It is his

first time over the distance, so that is a question mark, but the way he ran

over a mile at Newmarket on soft ground gives you hope he will stay."

One important colt who was missing from the Group 1 Two Thousand Guineas

line-up was Most Improved and the sounds emerging from Manton this spring

suggest that classic was missing a key element. Third on only his third start in

Newmarket's Group 1 Dewhurst in October, he will have to be every bit as smart

as connections believe if he is to win this on his seasonal bow.

"He is back in very good form now and working well," trainer Brian Meehan

explained. "His chance, based on a close Dewhurst Stakes third to Parish Hall

and subsequent (Group 1) Irish Two Thousand Guineas winner Power, is as good as

any, while his middle draw in this 20-strong field should be no problem."

Germany is represented by Group 3 Dr Busch-Memorial winner Amaron, who was a

short neck ahead of the re-opposing Gregorian when fourth in the Group 1 Poule

d'Essai des Poulains at Longchamp May 13, while the Irish contingent is made up

solely of Imperial Monarch, who overcame heavy ground and a wide trip to beat

Thought Worthy in the Group 3 Sandown Classic Trial and may have been a leading

player in Saturday's Epsom Derby had he not been re-routed here.

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