French Derby entry could be 'easily fixed' for exciting newcomer Feed The Flame

Owner Jean-Louis Bouchard was rewarded for returning to a familiar source as Feed The Flame emerged as one of the most impressive maiden winners seen in Europe so far this season at Longchamp on Sunday.

The Kingman three-year-old was making his debut for Pascal Bary in the Prix Juigne over an extended mile and a quarter, having been purchased for Bouchard by agent Gerard Larrieu for €270,000 as a yearling at Arqana. The owner had raced Sacred Life, a half-brother by Siyouni, who had shown great early promise in France before multiple stakes and Graded wins across the Atlantic with Chad Brown. 

After watching Feed The Flame coast five and a half lengths clear under Christophe Soumillon, Bouchard said: "I had big hopes for his brother, Sacred Life, and then suffered a major disappointment because he won the Thomas Bryon and he was hot favourite for the Group 1 Criterium International, which then got called off for a strike. When I saw this one as a yearling, I couldn't resist. Christophe said he will stay well in time."

Feed The Flame is not entered in the Prix du Jockey Club but Bouchard added: "That's easily fixed. Christophe might have gone sooner than the instructions suggested because in the mornings he lets down quite quickly once he's accelerated. But as Pascal said, he's done it in a canter."

Feed The Flame was bred by a syndicate of Ecurie des Monceaux, Lordship Stud and Clear Light out of Knyazhna, an unraced Montjeu half-sister of the useful Migwar. She has produced several other winners and her Dubawi two-year-old colt, now named Gulf Legend, was bought for €300,000 at Arqana last August.

The fillies' race, the Prix de Chaillot over the same course and distance, was landed in similarly slick style by Elzora for Jean-Claude Rouget. The daughter of Almanzor is a homebred for Riviera Equine and Eric de Chambure and does have a Prix de Diane entry.

Rouget launched a strong defence of the sire, who became a European champion in his care but could use a few more higher-profile runners as a stallion. 

"She has repeated there what she has been showing us in the mornings," he said.  "The same could have been true of several other fillies in the race so you have to see but she's won going clear. Most of all I'm pleased for Almanzor. I don't know why people criticise him.

"For me he is a very good stallion and has produced plenty of good horses. She was quite tense in the parade ring - it was all new to her - so we might put a red hood on her next time. But she clearly has potential so we'll take it step by step."

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