Ice Blue best in Prix Greffulhe

Ice Blue will head straight to the Prix du Jockey-Club, or French Derby, after his victory at Saint-Cloud on Saturday in the Group 2, $168,000, Prix Greffulhe. In chalking up another big win for his red-hot sire, Dansili, Ice Blue overcame trouble with a superb turn of foot to defeat Handsome Devil by three-quarters of a length.

Blocked in midstretch, Ice Blue was patiently ridden by Stephane Pasquier. When the opening came, Ice Blue responded instantly to lead 50 yards from the line, covering the 1 1/4 miles in 2:07.80 on good to soft ground as the 1.30-1 favorite. It was another length back to Green Rock with the 9-5 Royal Revival, a half-brother to Preachinatthebar, fourth, beaten 4 1/4 lengths in his first start of the season.

Owned by Khalid Abdullah and trained by Pascal Bary, Ice Blue had made his seasonal debut on April 11 a winning one as he beat Handsome Devil by 2 1/2 lengths in a 1 3/8-mile Longchamp conditions race. The 1 5/16-mile French Derby will be run at Chantilly on June 6.

Sandbar wins Cleopatre

Sandbar withstood a 20-minute stewards' inquiry to win the Group 3, $103,000 Prix Cleopatre, a 1 5/16-mile prep for the June 13 French Oaks. A Francois Rohaut-trained daughter of Oasis Dream, Sandbar came from third under Francois-Xavier Bertras to lead at the eighth pole in defeating Pearl Away by three-quarters of a length, with the longshot Heaven's vault third, a half-length further back. Sent off at 4.60-1, Sandbar was timed in 2:14.30. A listed race winner over the Cleopatre course and distance, Sandbar is not nominated to the French Oaks and is likely to run in the Italian Oaks at the Capannelle in Rome.

Bullet Train wires at Lingfield

Khalid Abdullah has himself an Epsom Derby contender in Bullet Train. A son of Sadler's Wells trained by Henry Cecil, Bullet Train led throughout on Saturday to take the Group 3, $97,000 Lingfield Derby Trial by 2 1/4 lengths from Dubawi Phantom. Sent off as the 11-4 second choice in a field of seven, Bullet Train covered the 1 7/16 miles on good to firm ground in 2:32.48.

And George Strawbridge is in with a chance in the English Oaks after his homebred Dynaformer filly Dyna Waltz landed the listed Lingfield Oaks Trial. Trained by John Gosden and ridden by Ryan Moore, the 7-1 Dyna Waltz prevailed by a length over the 4-7 favorite, Timepiece, getting the 1 7/16 miles in 2:32.46.

Worthadd takes Derby Italiano

At the Capannelle in Rome on Saturday, Worthadd confirmed 2.84-1 favoritism to emerge triumphant in the $860,000, Group 2 Derby Italiano.\Trained by Vittorio Caruso, the Dubawi colt was always close up in second, led approaching the quarter pole and was held together by a determined Mirco Demuro to eke out a short head victory over Ansiei, with Saratoga Black just a head further back in third.

The time for the 1 3/8 miles on heavy ground was 2:22.15.