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- Draw to influence outcome of French Derby
Draw to influence outcome of French Derby
Sunday's French Derby, The Prix du Jockey Club, has attracted a strong field of 17 with the main fancies drawn either high or low.
French 2000 Guineas winner and likely favourite Silver Frost will come out of stall 2 while Westphalia is drawn in 13.
The unbeaten colt Beheshtam, supplemented by H H Aga Khan, has been allocated stall 15.
Since 2005, when the distance of the Prix du Jockey Club was shortened from 2,400m to 2,100m, the winners came from stalls 13, 7, 5 and 4 with an average of 18 runners.
Aidan O%u2019Brien has declared four horses with French 2,000 Guineas third Westphalia looking the best of them. Set Sail, Drumbeat and Malibu Bay make up the rest of the Irish Challenge.
Aidan said: "Westphalia was possibly a bit unlucky in the French Guineas, he didn%u2019t get a clear run but came home really well and looked like he'd get further but ran a really good race.
"Malibu Bay ran once last year and won. He then finished third on his first run back in the Classic Trial on the right-handed track at Sandown. Johnny (Murtagh) was very happy with him but felt he didn't get a run when he needed it and thought there was improvement to come.
"Drumbeat ran in the Dee Stakes at Chester, where he was third, beaten half a length, and then ran in the Irish Guineas when the very soft ground may not have been ideal for him as he's a horse with a lot of speed. We think the mile and a quarter at Chantilly will suit him.
"Set Sail ran in the French Guineas at Longchamp, running a real good race to come fourth. Seamus (Heffernan), who rode him that day, felt he'd like to go further. Malibu Bay has a good draw in six and Westphalia is in 13 but the other two are on the rails - Set Sail is in 17, which is not ideal, and Drumbeat is in one, so we'll just have to see how it pans out."
e to see how it pans out."