'You'd have to have a crack' - French Derby next for Godolphin star Modern Games

Sunday: Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains, Longchamp

Never two without three is a phrase heard in every PMU bar up and down France, and so for Charlie Appleby and Godolphin, Modern Games added his star name to those of Coroebus and Native Trail with a thoroughly professional performance in the Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains.

Having jumped smartly from his dream draw in stall four, William Buick found himself challenged from the outside by a wave of horses trying to get in from less-favourable berths, but the son of Dubawi stood his ground, and when he accelerated early in the straight only Texas was able to go with him.

"It's just nice to be able to have those colts to race-plan for really," said Appleby. "They're three exceptional colts and they always were as two-year-olds. I'm a big believer that in this day and age, what you see at two is what you will then be competing with as three-year-olds.

"It’s different in the mile-and-a-half division, but in the miling division you know who you'll be running against. They're three colts that were high-end two-year-olds – thankfully they've gone on and they're showing their class at three."

In other hands, Modern Games might now be heading to Ascot to take on Coroebus, but instead, understandably, Appleby will attempt an extra two and a half furlongs with him in the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club in three weeks time

"How we keep them apart, we'll see," said Appleby. "With Native Trail, we know that with a good week he'll head to Ireland, it was always the plan to go for the St James's Palace with Coroebus, and then with this horse, I always had it in my mind we could look at the French Derby.

"If you watch him gallop, his attributes as a racehorse are that he puts his head down and he tries. And the quicker the ground, the better."

The son of Dubawi was cut to 2-1 from 7-2 for the Prix du Jockey Club by Paddy Power, while Coral go 3-1 about him completing the Classic double.

Buick was impressed with the determination shown by Modern Games, even if he didn't feel able to be ultra-confident that the colt would stay the extended mile and a quarter at Chantilly.

"You saw when he won at Del Mar he came off the bridle relatively early when he won that race," said Buick. "But he keeps finding and finding and finding; he was similar today. He kept finding right the way to the line.

"It's hard to say [if he will stay] and you don't find out until you try it, but I think there's bits and bobs in his pedigree that suggest he will stay. You'd have to have a crack, it's the logical step."

Buick wasn't in a hurry to be drawn on comparisons between the three Godolphin colts who have dominated the mile Classics this spring.

"All three of them are very different," said Buick. "This lad has obviously been kept apart from those two, but I wouldn't really like to draw comparisons between them because they are three very good horses. This horse really deserved it."

The Andre Fabre pair Tribalist and Ancient Rome stayed on to fill third and fourth, while Lassaut hinted that the Jockey Club could be worth a try with his effort in fifth, having suffered a rough passage.

Modern Games clears away from Texas (orange jacket), Ancient Rome and Tribalist (white cap)Credit: Scoop Dyga/France Galop

However, it was Texas who provided the real revelation, with Clement Lecoeuvre smoothly getting to the lead from the widest draw of all and fighting all the way up the straight, building on his fourth place in the Prix de Fontainebleau last month.

His trainer Henri-Francois Devin said: "He was very courageous and got a great ride from a very good jockey. We've aimed for this for the last six months so we couldn't have been happier.

"He was beaten by a very good horse who won at the Breeders' Cup, and we're thrilled.

"He was only really 70 per cent for his prep run, and if it wasn't for the draw he'd have been a shorter price. He had a bad draw and Clement did really well to get out of it. I think the jockey's got a good future."

Commenting on future targets, Devin said: "I don't think we'll be going up in trip and I haven't really entertained the St James's Palace and taking on the winner of the Guineas.

"He's got French owners and he’s qualified for French premiums and so he'll be staying in France."

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