Dylan Thomas takes Prix Ganay

Dylan Thomas served notice that he will be a major force in Europe and the world this year with a handy two-length score in the $409,000 Prix Ganay at Longchamp on Sunday.

Group 1 victories don't come much easier than they did for Dylan Thomas, although it must be said that he was beating what appeared to be a Group 2 field in the 1o5/16-mile Ganay. Never worse than fourth, Dylan Thomas, a 4-year-old son of Danehill, was trapped briefly entering the 2 1/2-furlong stretch but rallied to lead 150 yards from the line under a sitting-chilly ride from Christophe Soumillon.

Irish Wells, winner of last August's Group 2 Grand Prix de Deauville, was second, three-quarters of a length in front of Doctor Dino, with Boris de Deauville, winner of the recent Group 2 Prix d'Harcourt, a head further back in fourth. The winning time for Dylan Thomas, the 2-5 favorite, was a stakes-record 2:07.90 on good ground.

Dylan Thomas returned from a six-month layoff since his dull last-place finish in the Jockey Club Gold Cup when he won the listed 1o1/4-mile Alleged Stakes at Leopardstown two weeks ago. The Ganay is his third Group 1 triumph, adding to his Irish Derby and the Irish Champion Stakes victories last year. Trainer Aidan O'Brien is sure to keep Dylan Thomas on turf this season with a tilt at the 1 1/4-mile Prince of Wales's Stakes on June 20 at Royal Ascot, where he might run into Friday's Gordon Richards Stakes winner Red Rocks.