TOP class French-trained sprinters are a rare commodity – the European champion sprinter has hailed from France just three times in the last quarter century - but City Light would need only a little more progress to be in the shake-up when the end-of-season gongs are handed out.

Trained by Stephane Wattel, City Light may have had a fitness edge in Sunday’s Group 3 Prix de Saint-Georges given that this was his sixth start since October.

He had, however, shown stacks of ability when beating the subsequent easy Chester winner, Kachy, in the valuable All-Weather Sprint Championships at Lingfield on Good Friday - the worry was that this drop back to five furlongs might find him out.

Such fears looked well founded when he blew the start, yet the son of Siyouni travelled like a dream and, having hit the front with half a furlong to run, drew away to beat Gold Vibe by a comfortable length and a half.

Royal Ascot is now on his agenda, for the six furlong Diamond Jubilee Stakes.

One note of caution - this is the fifth time in the last six years that the French have kept the Saint-Georges trophy at home, but none of the previous four scorers went on to Group 1 glory.

The day had begun with British raider Pocket Dynamo, a juvenile son of the little-known American-bred stallion, Dialed In, trained just outside Newmarket by Robert Cowell, booking his ticket to Royal Ascot.

He got the better of a prolonged duel with Show Must Go On to land the €22,000 on offer to the winner of the five furlong Prix du Cherche Midi.