'These are special moments' - Ace Impact 8-1 for Arc after denying Big Rock in Prix du Jockey Club

Certainty is a rare commodity at the top level of this sport, but if Aidan O'Brien is the acknowledged master of the Derby then Jean-Claude Rouget is rapidly moving out of sight of his rivals when it comes to the modern version of the Prix du Jockey Club.

Ace Impact became his sixth winner overall – matching the achievements of Pascal Bary and Alain de Royer-Dupre – and his fifth in the last eight years.

Jockey Cristian Demuro is well known for his patience, but supporters of Ace Impact must have been nervous for the first two-thirds of the race as the son of Cracksman sat a long last while favourite Big Rock bossed things from the front under Aurelien Lemaitre.

Halfway up the straight it still looked Big Rock's race to lose, but when Demuro asked the question Ace Impact produced a sustained burst of acceleration that broke his rival's heart, the distance at the line three and a half lengths, with another two and a half back to Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner Marhaba Ya Sanafi in third.

In the post-race press conference Rouget recognised the similarity of his horse's victory with the way Auguste Rodin had run down King Of Steel at Epsom 24 hours earlier. 

But walking out to receive the trophy in front of the stands, he was still almost struggling to make sense of the way Ace Impact had flown past his rivals. 

Rouget said: "These are special moments because every time it’s with a challenger; I’ve never won the Jockey Club with a favourite and beforehand they look like the fourth or fifth chance in the race. 

"Each time they beat the favourite. I never look for too much in the prep races, just to get them there at 100 per cent for the big day. After that you need the horse to turn up, and this horse certainly did. More than that, because he hunted down Big Rock, the horse everyone has been talking about, and won by three and a half lengths.

"Unfortunately for his entourage he came across our horse, who seems exceptional."

Ace Impact was making only his fourth start, his trainer having shelved plans to give him his debut at Deauville last summer, preferring to wait for the calmer waters of Cagnes-sur-Mer in January, before arriving here via Bordeaux and then the same course-and-distance Listed race as Sottsass won before his Jockey Club victory in 2019.

"He was pretty untested before," said Rouget. "He put on a demonstration in the Prix de Suresnes but that didn’t tell you a lot, it was more like a time-trial. When he won first up at Cagnes I thought I saw something in him; he has a different stride to the others and an enormous engine. He has the gas and the will to win."

Cristian Demuro celebrates winning the Prix du Jockey Club on Ace ImpactCredit: Quentin Bertand (APRH)

Rouget confessed he had no idea where the winner would head next as Ace Impact extended his unbeaten record to four – Coral cut him to 5-1 (from 20) for the Eclipse and 8-1 (from 33) for the Arc.

Frankie Dettori's final ride in the Jockey Club ended with Epictetus finishing an honourable fifth, while Continuous was eighth for Ryan Moore and Aidan O'Brien.  

Only a month on from winning his first Classic with Blue Rose Cen, trainer Christopher Head showed his ability to face up to the other side of the coin after Big Rock's chance of victory vanished within the space of the 11.19 seconds Ace Impact took between the two- and one-furlong marker.

"He’s really improved with every piece of work and every race and I’m very happy with his performance," said Head. "If you take the sectional times and put them side by side [with his previous runs], he’s still improving. What he’s done there is probably the best race of his life.

Big Rock and Aurelien Lemaitre before the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club

"I’m very happy and we’ve encountered a very good horse [Ace Impact]. He is possibly the only horse who could have beaten us." 

Head added: "There’s no need to be ashamed and I still have a great deal of faith in this horse. He’s been marvellous at speed distances, and now at 2,100 metres. I’ll discuss the rest of his programme with his owner. 

"When you have a very nice three-year-old colt you need to try the Jockey Club, it’s really important in a horse’s career. He’s still there and he’s still improving. The story is not finished."

Leaving the winner's press conference, Rouget quipped: "Don't worry, I don't have anything for the Prix de Diane." 

Head and owner Leopoldo Fernandez Pujals certainly do, with Blue Rose Cen once again the filly to beat back at Chantilly on June 18.    

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