There was glorious sunshine as the eight-race French Derby card got under way at 2 P M on Sunday at Chantilly. Rain was coming down hard in London as I left for the train station. From where I was staying, Kings Cross St Pancras from where the Eurostar goes to Paris, is a 15-minute walk. I was getting wet and the only option was a cab ride. Several empty cabs did not stop despite frantic waving. Ten minutes had passed and I was getting worried. A cab stopped and in London, you pay by the meter. It is a very short ride. My train was leaving at 7 52 A M and I got to the station at 6 30 AM. The registration process did not start until 6 45 AM. I stopped at the newsstand to get the Racing Post. Three Group races that were of interest to British and Irish fans were in the Racing Post. I slept thru most of the journey and reached Paris at 11 15 AM local time.

A friend of mine runs a sandwich shop outside Gare du Nord. There was a South Indian meal waiting for me. My friend had bought a Nord-Chantilly return ticket. I was back at the station a few minutes after noon and the train was scheduled to leave at 12 43 P M. The train was at Chantilly by 1 15 PM. Now came the 15-minute walk through the woods. It is the best part of the trip to Chantilly. It was 1 45 PM by the time I checked in at the Press Center. All afternoon long, there was food, soft drinks and coffee and champagne in the Press Centre.

I went to the weighing area to speak to Olivier Peslier and Christophe Lemaire. We chatted and the subject turned to Royal Ascot. Peslier was aboard Silver Frost, the favourite in the Jockey Club, and was hopeful. Lemaire showed optimism without being bullish.

The fifth race was the 2400-metre Prix de Royaumont. Shamakiya, winner of her only start, was the favourite in the colors of the Aga Khan. It was Quetsche who made all the running with Christophe Lemaire. Quetsche was a 64-10 chance. Quetsche’s wins had come in France’s secondary circuit. The winning trainer was Jean Rouget who had already won the fourth race with the Ioritz Mendizabal-ridden Peachmelba. It was Rouget’s second win.

The next race was the Prix Paul de Moussac over 1600 metres. Handsome Maestro, Soumillion up, and Oiseau de Feu, Lemaire aboard, shared favouritism. The two favourites raced in mid-division and Handsome Maestro made first run. Lemaire went in chase and got up in the waning yards. So, it was Lemaire’s second win and the third for Rouget.

Jockey Lemaire, with two Group III wins in his bag, was going for a hat trick but was on an outsider in the Group I Prix du Jockey Club. Le Havre had been a non-threatening second to Silver Frost in the French 2000 Guineas. After a strong freshman campaign, Le Havre, a Noverre colt, had beaten the mighty Naaqoos in the 1400-metre Prix Djebel at Maisons Laffitte. The form clearly suggested that Le Havre had to raise his game and find more. Silver Frost was three for three as a sophomore and was getting the most support in the market. Beheshtam had won twice in as many starts and was making only his third appearance. Beheshtam was being supported too. Lemaire had Le Havre held up and the leaders went at a good clip. Fuisse, a longshot, hit the front 400 metres out and was shaping like a winner. Silver Frost was floundering. Beheshtam was making a late move. Le Havre was on the move and was responding to Lemaire’s call. Lemaire steered Le Havre iinside of Fuisse and moments later, it was three consecutive wins for Lemaire and the culmination coming in the Group I French Derby. Trainer Jean Rouget was getting win number four for the day.

A 119-10 chance, Le Havre, was bought for 100,000 Euros in the 2007 Deauville August sale. Seventeen ran and the 2100-metre race was run in 2 06.80 on rain-softened grass. Rain started as horses went postward for the fifth race. As the horses paraded for the Derby, there was steady rain. The weather had gone topsy turvy. The Derby had been run and as horses were brought to the paddock for the eighth and last race, the sun had reappeared.

Trainer Rouget spoke about Gerard Augustin-Normand. “He is a private man. A stockbroker. He watched the race from his Normandy home. He is now the happiest man in the world.”

“The pace was quick. We had a clear run. I had doubts whether Le Havre would stay. It was his first attempt at this distance. The Jockey Club is a hard race to win. It is very special to me. I was eating cherries in 1966 when I saw Nelcius win my first French Derby,” Rouget continued.

There was no press conference. I picked up information from press news at Chantilly. Lemaire spoke. “I was outpaced early. I was not worried. He (Le Havre) was relaxed. In the stretch, it was a dream. He grabbed the bit and I had Fuisse to lead me home.”

Fuisse was beaten by over a length. Dominic Boeuf was disappointed. “My colt began to idle I thought I had a winning lead.”

Yves de Nicolay, Silver Frost’s trainer, said, “it was plain he did not stay.”

Stan James gave a 12-1 quote for Le Havre to win the Arc. The favourite is Sea The Stars at 5-1.

I went back to the jockeys’ room to see Lemaire. “Tom, you brought me luck. The cap you gave me brought me luck and thank you very much.”

At Dusseldorf, in the German 1000 Guineas on Sunday, Richard Hughes took Penny’s Gift, trained by Richard Hannon on a start to finish mission and succeeded. Penny’s Gift was the 18-10 favourite. Jockey Hughes said, “it was a great start and I got a soft lead. I had enough when the late challenges came.”

Summer Bird, the upset winner of the Belmont Stakes, returned $25.80. Dunkirk, Charitable Man and Mine That Bird were in a three-way battle with an eighth of a mile to go. Dunkirk had set the pace on a bright summer day with over 50,000 fans in attendance. Borel made an early move to range alongside for the lead. Kent Desormeaux and Summer Bird were watching all the action. Less than 200 to run, Summer Bird was taken to the outside and put his great stride into action. The Belmont Stakes was over in a trice. Summer Bird won going away by almost three lengths. Dunkirk edged out Mine That Bird.

Summer Bird is by Birdstone, winner of the 2004 Belmont Stakes. It was Summer Bird’s fifth career start. The Belmont Stakes was his second career win. It was a four-winner Saturday for jockey Kent Desormeaux. The time for the 2400-metre race on a fast track was 2 27.54. The race was worth $600,000 for Karaikal and Vilasini Devi Jayaraman. Summer Bird was wearing blinkers for the first time. After finishing sixth in the Derby, the Tim Ice-trained Summer Bird had skipped the Preakness.

Kent Desormeaux was winning his first Belmont Stakes. “Summer Bird dragged me all the way. I had an armchair ride. When I found room, he really just laid his body down. Belmont will now be in my resume.”

Jockey Borel said that the pace was slow and he was forced to move sooner than necessary. Trainer Woolley said that Mine That Bird was keen and was fighting Borel but Borel will continue to ride the colt.