Prix du Jockey-Club returns for 168th edition

Considered the jewel of all French classics, Sunday's Prix du Jockey-Club

(Fr-G1), or French Derby to apply its anglicized mantle, will be the 168th

renewal of the Chantilly showpiece since first being staged on April 24, 1836 --

56 years after the Epsom barometer and 30 years in advance of the Irish

equivalent.

This season will witness NATAGORA (Divine Light)'s attempt to become the

ninth filly to claim the rosette and the first filly to win since Saltarelle's

success in 1874. Daniel Wildenstein's Moonlight Dance was the last distaffer to

make the line-up, but she finished unplaced in 1994. Connections of English One

Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) heroine Natagora have yet to confirm a jockey.

Aidan O'Brien has confirmed that Susan Magnier's ACHILL ISLAND (Ire)

(Sadler's Wells) will take his place in the line-up under Johnny Murtagh and

Godolphin is set to declare IBN KHALDUN (Dubai Destination).

At Wednesday's forfeit stage, Paul Cole withdrew English Two Thousand Guineas

(Eng-G1) sixth Moynahan (Johannesburg) and Brian Meehan withdrew Royal Lodge S.

(Eng-G2) winner City Leader (Fasliyev).

Thursday sees a supplementary stage and the balloting system will have to be

applied if, as expected, the number totals more than 20. Among those who could

miss out are His Highness the Aga Khan's pair of BERET ROUGE (Red Ransom) and

MONTMARTRE (Montjeu [Ire]).

Chantilly has been hit by a storm, which has significantly eased the going

ahead of Sunday's event. A release from France Galop outlined a measure of the

impact on ground conditions.

"A violent storm hit the area on Tuesday night with 21 millimeters of

precipitation measured the following morning at the racecourse, which ground is

rated as very soft," the statement read. "Light showers are also expected on

Wednesday and Thursday, but the weather should be fine the next three days."

Officials predict that the Jockey-Club course should be good-to-soft on

Sunday.