Olmedo best in French Derby

AIDAN O’BRIEN sends four to Chantilly for tomorrow’s French Derby (3.15).

Ryan Moore, inset, is on the Chester winner Rostropovich, the 9-2 second favourite.

O’Brien’s other runners, Flag Of Honour, Hunting Horn and Kenya, were all beaten at Chester.

The two English runners are both trained at Newmarket. William Buick is on Godolphin’s unbeaten Key Victory, while James Doyle rides Hey Gaman for James Tate.

The favourite is Olmedo, who beat Hey Gaman a neck in the French 2,000 Guineas with Dice

Roll a close third.

That is solid Group One form, whereas Key Victory’s defeat of Old Persian and Highbrow came in an average Listed race at Newmarket, the form of which has not worked out too well.

Olmedo looks a worthy favourite, while Hey Gaman appeals each-way at 12-1. The first Group race of the day is the Prix Sandringham for three-year-old fillies. The British runners are Andrea Atzeni’s mount, Ellthea, beaten two lengths in the French

1,000 Guineas, and Altyn Orda, three lengths off Billesdon Brook in our

1,000 Guineas and ridden by Colm O’Donoghue.

William Buick is on the Charlie Hills-trained A Momentofmadness in the Group Two Prix du Gros-Chene

(2.00). He also rides Rare Rhythm in the Grand Prix de Chantilly (2.35), a consolation race for Epsom’s Coronation Cup. Roger Varian’s Shaherezada is the sole English runner in the Prix de Royaumont (4.35).

William Hill’s French Derby odds: 11-4 Olmedo,

9-2 Study Of Man, 5 Rostropovich, 11-2 Key Victory, 12 Dice Roll, Hey Gaman, 14 bar.