Yesterday's G1 Prix du Jockey Club looked a wide-open affair, but few expected the 32-1 longshot Saonois (Fr) (Chichicastenango {Fr}) to come out on top of a rough-house renewal of the Chantilly Classic for his baker owner Pascal Treyve and little-known trainer-jockey combination of Jean-Pierre Gauvin and Antoine Hamelin. As it turned out, the bay's diminutive stature proved his strength as he slithered through the narrow gaps on offer to create a minor fairytale and provide connections with a day of days. Held up with only one behind early from his unfavorable wide draw, the Apr. 8 G3 Prix la Force scorer, whose first win had come in claiming company, was threaded between bunching rivals in the straight. Giving a decisive burst to lead in the final 50 yards, he scored by 3/4 of a length from the 9-2 second favorite Saint Baudolino (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) with a host of rivals close up. "This morning, I went to work as usual at 2 a.m. and after making my bread, was in the car driving to Chantilly," his owner explained. "I am only a small baker from the center of France and it was my dream to own a horse good enough to win a Quinte [feature] race and I suppose I have done that now! It is an unbelievable story and a day I will remember forever."

Sunday, Chantilly, France
PRIX DU JOCKEY CLUB-G1, €1,500,000, Chantilly,
6-3, 3yo, c/f, 1 5/16mT, 2:08.10, gd/sf.
1--SAONOIS (FR), 128, c, 3, by Chichicastenango (Fr)
        1st Dam: Saonoise (Fr), by Homme de Loi (Ire)
        2nd Dam: Sa Majeste (Fr), by Garde Royale (Ire)
        3rd Dam: Scamandre (Fr), by Labus (Fr)
O-Pascal Treyve & Jean-Pierre Gauvin; B-EARL Haras de Nonant le Pin; T-Jean-Pierre Gauvin; J-Antoine Hamelin; €857,100. Lifetime Record: 12 starts, 6 wins, 6 places, €991,400. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2--Saint Baudolino (Ire), 128, c, 3, Pivotal (GB)--Alessandria (GB), by Sunday Silence. O-Godolphin SNC; B-Darley; T-Andre Fabre; €342,900.
3--Nutello, 128, c, 3, Lemon Drop Kid--Nutcase, by Forest Wildcat. O/B-Wertheimer & Frere; T-Carlos Laffon-Parias; €171,450.
Margins: 3/4, HD, NO. Odds: 32.70, 5.50, 59.00.
Also Ran: Kesampour (Fr), Top Trip (GB), Hidden Flame (Ire), Hard Dream (Ire), Imperial Monarch (Ire), Lunayir (Fr), French Fifteen (Fr), Sir Jade (Fr), Sofast (Fr), Albion (GB), Most Improved (Ire), Ektihaam (Ire), Valdo Bere (Fr), Amaron (GB), Gregorian (Ire), Silver Northern (Fr), Tifongo (Fr).
Click for the Racing Post chart or the free brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. Equidia race video.
   To say that the profile of Saonois is in marked contrast to Camelot (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}) would be an outrageous understatement, but the fact that they now both belong in the same category as European Derby winners is a reminder of the diversity of the racing experience. While Camelot was being prepared for the G1 Racing Post Trophy in which he would seal champion juvenile status, Saonois was breaking his maiden at the fourth attempt in a claimer on Deauville's fibresand in October. Continuing his ascent of the ranks in low-profile manner during his winter campaign, Saonois hit the heights when scoring by four lengths in the Listed Prix Policeman over 10 furlongs again on the fibresand at Cagnes-sur-Mer Feb. 25. Taking on the role of underdog against the 1-2 favorite Beauvoir (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) in the G3 Prix la Force, he upstaged that well-regarded Rouget trainee with a late surge to register a breakthrough Pattern-race win in that Apr. 8 Longchamp trial. Given respect as a result in the G2 Prix Greffulhe at Saint-Cloud, the bay was only fourth--although beaten less than a length--behind Kesampour (Fr) (King's Best) in that May 5 10-furlong prep and so was relegated to sideshow once again by the bettors as he faced this line-up of classically bred colts. Held up by Antoine Hamelin with only one behind early from his unfavorable wide draw, he was bumped in early stretch due to the concertina effect from the scrimmaging on the rail caused by the fading pace-setter Tifongo (Fr) (Dr Fong) which badly compromised the chances of a host of runners, including Ektihaam (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Imperial Monarch (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and the 39-10 favorite French Fifteen (Fr) (Turtle Bowl {Ire}). Undeterred, Saonois showed impressive pace to thread through the crowd and overhaul Saint Baudolino, the Wertheimer pacemaker Nutello (Lemon Drop Kid) and Kesampour close home. "He is a tough little horse who always gives his best," conditioner Jean-Pierre Gauvin commented. "Last time, he didn't really run his race as he saw a filly at the racecourse stables and became coltish and didn't concentrate in the race. He also had a wide trip that day and prefers cover, so great credit goes to his jockey today as he recommended that he not to make too much use of him early on here and instead wait with him. I went with that and it was the right decision, although at one stage I wondered where he would be able to come through. He is so little, he found the room and quickened well. Antoine [Hamelin] is only 20 and was still an apprentice a few months ago, but he shows great maturity and I think he can go far." As to the winner's future, Gauvin was non-committal. "I did not enter him in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe [at Longchamp Oct. 7], as I am a bit superstitious and, for a while, I also thought this might be his last race of the year. He has raced a lot already and I want him to last. He will definitely have a break now and we will see whether we bring him back this year." Saint Baudolino's rider Maxime Guyon was in the immediate vicinity of the traffic problems inevitably caused by such a large field and he said of the runner-up, "It was kind of a bumpy race and luckily, I escaped almost all of it. It was a very good run from my horse." Nutello's conditioner Carlos Laffon-Parias said of the surprise third, "He ran a great race and fought his heart out. He had a good trip and we have to be happy with the result."