After the excitement of Epsom the French will welcome home Pour Mio and you would expect all the talk in Paris to be all about how the Andre Fabre colt came from last to first to overhaul Treasure Beach at the death. There was real class about how this horse quickened and then quickened again. Indeed a very rare trait, one which suggests he’s from the top drawer.The celebrations of the young jockey Mickael Barzalona were fleetingly premature but the colt was always carrying him to the line.

In context of this French Derby the form of The Prix Grefffulhe looks interesting now. Bubble Chic while never showing the class of Pour Mio was only a length and a half behind the Epsom Derby winner. Connections will be very enthused in the lead up to todays ten and half furlong trip at Chantilly.

Since 2005 the shorter distance has offered an alternative for trainers whose horses might not stay the Epsom trip. The change in distance also removed the glut in the European pattern calender by having two derby’s over the same trip on the same weekend thus elevating the status of the French race.

Gallic pride insists it’s a race they really like to keep at home and Baraan and Tin Horse will lead in trying to keep at bay the challenge of Casamemto, Roderic O’Connor and Colombian.

Baraan already boasts the scalp of Pour Mio having beaten him last time out in the Prix La Force. He was then put away for this and the Aga Khan colt will be very attractive to the Pari-Mutuel punters.

The Poule D’Essai Des Poulains won in good style by Tin Horse this year has provided the key to this race for the past two years. He’s a horse on the up but that may be at a mile rather than this trip.

Casamento will represent Goldolphin in trying to emulate his sire who won this in 2005. His juvenile victory in the Racing Post Trophy was solid while like the rest of the field he was blown away by Frankel in the Guineas. He is on the comeback trail here and if his confidence hasn’t been completely battered he could well bounce back.

Roderick O’Connor showed confidence can be restored as he also suffered the same fate at Newmarket. Ridden by young Joseph O’Brien he was given a great ride in the Irish Guineas getting home from Dubawi Gold. His two year old form was also very strong when capturing the Criterium International on his previous trip to France. He also got closest to Frankel in the Dewhurst. As a son of Galileo you would expect this trip will be well within his compass and he may out point the locals for some Gaelic pride.