Visindar stays unbeaten

Visindar passed his Epsom Derby test with flying colors at Saint-Cloud in France on Monday as he cruised to an easy four-length victory in the 1 1/4-mile Group 2 Prix Greffulhe.

Now unbeaten and unchallenged after three career starts, Visindar will try to give trainer Andre Fabre his first victory in the 1 1/2-mile Epsom classic on June 3.

The previously undefeated Onerous rallied with Visindar from the back of the six-runner field but could not keep pace through the final furlong. Christophe Soumillon had himself a rocking chair ride on the 1-5 Visindar, who was making his first start in group race company. His Fabre-trained uncoupled stablemate Bremen, a short head second to French Derby hopeful Gentlewave in the Group 2 Prix Noailles in April, failed to run to form in finishing fifth, 6 3/4 lengths behind Visindar.

Visindar, whose sire Sinndar won both the Epsom and Irish derbies in 2000, is now William Hill's 2-1 favorite for the Epsom Derby. He could be joined there by stablemate Linda's Lad, who on Saturday won the 1 7/16-mile Group 3 Lingfield Derby Trial. The last French horse to win the Epsom Derby was Nelson Bunker Hunt's Maurice Zilber-trained Empery in 1976.