The Epsom Derby form got a bit of a boost on Tuesday evening when the William Haggas-trained Maltese Cross came through for a battling success under Tom Marquand in the Group 1 Cygames Grand Prix de Paris, over a mile and a half for three-year-old colts.

Maltese Cross, who had finished two and three-quarter lengths behind Christmas Day in the Derby, raced towards rear on inner early and was short of room from over two out, looking like he might not get a run through as fellow British raider Ancient Egypt had taken it up from early leader Causeway and was staying on strongly.

The winner switched left and then right with less than a furlong left and squeezing through inside final 110yds, he led towards finish, getting the verdict by a head, a big win for owner George Waud.

It was also a 25th Group 1 winner for Sea The Stars.

Tom Marquand said afterwards: "I had to go through horses and it suited him great in the end. It just made it a little tighter than ideal. He's a proper horse and he doesn't lack gears at a mile and a half and he showed that well there."

Assistant trainer Maureen Haggas was interviewed on Sky Sports Racing: “I thought he did really well, I thought he did unbelievably well to win the race from a fairly difficult position and he had a horse on his outside who was trying like hell to keep him in,” she told Sky Sports Racing.

Will to win

“But he does like something to aim at and he will squirm through a little hole, which he had to do today.

“He’s tough and obviously got a really strong will to win, which is one of his greatest attributes. You need that will to win and you need a good horse to get themselves out of that type of trouble.”

She added: “In a lot of ways, apart from the fact he won which was obviously the best thing, there are lots other things that were really pleasing and we always felt that the best was yet to come.

The two Irish-trained runners proved a bit disappointing, the King Edward VII Stakes winner Causeway not reproducing his Ascot run with Ancient Egypt and fading to last.

The Graffard/Aga Khan runner, the unbeaten Varandir was only beaten three-quarters of a length in fourth of the seven runners.

The result doesn’t improve the ratings of the French three-year-olds after a Irish and British 1-2-3-4 in the Jockey-Club.

Trainer of the second, Charlie Johnston was philosophical on Sky Sports Racing: "He was once again underestimated and overlooked as the outsider of the field and the price difference between him and Causeway was a lack of respect for how good he is.

"He nearly showed them all but was just denied in the last strides

There was an Irish-trained winner on the card in the Group 2 Radio FG - Prix Maurice de Nieuil over a mile and six furlongs when Dylan Browne McMonagle got all the answers from the favourite Sons And Lovers to give the Joseph O’Brien stable another international group race success.

The winner made most of the running but gave way to Double Major about a furlong and a half out as Parachutiste also came through with his challenge. But neither McMonagle nor Sons And Lovers gave up and they battled back for a head success on the line.

There was also success on the card for the Mickael Barzalona/Francis Graffard/Aga Khan Studs alliance in the five runner Group 2 Cygames Prix de Malleret for fillies over a mile and a half. Behrayna, a Sea The Moon filly was the odds-on favourite but she met some trouble in running to find a clear run early in the straight.

Colin Keane had gone for home early on the Juddmonte filly Dispatches while the Prix de Diane runner-up Pink Panthera was coming on her outside.

The Aga Khan filly stayed on well to win by a neck, while Pink Panthera did no harm to the Prix de Diane form, the third Inis Mor runs in the Juddmonte Irish Oaks on Saturday.