IMPASSABLE showed improved form to win the Group 2 Prix de Sandringham and she was brought with a finely-timed late run by Maxime Guyon who is enjoying a fine start as the retained jockey to the Wertheimer brothers.

Switched to challenge at the furlong pole, she flashed past long-time leader La Berma inside the final furlong to win going away. Night Of Light stayed on to be third and the odds-on favourite Mexican Gold looked dangerous one out but did not go through with her challenge. Impassable had only won a conditions race before her Group 2 success and Carlos Laffon-Parias reported: “For some time I have been saying that this filly comes on five kilos (11lb) between each of her races. She had beaten the future runner-up in the Prix Saint-Alary and that’s why I told the owners that Impassable should go directly for a top race. She won in fantastic style and the Prix Rothschild at Deauville could be a future target.”

The daughter of Invincible Spirit was not entered in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot but there is still time. La Berma stuck to her guns until the end and Night Of Light is in the Coronation Stakes. Teddy Grimthorpe said of fourth placed Mexican Gold: “The trip was too long for her.”

MANATEE MAKES IT

André Fabre was back in the winner’s circle after his second major success of the afternoon, the Group 2 Grand Prix de Chantilly.

Conceding two kilos (5lb) to the runner up, Mickael Barzalona coaxed just that little bit more out of Godolphin’s Manatee inside the final furlong to win by three-parts of a length from Prince Gibraltar with the English challenger Agent Murphy third in front of Spiritjim.

Manatee is by Monsun and his penalty was due to his success in last October’s Group 2 Prix du Conseil de Paris and it will be interesting to see where Fabre races the colt next. He has already been entered in the Grosser Preis von Berlin and the Qatar Arc de Triomphe and could still be engaged in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud where Manatee would come up against Treve and Cirrus Des Aigles.

Lisa-Jane Graffard represents Godolphin in France and she commented: “He needed the outing in the Prix d’Hedouville and has come on since. Manatee was very courageous and his programme has not been confirmed but he will be a nice horse in the autumn.”

Prince Gibraltar has not won since taking the Prix Greffulhe which followed an outstanding winning performance in the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud as a two-year-old. “I think this trip was just a little too long so I will run him over a shorter distance in the future.” commented Jean-Claude Rouget.

Agent Murphy was running in his first group race and was given every chance by Jimmy Fortune. His winnings were €13,650.