Behkabad stakes Jockey-Club claims while Azmeel and Gertrude Bell enter Epsom reckoning.

His Highness the Aga Khan’s Behkabad is now among the leading contenders for Chantilly’s Group 1 Prix du Jockey-Club after an authoritative win in the Group 3 Prix de Guiche on Monday. The son of Cape Cross demonstrated his versatility in the 9 furlong contest as he was obliged to make all the running after breaking quickly. He only needed the smallest of encouragement from Christophe Lemaire to repel the attack of No Risk At All by a neck at the line. Behkabad was reversing the form from his seasonal debut when he lost his unbeaten tag on the heavy ground in Saint-Cloud’s Listed Prix Omnium. Winner of the Group 3 Prix des Chênes at Longchamp as a juvenile, Behkabad should have no problem in staying the ten and a half furlongs of the French Derby as his dam Behkara (Kris) won the Group 2 Prix Hubert de Chaudenay over 15 furlongs as well as filling the second spot behind Westerner in the Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak. His Listed winning half-brother Beheshtam, now named Carthage, was sold to Hong Kong in late 2009 with his long term objective being the Melbourne Cup.

The Gilltown sire, Azamour’s first crop are making quite a mark on the Classic generation across the Channel. After his son Puncher Clynch opened the stallion’s Group account in the Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown, Azmeel is now among the favourites for the Epsom Derby following victory in the Group 3 Dee Stakes at Chester. A listed scorer at two, Azmeel was runner up in his first outing of 2010 in the Group 3 Sandown Classic Trial and his trainer John Gosden indicated that he needed the run on that occasion. Azmeel showed good acceleration at Chester before resisting gamely the challenges of Dancing David and Rasmy. Also on the Classic trail, Azamour’s daughter Eleanore Duse picked up a good third place in the Group 3 Musidora Stakes at York on Wednesday.

Another Gosden-trained progeny of an Aga Khan sire, Gertrude Bell, earned a tilt at the Epsom Oaks after winning the Cheshire equivalent on 5th May. Gertrude Bell is a daughter of Sinndar, like Poule d’Essai des Pouliches hope Rosanara. The progressive filly was winning her first Stakes contest after losing her maiden tag on her previous outing and she looks to have more improvement to come in the future.

Updated on 14/05/2010.