Rock books ticket to French Derby

14th April 2008

Sunday’s Classic trials at Longchamp are always informative pointers to the big races later in the season and there was no more impressive winner this year than Rock Of Gibraltar colt High Rock (3c Rock Of Gibraltar-Hint Of Silver, by Alysheba).

Jean-Claude Rouget’s charge, a G3 winner last season bred by Ecurie Skymarc Farm, ran away with the G3 Prix La Force by an effortless six lengths and the G1 Prix du Jockey-Club (French Derby) is now his target.

"The horse was keen today because he was very fresh as I hadn’t given him too much preparatory work for this first run of the year. He has class and talent and proved it once again today," said Rouget. "I’m sure his best trip will be at around a mile-and-a-quarter so we can now think about the Prix du Jockey-Club."

The Thoroughbred Daily News noted: "High Rock set the seal on an afternoon of Classic trials with arguably the best performance of all with a mighty display in this French Derby prep. A first-up third at Deauville last August, he broke through in a Saint-Cloud maiden the following month and entered winter quarters with the G1 Prix du Jockey-Club on the agenda after a victory in the G3 Prix de Conde at this track in October. Jockey Christophe Lemaire earned his corn through the early fractions of this as High Rock fought for his head in keen fashion while positioned third behind a stop-start pace. Allowed an inch of rein rounding the home turn, he seized the initiative at the top of the stretch and powered ever clear in near-effortless fashion to secure a second pattern win by daylight."