Vincent Cheminaud recorded a rare double for a jockey in adding the French Derby to France’s leading jumps race the Grand Steeplechase when he won on New Bay on Sunday at Chantilly.
The 21-year-old — who was primarily renowned for being a jumps jockey when he landed the Grand Steeplechase France’s most prestigious national hunt race last year — came storming home on the Andre Fabre-trained New Bay to land the 857,000 euros ($935,000, £610,000) first prize.
Highland Reel finished second leaving recordbreaking Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien still without a win in the race while another French runner War Dispatch was third.
Fabre’s fourth winner of the race — which is run over the non-traditional Derby distance of 2100 metres not the usual 2400m — so impressed the bookmakers that they cut his odds from 20/1 to 8/1 for Europe’s most prestigious race the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in October.
“This is unimaginable,” gasped Cheminaud, who was being watched by his ‘extremely proud’ but tearful wife and their baby.
“To have the luck to ride a horse like this is unquantifiable.
“I believed in my horse and was delighted in respect of our chances when the rain came this morning.”
However, Cheminaud — whose boss Fabre was a top amateur rider before opting to become a jumps trainer initially — was modest about his part in the success.
“That’s for others to judge,” he said when asked if he was a unique talent.
“I’m still a long way from being a world class jockey.”
Cheminaud, whose choice has proved an inspired one by Fabre despite many being sceptical, was second to last into the straight but produced his mount halfway down it to collar the leaders and leaving the likes of pre-race favourite Karaktar trailing in his wake.
Highland Reel under O’Brien’s son Joseph looked to have found nothing entering the final straight but he conjured another burst out of him and battled back well without ever really threatening the winner.
“Highland Reel has made huge progress as has been shown by his excellent second place here,” said Aidan O’Brien referring to Highland Reel improving on his sixth in the French 2000 Guineas earlier in the month.
“I think I will now aim him for the Irish Derby (which O’Brien has won 13 times),” added the 45-year-old Irishman, who will bid for a fourth successive Epsom Derby next Saturday.
War Dispatch, ridden by Ioritz Mendizabal for trainer Jean-Claude Rouget and Americain owner Joe Allen, stayed on gamely for third just edging out Piment Rouge.
O’Brien’s other two runners finished out of the picture, with his War Envoy, ostensibly tasked with setting the pace but failing to do so, tailed off last.
New Bay’s victory was almost an exact replica of Fabre’s last win in the race in 2013, his Intello finishing third in the French 2000 Guineas before going on to glory over the extra distance a month later at Chantilly — Sunday’s winner having gone one better in the mile classic race earlier this month.