Hanagan trails in fifth as Wootton Bassett fades away

The Iffraaj colt had been rerouted to France after failing to make the English 2000 Guineas at Newmarket at the start of the month, with a setback in early January meaning he missed a few weeks of work.

He was returning to the scene of his finest hour having given his trainer and champion jockey Paul Hanagan a first taste of Group One glory in Paris on Arc day last October and despite being drawn wide in stall 14, he was sent off a hot favourite.

With his hand slightly forced, Hanagan bounced Wootton Bassett out of the stalls and was able to tack right across to the rail.

But he was soon pulling for his head and that would ultimately cost him dear at the business end of the race.

The market leader still held the advantage turning into the straight, but he tired inside the last couple of furlongs and passed the post in fifth place.

Didier Guillemin’s Tin Horse took the victory, quickening up well in the hands of Thierry Jarnet to get the better of the strong-travelling Havane Smoker.

Fahey said: “He’s just run a bit fresh I’m afraid and done too much.

“He might not have stayed as well, but I wouldn’t like to condemn him on that score at the moment.

“We watched the French 1000 Guineas and saw that anything that was dropped in had no chance, so we were trying to be positive on him.

“We weren’t thinking he had to make the running, but he’s just taken off I’m afraid.

“I’ll have to get him home and watch the race again. The fractions were quite quick.

“Paul knew they were going too quick, but the horse was just too well if that makes sense.

“I’m not thinking about where he’ll go next at the moment. I just want to get him home and we’ll go from there.”

British hopes were also dashed in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches as Andre Fabre’s Golden Lilac maintained her unbeaten record with a superb performance.

The daughter of Galileo showed an electric turn of foot to pick up pacemaker Glorious Sight in the final furlong and win as she liked.

Aidan O’Brien’s Wild Wind stayed on to finish third, but British hopes Rimth, Sharnberry, Maqaasid and Godolphin inmate Zoowraa all failed to trouble the judge.

The overseas raiders fared better in the Prix de Saint-Georges as Inxile pipped compatriot Captain Dunne by the narrowest of margins.

Tim Easterby’s Captain Dunne set a furious pace in the five-furlong Group Three and looked to have done enough, but the David Nicholls-trained Inxile nipped up the rail and was in front where it mattered.

“When I first watched it I thought we’d nodded it, but then when I watched the other angle I thought we’d got nodded,” explained Nicholls.