It's rare but not unprecedented to complete the English-French Derby double and that's what the Jim Bolger-Kevin Manning team will aim to do this weekend as less than 24 hours after Dawn Approach lines up at Epsom, Loch Garman will take his chance in tomorrow's €1.5 million Prix Du Jockey Club at Chantilly.
Loch Garman will be joined in the 19-runner highlight by his stable companion Beyond Thankful (Ronan Whelan) and by the Andy Oliver-trained First Cornerstone, who will be ridden by Frankie Dettori for the first time.
Dettori is a three-time Jockey Club winner, including in 2007, when Lawman scored, a day after Authorized famously secured Epsom glory for the Italian star. In 1990 Pat Eddery also won both Derbies on Quest For Fame and Sanglamore, the two horses trained by Roger Charlton.
Eddery was also on board the last Irish-trained winner, Vincent O'Brien's Caerleon (1983) who won a year after Assert scored for David O'Brien and Christy Roche.
Loch Garman was a French Group One winner last autumn and is expected to improve significantly from his sole start to date this season, when chasing home Battle Of Marengo in the Derrinstown at Leopardstown last month.
Manning and Bolger have yet to win a French Classic but Loch Garman was installed a 9/1 shot by some bookmakers yesterday after 19 runners were declared.
Oliver Peslier's mount, Intello, unlucky in the French Guineas, has been made a 9/4 favourite by Paddy Power who rate First Cornerstone a 16/1 chance.
Loch Garman will break form stall five in a race which is due off 3.15pm, Irish time.
