Pour Moi showed a dazzling turn of foot to come from last to first and take the Investec Derby by a head today. The favourite, The Queen’s Carlton House, finished third by three-quarters of a length.
This was a first Derby victory for Pour Moi’s trainer, Andre Fabre, who has been champion trainer in France 22 times. It was also a dream debut in the race for his jockey, 19-year-old Mickael Barzalona.
The Montjeu-sired Pour Moi, who is owned by the Coolmore syndicate of John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor, was plum last rounding Tattenham Corner. But he quickened brilliantly when asked to pass every horse in the straight, and won by a head from Treasure Beach, also owned by Coolmore but trained in Ireland by Aidan O’Brien. The same connections also took fourth place with Memphis Tennessee.
Fabre, who was a champion jump jockey before he turned to training, said: “He’s a great horse with great acceleration. The speed he has is exceptional and he had a turn of foot twice.”
He also said that Pour Moi had more instant speed than Peintre Celebre, who Fabre trained to win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 1997. And the Arc looks like Pour Moi’s next serious target – Fabre expressed a wish to bypass the King George and rest the horse before an autumn campaign aimed at the Arc.
Carlton House met a bit of trouble in running and lost a shoe in the final furlong, but he seemed to lack the acceleration of the winner.
His trainer, Sir Michael Stoute, said: “He’s run very well but things just haven’t got right [the horse also had an injury scare earlier in the week]. He had a hold-up close to the race and during it he got too far back and then had to run wide into the straight. He’s still a high-class horse and he will have a big day.”
