All the betting in France is done at the totalizator. The word 'pari mutuel' is French. Fans
congregate in front of TV monitors to see the odds. Wagering begins in the morning all over the country. The morning odds are called 'matin.' The afternoon odds are called 'actuel.' The 'actuel' is what
matters when you are betting in the afternoon. There are windows for two-Euro bets, ten-Euro bets and then twenty-Euro bets. When you call out your bet in English, the clerk shows you the ticket, waits for your head nod and then hands over the ticket. On any given day, there is more than one track going. You must specify the track when you bet. On Sunday, there was a harness racing meeting at Bordeaux.
There was champagne everywhere. Ice cream and sherbet were being consumed by the gallons. The paddock is in a new location this year. An afternoon in French racing is a slow, enjoyable and tradition-filled exercise. The chateau backdrop is what makes Chantilly special. The grass on Sunday was green. It was a sight so pretty that I do not know the right words to describe it.
Lawman, Frankie Dettori's mount, was the 7-2 favorite in the French Derby. There were 20 runners. As the horses were leaving the paddock, Lawman dislodged Dettori. There were anxious moments. Sensing that his mount would not want to get attention, Dettori chose to skip the parade. He joined the others at the starting point. The field was let go but it was a false start.
Zambezi Sun, one of the fancied runners, stood still as his stall did not open. The reloading process was without incident.
Lawman and Dettori darted to the top. It was not a strong gallop by any means. Quarter times are not recorded in France. Dettori's comfortable (what I call a friendly pace) pace gave him enough to sustain the bid when challenged. About three furlongs from home. Lawman was asked to run. The response was brilliant. As the cavalry charge began, Lawman had the French Derby in safe keeping. Dettori gave some left-handed cracks and in the shadow of the wire, he gave one right-handed and then, in an act of exultation, put his right hand up in the air. Literato and Christophe Lemaire were second. Shamdinan got third in the colors of the Aga Khan.
Zambezi Sun had an unsettled start, raced in the rear, switched several lanes in the run-in and finished on with a burst. It was all too little and too late.
The time was 2:05.9 for the 2100-metre journey. The winning margin was 1 1/2 lengths. A head between and third and another head between Shamdinan and
Zambezi Sub. Lawman added 857,1000 Euros to his bankroll. Lawman is by Invincible Spirit out of Laramie, a Gulch mare. The winning trainer was JM Beguigne. The
winning owners were Claudia Marzocco and Enrico Ciampi.
It was Dettori's third French Derby win. He won with Polytain in 1992. Shamardal was his winner in 2005. Incidentally, I was at Chantilly when
Shamardal made very post a winning one in 2005 and held the fast-finishing Hurricane Run, Christophe Soumillon up.
Three other riders have made the English-French Derby double. Lester Piggott did it in 1972. Willie Carson won the two races in 1980. Pat Eddery did it in 1990. These three won the Classic-double when the Epsom Derby was run on Wednesdays.
There was no press conference following the race. "I don't know what I am thinking and I don't know what is going on. I have won two Derbys in two days and riders wait a lifetime to win one. I am looking forward to the fans' reaction at Windsor Monday evening," Dettori told France-Galop, the French media group.
"My horse was nervous. I decided not to be in the parade. I explained it to the Stewards. I believe they understood," Dettori said. The fact is he could have taken permission. He knows what to do and did not do it. Think for a moment and reflect on what the Stewards would have done if a small-time rider had done it. I am convinced that the axe would have come down.
The winning trainer said," there's relief. It was good team work. Kieren Fallon told me that this horse would win a Derby and he was right."
Frankie Dettori picked up a mount, West Wind in next Sunday's Prix de Diane Hermes, the French Oaks. West Wind is at the top of the short list.
The next big race is in America. It is the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 9. More on the Belmont Stakes when I return to Chicago.
