Friday’s feature event at Maisons-Laffitte was the nine furlong Listed Prix de Suresnes for three-year-old colts and geldings. Run at a slow pace, Thierry Thuilliez rode a tactical race when storming down the opposition with a late run aboard the sole Irish-bred horse, MOSTANEER (IRE). The Nicola Clement-trained winner won first time out as a juvenile before finishing third in a Listed race in September and holds entries in the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains and the Group 1 Prix du Jockey-Club. He was bred by Lady O’Reilly’s Castlemartin Stud & Skymarc Farm out of an unraced half-sister to German 1,000 Guineas winner Briseida and dual Group 2 winner and sire Titus Livius. The dam has produced two Listed performers on the flat and a Listed-placed hurdler, and she has a two-year-old by Big Bad Bob (IRE).

Monday’s Prix Noailles offered further pointers for the French Derby, this time a Group 3 contest over a mile and two furlongs at Longhcamp. A competitive pace was set on the good-to-soft ground, and the Aga Khan’s KARAKTAR (IRE) was travelling best of all in the straight. Christophe Soumillon found plenty beneath him when he asked his mount for answers and drew clear with impressive ease to win by 3 ½ lengths. High Dynamite, a Listed second last time out took the runners-up honours. Trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre said of the colt, “He is a proper horse with a very good attitude who does everything we ask of him”, and is considering a run in the Group 2 Prix Hocquart before running in the Prix du Jockey Club, but thinks a more direct route more likely. The Aga Khan homebred is a half-brother tp John Oxx’s Listed Nijinsky Stakes third Karatash (IRE) and Alan King’s Grade 2 Cheltenham Triumph Hurdle Trial second Karezak (IRE). He is by Coolmore’s High Chaparral (IRE), out of a winning daughter of May Hill winner Karasta (IRE).