by Mike Curry

Highly regarded maiden winner Fame And Glory lived up to his ambitious name on Wednesday with a victory in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud (Fr-G1) in only his second career start.

The bay Montjeu (Ire) colt gave Ballydoyle trainer Aidan O’Brien his 23rd Group 1 victory of the season, two short of the record of 25 wins at the highest level set by Racing Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel in 2003. The Criterium de Saint-Cloud is the final European Group 1 race of the year.

Fame And Glory was part of O’Brien’s four-horse contingent and the colt stamped himself as a contender for the 2009 Epsom Derby (Eng-G1) by defeating stablemate Drumbeat by a half-length. Fame And Glory entered off a 1 3/4-length triumph in his career debut in a one-mile race at Navan on October 22.

"He's very tough and genuine and will stay a mile-and-a-half. It was only his second run and he's come on a lot since winning his maiden at Navan,” O’Brien told Racing Post. “He will make a good middle-distance horse next year and acted well on the testing ground.

"He's only had one run and we haven't done much with him since. We were delighted with all our four runners and Fame And Glory will be trained as a Derby horse."

The Criterium de Saint-Cloud featured virtually no pace as Entre Deux Eaux went to the lead with Blaze of Fire up close and Criterium International (Fr-G1) winner Zafisio and Fame And Glory positioned within striking distance in the 2000-meter (9.94-furlong) race for two-year-olds.

Sensing the lack of pace, jockey Dominique Boeuf roused Zafisio earlier than planned and the only group stakes winner in the field held on bravely into the final furlong before fading. Fame And Glory and Drumbeat swept past as did Feels All Right and the O’Brien-trained Age of Aquarius.

Fame And Glory finished strongly under Johnny Murtagh to edge Drumbeat and prevail in 2:19.90 on turf rated as heavy.

Feels All Right finished another three-quarters of a length back in third, followed by Age of Aquarius and Zafisio.

Derrick Smith’s, Susan Magnier's, and Michael Tabor's Fame And Glory is a half brother to stakes-placed winners Grampian and Guaranda. He is one of seven winners from as many starters out of Group 3-placed winner Gryada, by Shirley Heights.

Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor