Feed The Flame overcame traffic problems on Bastille Day at Longchamp to return to winning ways in the Group One Grand Prix de Paris.
The Pascal Bary-trained son of Kingman kicked off his career with two impressive wins at the course earlier in the season before being supplemented for the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly, where he finished fourth after proving no match for Ace Impact.
Anchored in last place by Cristian Demuro, who was deputising for the suspended Christophe Soumillon this evening, Feed The Flame was still trailing with three furlongs to go as the field turned for home in the mile-and-a-half feature.
Winter Pudding led into the straight from Silawi and Peking Opera, until Aidan O'Brien’s Irish Derby runner-up Adelaide River and John and Thady Gosden’s Oaks winner Soul Sister threw down their challenges.
Feed The Flame was still moving ominously well under Demuro at the rear of the eight-runner field, but it seemed those exaggerated hold-up tactics would backfire when Soul Sister checked his run.
However, the response when Feed The Flame did eventually find daylight was emphatic, and his push-button acceleration in a slowly run affair allowed him to swoop around the outside of Soul Sister before passing Adelaide River and Ryan Moore.
The winner, who had a length to spare over Adelaide River at the line, returned at 13-5 on the PMU, with an industry price of 11-4.
🥇 INCROYABLE 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝟭 (C. Demuro/P. Bary) s'impose dans le Grand Prix de Paris, Gr I, à #ParisLongchamp et vole vers l'Arc de Triomphe !
— Equidia (@equidia) July 14, 2023
👉 Un sublime podium français 🇫🇷, mais aussi irlandais 🇮🇪🥈 avec Adelaide River et anglais 🇬🇧🥉 avec Soul Sister ! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/jEvgScvdVl
"I was quite confident with the horse," Bary told At The Races afterwards.
"He likes Longchamp, I was sure about the distance, and he got more experience in the Prix du Jockey Club.
"He ran well the last time, but it was a bit fast for him – the going was very firm.
"We had to ask him early to go (with his challenge) and he does not like that."
Feed The Flame will now have a summer break before returning to Longchamp for the Prix Niel in September, with the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on the first Sunday in October the ultimate aim.
