The Group I Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) and Prix de Diane (French Oaks) were both run over 2000m at Chantilly in France overnight with the winners of both races posting their first success at the elite level.
Coolmore entry Fancy Blue won her only two starts last year and was second to Galileo filly Peaceful in the Group I Irish Thousand Guineas when returning this year.
This time around the Donnacha O’Brien trained daughter of Deep Impact was able to turn the tables on Peaceful, beating her by a short neck in a close finish.
“
Fancy Blue is a very good filly and I'm very lucky to have her, we look forward to the rest of the season with her. We might have a look at the Irish Oaks at the Curragh next. She handled the travelling well and that's a positive sign for the future,” said Donnacha O'Brien.
A homebred for Coolmore, Fancy Blue is the 47th G1 winner for Deep Impact and is a half-sister to stakes-winner Casterton and Smuggler’s Cove from Chenchikova, a winning full sister to champion racehorse and sire High Chaparral.
She is the second Group I classic winner for Coolmore bred by Japanese super sire Deep Impact joining Saxon Warrior, who is shuttling to Australia again this spring at a fee of $17,600.
The Prix du Jockey Club went the way of the John Gosden trained colt Mishriff, who scored a dominant length and three-quarter win, his third victory from six starts.
A homebred for Prince Faisal, Mishriff is the first Group I winner for his young sire Make Believe, a Group I winning son of Dubawi’s sire son Makfi, who shuttled to New Zealand for a number of seasons.
He is a half-brother to stakes-winner Orbaan and comes from a big female family as his dam is a grand-daughter of influential producer and French Oaks winner Rafha, the dam of champion sires Invincible Spirit and Kodiac.
