Ferguson and Beckett revel in Group 1 glory as El Bodegon and Angel Bleu deliver

James Ferguson and Ralph Beckett had high praise for horses who, when the trainers come to recount the stories of their careers, will both play a key part in the tale.

Beckett proclaimed Angel Bleu unlike any other horse he had trained after he landed a second Group 1 in 20 days, while El Bodegon will remain close to Ferguson's heart as his first top-level winner, making all under an inspired Ioritz Mendizabal in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud.

William Buick tracked El Bodegon on the unbeaten Goldspur and the pair threatened to break the field apart at the top of the straight. But Mendizabal regathered El Bodegon for a second effort and the son of Kodiac had the race in safe keeping a furlong out, with Stone Age running on to be second.

"I couldn't quite work out what was going on with a furlong to go," said an overjoyed Ferguson. "We love the horse and from his last win we planned this is where we wanted to go. But leading with a furlong to go wasn't really part of my planning.

"I thought he’d have to work very hard. He's improved with every run and mentally as well, he takes his travelling very well. I thought he was given a great ride, he relaxed very well in front."

Criterium de Saint-Cloud: full result

Paddy Power cut El Bodegon to 25-1 (from 66) for the Epsom Derby and there was no disguising the way he picked up on the cloying ground.

“His full-brother Best Solution went on and got better with age,” said Ferguson. “He’s not overly big but there’s a lot of presence about him and it’s very exciting to wonder what we might have next year. I can’t see him not improving. You have to aim high when you have a horse like this."

Charlie Appleby, assessing the run of Goldspur, said: "Take nothing away from the winner, he's improving. Our horse has got a good run there but the winner quickened and our horse couldn't."

Frankie Dettori gave his rivals a long look from the rear of the Criterium International field aboard Angel Bleu, who was reopposing Ancient Rome 20 days after beating him in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.

Mickael Barzalona hit the front on the Andre Fabre-trained colt, but Angel Bleu reeled him in relentlessly, before holding off his renewed challenge by a head.

Criterium International: full result

Beckett said:"He's extraordinary. You don’t get horses like him very often, we haven’t had one. The softest part of him is his tooth enamel.

"He's danced every dance and I thought [agent and racing manager to owner Marc Chan] Jamie McAlmont summed it up very well earlier in the week when he said it was a privilege to be involved with him. It really is. They don't come along very often, horses like this. I'm very proud of him."

At 3.9 or very soft on the penetrometer the ground once again played to Angel Bleu’s strength and it will need to be a damp April in Newmarket for Marc Chan’s Dark Angel colt to take on Native Trail and company in the 2,000 Guineas. But Beckett will fancy taking on any of his generation with some cut in the ground.

Frankie Dettori dismounts from Angel Bleu after the colt landed his second Group 1 in the space of 20 daysCredit: Scott Burton

Asked how important underfoot conditions are to the winner, Beckett said: "Very; the form book tells you that soft ground is very important to him. Any horse that can do that has to have a fantastic constitution and whatever comes next, he's done it twice inside a month."

As to his potential Classic date next May, he added: "If I was going to bet on it I'd say he'll show up at Longchamp."

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