France: Vedani romps in Prix du Jockey Club

Trainer Jean-Claude Rouget has become the master of the Prix du Jockey Club, winning his fifth overall and fourth in the last seven years as Vadeni stormed to victory Sunday at Chantilly in France’s derby.

It was the third day in a row a European classic has delivered a satisfying result. Friday, Emily Upjohn nearly overcame a very difficult trip and lost a head bob to Tuesday in the Oaks at Epsom, and on Saturday at Epsom, silky smooth Desert Crown turned in an exceptional performance winning the Derby.

On Sunday, it was Vadeni’s turn, though this colt emerged from relative obscurity compared to the well-regarded trio in England. Vadeni won two of three starts as a 2-year-old, running decently but losing in his only group-stakes try, and, after shaking off rust, finishing fifth in his 3-year-old debut, he scored a promising 2 1/2-length win in the Group 3 Prix de Guiche over nine furlongs at Chantilly.

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Sunday was a different story, with Rouget bringing the Aga Khan homebred to a peak in his target race. Under Christophe Soumillon, Vedani traveled strongly from the start, slotting in just behind the lead pack in the 15-runner field. Vedani, rival trainer Charlie Appleby said afterward, looked like a winner a long way from the finish, and when Soumillon eased his mount into the clear with a little more than a quarter-mile to race, Vedani glided up to the Appleby-trained pacesetting favorite, Modern Games, without being asked. Soumillon pushed the button as Vedani edged in front and got an impressive response, Vedani opening a lead of several lengths, victory already assured at the furlong grounds. The final margin was five lengths as Vedani clocked 2:06.65 for 1 5/16 miles over soft going.

El Bodegon snatched second from Modern Games, who had won the French 2000 Guineas in his previous start but was hounded on the pace and was stretching out beyond one mile for the first time.

Vadeni, a colt of modest proportions, is from the first crop of the sire Churchill and is out of the Monsun mare, Vaderana. Rouget said he’d be pointed to the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano on Aug. 15 as a prep for the Irish Champion Stakes over 1 1/4 miles. Vadeni could get a chance at 1 1/2 miles later in the year and had his price slashed by overseas bookmakers for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at that trip.

Modern Games smartly won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar last October and could be headed back to America this summer, Appleby said.