Bago romps at Chantilly

Longshot Blue Canari gave owner Jean-Louis Bouchard a fourth win in the last 11 runnings of the French Derby when he took the Prix du Jockey-Club at Chantilly on Sunday.

But it was the brilliant reappearance of last year's European champion 2-year-old, Bago, in the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat that sent the crowd home buzzing.

Now unbeaten in five career starts, Bago, trained by Jonathan Pease, was expected to need the run and was weak in the betting as the 3-2 chance.

But once the race began there were few clues to suggest that this was his first outing for seven months, as he quickened effortlessly clear in the closing stages under Thierry Gillet to beat Cacique by three lengths, covering the 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:46.60.

Trained by by Pascal Bary, Blue Canari came from off the pace to catch Prospect Park on the line. The winning margin was a head, the time for the 1 1/2 miles 2:25.20, and the payoff more than 33-1.