VICTOR Ludorum maintained his unbeaten record with an impressive display in the Group 1 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at ParisLongchamp.

Trainer Andre Fabre had saddled four previous winners of the one-mile contest and Victor Ludorum was the 2/1 favourite to get his name on the roll of honour after facile wins at this track and Chantilly.

Frankie Dettori made much of the running aboard German challenger Alson, closely pursued by the Aidan O’Brien-trained Armory, who completed a hat-trick in the Futurity Stakes in August before chasing home the brilliant Pinatubo in last month’s National Stakes.

Dettori had kept a bit up his sleeve aboard Alson and managed to hold Armory at bay, but Victor Ludorum displayed a smart change of gear to quicken by both of them in the last half-furlong.

Jubilant jockey Mickael Barzalona was able to punch the air as he passed the post comfortably ahead, adding further strength to next year’s classic hand for Godolphin.

Fabre, who also trains Middle Park Stakes winner Earthlight in the Godolphin blue, said: “I think he is really good, as he is a laid-back horse and has a fantastic attitude. He does everything easily.

“The ground was a big concern, as he is a light mover, but he handled it very well. Race after race he remains unbeaten and does everything easily. He could be a very good horse. We will aim for a classic campaign, I’d imagine.

“He is not too big or small, he is a neat horse. We will have discussions with Sheikh Mohammed, as he has a good bunch of two-year-olds, but I’d imagine he will be aimed at the Poule d'Essai des Poulains and the Prix du Jockey Club.

“He is less precocious than Earthlight, is not a natural two-year-old like Earthlight and has less natural speed than Earthlight, but he would stay further than him, for sure.”

O’Brien said of Armory, who was nine lengths behind Godolphin’s Charlie Appleby-trained Pinatubo in the National Stakes: “He’s a lovely horse who is progressing all the time. We thought he’d be happy with the step up to a mile and he seemed to run a good race.

“In a perfect world we would have preferred better ground as such a good moving horse. They went a steady gallop and then quickened, and we were just caught out for a couple of strides.

“The better the ground, the better it is, I would have thought, with him. I would imagine that he will keep progressing.”