Newmarket's Future Champions meeting might have revolved around the performances of Darkness Falls and Musical Times, but anyone who left the Rowley Mile believing the 5 1/2 lengths that the Aidan O'Brien-trained Drumbeat put on his Zetland Stakes (G3) rivals was the bigger deal will have had that reinforced with a smooth Criterium de Saint-Cloud (G1) success, Oct. 25, under Ryan Moore.
Bookmakers generally cut Drumbeat to 12-1 third-favorite (from around 25) for the 2027 Betfred Derby (G1), while O'Brien will feel his protege has some boot to go with the stamina he showed on ground which, though testing, did not tempt any jockey to make the journey over to the stands' side rail, which would normally be the siren call in truly heavy ground at Saint-Cloud.
"I think he's come forward since Newmarket," O'Brien said. "It was a classy performance today; he came up through the middle of them and you'd have to be very happy.
"He'll be trained for the classics. He's not a slow horse and I'd say he'd have no problem starting in a Guineas, whether it's an Irish, a French or an English. And then he'll be very comfortable going up to a mile and a quarter, and maybe even further."
Asked about his suitability for the mile and a half at Epsom, O'Brien added: "He's by Wootton Bassett and usually they're pacy enough; they're not slow. And he had to be pacy today; he's not just a stayer, he quickened through the middle."
Drumbeat had 2 lengths in hand over stablemate Shakespeare and, while he was not as visually impressive as Saturday's Futurity Trophy Stakes (G1) winner Giant Sequoia, O'Brien was still delighted with the progression of the winner in his last two starts.
Asked whether he felt Drumbeat possessed the same gears as the Doncaster winner, O'Brien said: "I think they're that type of horse. This horse won over a mile and a quarter the time before as well, and Giant Sequoia went a mile for the first time only yesterday, and he was very classy, I thought. He traveled through the race very well and quickened very well. They're smart colts."
Master Man a Group 1 first for Chotard and Crastus
O'Brien was foiled earlier in the afternoon when Master Man proved a hugely popular winner of the group 1 Criterium International for Richard Chotard under a well-judged front-running ride from Anthony Crastus.
Master Man was graduating from a pair of wins in valuable Arqana sales races and was a first group 1 success for both his rider and trainer.
Chotard said: "It's incredible. He's a good horse and had done something out of the ordinary at Longchamp. But when you see all these Irish and British trainers in the race beforehand, you begin to wonder.
"I knew he was in great form and we decided to keep everything the same; go to the front, stay on the rail, and not get in the way of him."
The O'Brien-trained pair Capability Brown and Aix La Chapelle threw down determined challenges, but the son of Goken was not for passing.
Chotard said: "I've had this race in mind for him for a long time. We skipped the Morny and the Lagardere, going to the Arqana Criterium race over Arc weekend to give him a slightly easier race.
"This is amazing. I'm 65 and this is my first group 1. It's extraordinary."
