FRENCH raider Le Brivido won the Jersey Stakes for trainer André Fabre and jockey Pierre-Charles Boudot at Royal Ascot on Wednesday.

The well-backed 2/1 favourite did superbly well to deny Spirit Of Valor in a stirring finish.

Spirit Of Valor, a 66/1 outsider from Aidan O'Brien's yard, looked to have cut loose towards the near-side rail once he gained a slight advantage from Le Brivido inside the final furlong.

But Fabre's inmate, who had previously finished runner-up in the French 2000 Guineas and had raced in the middle of the track, fought back to seize the day by two and a quarter lengths in the Group 3 over seven furlongs. Mubatasim was third.

"He's a very nice horse and ran a good race in the French Guineas," said Boudot, who was claiming a first Royal Ascot winner. "The horse was a little bit excited behind the gate, but during the race he was very easy. When I asked him, he gave me a nice turn of foot.

"I'm very happy to win here because it is a big meeting, the best in the world."

Fabre, winning at the royal meeting for the ninth time, said: "He looked beaten with a furlong to go, but he showed his class to come back and beat the other horse.

"I thought he was running a bit freely and he'd have preferred to come from further behind, but his action was really good. Fabre went on: "When he got beat in the French Guineas it was just a matter of greenness as he hit the front too soon and got a bit lost.

"I was very worried seeing him sweating and he was a bit on his toes, but when he went behind (the stalls) he was a bit quieter.

"The ground is perfect, it's not firm, it's just good summer ground with a good covering of grass which is ideal for a thoroughbred.

"He's in the Sussex Stakes (Glorious Goodwood), but with all the travelling he might wait and go for the Prix Jacques le Marois.

"We'll take each race as it comes as he's only three and hasn't had many runs. There are Group 1s later in the season and he could go to the Breeders' Cup or something like that as it would suit him."

The Siyouni colt was sold as a two-year-old at the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale for €105,000 by Sarah O'Connell and Mick Murphy of Longway Stables.

O'Brien said of the runner-up: "I'm delighted with him, he's probably best at six or seven furlongs on fast ground, but on fast ground he may even get a mile. "We always thought he was very nice, but as he's by War Front he's much better when it's quick."

Bruce Raymond, racing manager for Mubtasim's owner Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum, said of the William Haggas-trained runner: "It was a very nice run, apart from the front two everything else came off the pace. He got a good run and it was a big improvement.

"He likes it fast, last time the ground was good but he wants it rock hard."

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