Epsom Derby Preview: The Epsom Derby has had a habit of straining the entente cordiale down through the years but Visindar can introduce a long overdue Gallic hue to the 2006 edition of racing's blue riband event.
In a wonderfully competitive field of 18 runners, including a quartet from Aidan O'Brien's Ballydoyle yard led by Kieren Fallon's mount Horatio Nelson, there is precious little to be definite about. The wonderfully idiosyncratic roller-coaster old track alone makes certitude impossible, and rapidly drying ground conditions also present a challenge that most of these colts won't have faced this year.
But if there is one sure thing about today's Derby it is that victory for Visindar will result in much munching of crow among the expected 120,000 crowd and beyond.
In these politically correct days one of the few good old fashioned bits of "frog-bashing" that some of our more John Bull neighbours can get away with is the supposed ineptitude of the French at Epsom. It's 30 years since Empery travelled across the channel to win and just the presence of Christophe Soumillon on board Visindar will be enough for the more one-eyed punters to look elsewhere.
The young superstar jockey is of course Belgian by birth but when it comes to the Derby he will be painted with the same jingoistic brush that most French riders are painted with around here.
It all really started with the unfortunate Freddie Head in 1972 who couldn't steer the headstrong Lyphard around Tattenham Corner and instead kept going straight as if heading for Gatwick and a quick flight home away from les rosbifs.
Since then it has become a given that those used to plying their trade around Chantilly and Longchamp cannot cope with Epsom, something that doesn't really bear up to scrutiny when you consider Olivier Peslier managed to win on High Rise in 1998.
But why let the facts interfere with a good prejudice. Even the peerless Sea Bird, who won in 1965, was ridden by an Aussie so to home birds, the last all-French-trained winner of Britain's greatest race was the Francois Mathet-trained and Yves St Martin-ridden Relko 43 years ago.
There are sound factual reasons for believing Visindar can bridge that gap though. He is after all unbeaten in three starts and impressively landed the Group Two Prix Grefulhe at Saint Cloud on the last of them. There is also the blinding record of the Aga Khan in the race with four previous winners. And he is also by the 2000 winner Sinndar so stamina concerns don't really arise. However, come right down to it and belief in the chestnut colt's chance really comes down to a leap of faith. As is often the case with the Derby favourite, we don't know yet how good Visindar might be. But we do know he is held in huge regard by his trainer.
And the good news for punters is that if you're going to put your faith in any trainer, and it's a risky proposition at the best of times, then Andre Fabre is surely your man.
The Emperor of Chantilly has believed all year that this is the colt to finally break his own Derby hoodoo. Considering Fabre has won practically every other race worth winning, including a Breeders' Cup Classic and six Arcs, that opinion must carry enormous weight. And crucially Visindar has enjoyed a trouble-free passage to Epsom.
The same can hardly be said of the 2,000 Guineas runner-up Sir Percy who picked up a muscle problem at Newmarket. If the Dewhurst winner's chassis can't cope with a straight mile, then it will be under serious pressure around here.
Kieren Fallon's decision to ride Horatio Nelson from the Ballydoyle team looks the right one and this son of the Oaks winner Imagine looks to tick most of the boxes a Derby winner usually has to fill. But stories on the run-up about missed bits of work are not what you want to hear if you're a Horatio fan.
Michael Kinane's decision to ride Septimus instead of Papal Bull looks significant for the Stoute runner so of the home team, the Mick Channon-trained Championship Point could be the best each-way value.
Fabre has another string to his bow with Linda's Lad, owned by Irishman Seán Mulryan, and ridden by Britain's favourite continental Frankie Dettori. Victory for the Lingfield Trial winner would be manna for the headline writers and Frankie's legion of fans but softer going would surely suit Linda's Lad better.
Instead it's that rather more aloof continental, Monsieur Soumillon, who can silence the doubters with Visindar and trigger some wonderful French celebrations.
* Horse Racing Ireland yesterday announced an additional six fixtures to replace meetings lost in the last month due to the bad weather conditions. The first of those will be run at Tralee in 17 days' time and the remainder are Gowran (July 4th), Roscommon (August 18th), Sligo (September 13th), Kilbeggan (September 15th) and Cork on September 29th.
FORECAST
1 Visindar
2 Horatio Nelson
3 Championship Point
4 Mountain
