The question all week was whether Constitution River would head to Epsom or Chantilly.

By Sunday evening the answer looked obvious.

A commanding winner of the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club, the son of Wootton Bassett overcame a wide stall 15 draw and a strongly-run race to give Aidan O’Brien his third French Derby victory of the decade and lead home a remarkable Ballydoyle one-two-three.

The bare result tells only part of the story.

Drawn widest of all the principal contenders, Constitution River was forced to do things the hard way. Ryan Moore, however, never panicked. Settled beautifully despite the wide gate, he travelled strongly throughout before asserting inside the final furlong to defeat Hawk Mountain and Montreal, two stablemates who themselves produced performances worthy of Group 1 horses.

The sectional data backs up the visual impression.

The race was run more than three seconds faster than standard, yet Constitution River still closed his final 400 metres in 23.9 seconds while maintaining a finishing-speed percentage of 99%. In a genuinely run Classic, that combination of pace and stamina marks him down as a colt of considerable quality.

Ryan Moore’s post-race comments were perhaps even more revealing than the performance itself.

“I’d say he’s quite a special horse really,” said the rider.

That is not praise Moore hands out lightly.

The most encouraging aspect of the victory is that both jockey and trainer believe there is considerably more to come. Moore felt the colt was still learning his trade, while O’Brien described him as “a baby still” who raced greenly when pressure was applied.

When a horse can win a French Derby despite immaturity, awkward draw circumstances and a demanding pace, improvement becomes a frightening prospect.

Ballydoyle Domination

The result also underlined the extraordinary strength of Ballydoyle’s middle-distance division.

Hawk Mountain ran a huge race in second. He travelled enthusiastically, perhaps too enthusiastically, through the early stages yet still found enough to secure the runner-up spot. Christophe Soumillon suggested softer ground would suit him better, and a move up to 1m4f could unlock further improvement.

Montreal completed the clean sweep after another significant step forward. Racing keenly and sweating beforehand, he still finished strongly and shaped very much like a horse who will relish longer distances later in the season.

The trio dominated the race from a long way out and gave the impression that they may continue to dominate their generation through the summer.

The Horses to Follow

Although Ballydoyle took the headlines, several others emerged with plenty of credit.

A Boy Named Susie arguably deserves the biggest upgrade of all. He met trouble at a crucial stage yet still produced the strongest finishing effort in the field, recording a 23.09-second final 400 metres and a finishing-speed percentage above 102%. He looks ready to win at Group level and should improve again over further.

Alam also caught the eye. Forced to overcome the widest draw, he stayed on strongly in the closing stages and looked every inch a future 1m4f horse.

Daryzan, with only one previous start to his name, ran with enormous promise. Given his inexperience, his sixth-place finish may prove one of the most significant performances in the race once the season unfolds.

What Comes Next?

History offers an intriguing clue.

The last Ballydoyle winner of this race was St Mark’s Basilica in 2021. He followed up by winning the Eclipse and establishing himself as Europe’s champion three-year-old.

Constitution River now finds himself on a similar path.

Whether he heads to Sandown, York or another major target, Sunday’s performance suggested he possesses the rare blend of speed, tactical versatility and stamina that defines elite middle-distance horses.

Aidan O’Brien has trained many exceptional three-year-olds.

Judging by what we saw at Chantilly, Constitution River may yet earn his place among the very best.