Moore denied Classic treble after his Derby triumph

The champion jockey arrived in France with a spring in his step after his Investec Oaks-Derby double aboard Snow Fairy and Workforce, but was soon brought back down to earth.

His mount was noticeably warm in the humid French conditions and despite breaking well from his inside berth, Moore never looked like completing the Classic clean sweep once the race began in earnest.

Maxime Guyon achieved the near impossible aboard Lope De Vega, though, as he quickly tracked across from his coffin box draw in stall 20 to take a prominent early position.

The young rider sat handy throughout and asked the recent French 2000 Guineas winner to extend down the straight in the mile-and-a-quarter event.

The response from the 12-1 chance was immediate and the colt stretched clear in front of the stands to score unchallenged.

Planteur was another to race to the fore and finished a three-length second, while Frankie Dettori was delighted to make the frame in third aboard the Nicolas Clement-trained Pain Perdu.

Lope De Vega was providing Fabre with his second Jockey Club win and settled an old score for German owner Dietrich von Boetticher whose Hurricane Run was beaten a neck by the winner's sire, Shamardal, here five years ago.

Moore commented on dismounting: "The horse got very warm beforehand and took a bit out of himself before the race started. He also ran quite free."

Aidan O'Brien's Cape Blanco had slammed runway Epsom hero Workforce in the Dante at York but he failed to follow up and finished 10th under Johnny Murtagh, with stablemate Viscount Nelson faring better in fifth.

O'Brien said: "I didn't really see what happened during the race, but Cape Blanco loves fast ground and Johnny said he didn't pick up on the ground out there so I don't really know what happened."

Workforce is officially rated higher than Sea The Stars at the equivalent stage last year following his stunning victory in the Investec Derby at Epsom.

The British Horseracing Authority's handicappers have given Khalid Abdullah's colt a rating of 128 – 4lb more than that handed to Sea The Stars 12 months ago.

Sea The Stars went on to much greater things and the sky could also be the limit for Sir Michael Stoute's charge after his seven-length romp in a record time for the premier Classic.

Winning jockey Moore believes Workforce had improved 20lb for his run in the Dante Stakes at York.

"I have never had a (middle-distance) horse quicken like that and I have never been round the bend at Epsom so quickly," he said.

"He was a different horse from the Dante and must have improved 20lb."

He added: "It is just great to have won the race as it is the race I most wanted to win and I am lucky to have it out of the way.

"I shouldn't really say it, but there has only ever been one Classic I have been interested in.

"I first remember watching Erhaab's Derby in 1994 and it is a race I have always wanted to win alongside the King George, Eclipse, Breeders' Cup and things like that."

The Irish Derby in three weeks is the obvious next port of call for Workforce, although a final decision will not be made until nearer the time.

"It was a very exciting performance and he's come out of the race absolutely fine," said the owner's racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe.

"It really was a remarkable performance for a horse so inexperienced, and for him to break the course record is something else.

"The Irish Derby would look the obvious next step, but we'll just see how the horse takes this race and sit down and make a plan for the rest of the season."

[email protected]