Favourite Intello has romped home to give jockey Olivier Peslier his second French Derby success at Chantilly.
Intello (15-8), who gave trainer Andre Fabre his fourth win in the race, won by two lengths from the hard charging Morandi to give the Wertheimer Family their first win in the Derby on Sunday since their late father triumphed 38 years ago.
Fabre also saddled third placed Sky Hunter (7-1) who was a head behind Morandi (13-2).
Peslier's previous win in the race came with the great Peintre Celebre in 1997 also for Fabre.
While Fabre gave a gruff 'no I have nothing to say' in his usual boycott of the domestic press, Peslier was far more forthcoming, paying homage to the complex but highly-talented trainer.
"I have had to wait a long time for my second win," the 40-year-old said.
"Don't forget that it was Andre Fabre, who gave me my chance and allowed me to ride my first French Derby winner."
Peslier has a large following in Japan where he has ridden with great success but says in France he could walk down the Champs Elysees in Paris naked and not be recognised.
He said that unlike the winner's previous run when he was an unlucky third in the French 2000 Guineas, he had had no problems.
"It was a case of us and then there were the others," he said.
"This race went perfectly as I was able to break quickly and lie up behind the pacemakers. He was very relaxed and when I asked him to quicken he showed no hesitation at all."
The Wertheimer brothers, who own the controlling interest in historic perfumery producer Chanel, were relieved to have ended the long drought of not having the Derby winner.
"We have been waiting so long for this," Gerard Wertheimer said.
"This gives us so much happiness as we have had a lot of favourites beaten in it. That has made us never assume we are going to win any race, as it is amazing the things that can happen in a race."