DERMOT Weld and Pat Smullen nearly had a highly successful raid on the continent during the weekend when Forgotten Rules stayed on to finish second in the Listed Prix Denisy at Saint-Cloud last Saturday. He had success the following day to Dortmund where the filly Joailliere just held on to win a listed race.

Forgotten Rules came up against a smart stayer and went by half a length to Nahual. The winner was a handicapper at the beginning of the season but now nearly a group horse as he showed when going under by just a short-neck to Vazirabad (conceded 9lb) in the Prix Gladiateur.

Weld said of Forgotten Rules: “As he is a soft ground horse, I didn’t run him at the beginning of the year when the tracks were rather firm. I was very happy with his run and he should be around again next year.”

In the last group race of the French season, the English were firmly put in their place. The Prix de Fille de l’Air went in a canter to Godolphin’s Powder Snow (Dubawi), who is trained by Alex Pantall and was ridden by Aurelien Lemaitre. Luca Cumani’s Rosental finished third and in front of Sir Michael Stoute’s, Rostova. Godolphin’s Lisa-Jane Graffard was in Toulouse to witness the victory and she said: “The filly was unlucky in Italy last time (sixth in the Premio Lydia Tesio in Rome) and we always knew she was good. She may be retired to stud.”

Irish-breds filled the first two places in the Listed Prix Yacowlef at Chantilly last Tuesday. Seven of the 11 runners were trained in England and the winner was the Sylvester Kirk-trained Simmie with Gregory Benoist in the saddle. This daughter of Fast Company won by two lengths from Precieuse (Tamayuz), who is owned by Anne-Marie Hayes and bred at her (together with Brendan) Knocktoran Stud in Co. Limerick.

“She just adored the testing ground and could come back to France if not sold in the meantime. She was beautifully ridden,” reported Kirk.