CHANTILLY, France -- Anabaa Blue gave the Carlos Lerner-Christophe Soumillon combination a memorable first win in the Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) on Sunday by holding off the challenge of fellow outsider Chichicastenango.

The pair were locked in a titanic struggle at the finish and it was only in the last 50 metres that the tide turned in favour of the 86-10 shot as the French colt won by half a length in the mile-and-a-half classic.

British-trained Grandera finished strongly to come home a close third after earlier having its path blocked.

The race was a big disappointment for the favourites with much-fancied Maille Pistol fading to finish eighth after earlier setting the tempo.

Anabaa Blue's young jockey Soumillon choked back the tears after the colt added to his Prix Noailles win in the first of the Jockey Club trials in April.

"This is the best day of my life," he said. "Anabaa Blue was a bit unlucky in the Prix Lupin (finishing second) and he fully deserves the red badge of courage.

"This was Anabaa Blue's day and he fully deserved it."

Chichiscastenango, who won the Lupin, went down fighting but could not repeat the earlier success over his French rival.

Trainer, Philippe Demercastel, said "My horse has run a great race and, although I am not as happy as if he had won, one has to congratulate the trainer of the winner, Carlos Lerner."

Grandera's jockey Michael Hills was disappointed since he might have won the race given a clear run.

"We have had had a bad race," he said. "My mount has been bumped right, left and centre and we were stopped at a crucial point. We may well have won without the trouble. What we can say for certain is that the colt is much improved since Chester."

Okawango finished well on the outside to claim fourth place ahead of the strongly-fancied Irish raider Milan, ridden by Michael Kinane and trained in Ireland by Aiden O'Brien.

"The colt stumbled at the start and never really recovered," said Kinane. "He had a very good race all things considered."

Favourite Maille Pistol, who had won two of the main French Derby trials in devastating style, came under pressure in the straight and was beaten a furlong out.

Sensible, whose trainer Pascal Bary was hoping to extend his record after a hat-trick of French Derby wins since 1994, failed to make the first 10. "He didn't have anything in the tank today," said his disappointed jockey Thierry Jarnet.

In the Prix Jean Prat in-form British trainer John Dunlop claimed his second French group one success of the campaign with Pat Eddery's mount Olden Times.

In a three-horse race to the finish Olden Times won by a head from the Irish-trained King of Tara with Denon, finishing strongly on the outside, having to settle for third.

"Olden Times is essentially a top of the ground lover," said Eddery. "He must have those conditions if he is to put his best foot forward." Second-placed Kinane said "I had hoped to win on King Of Tara but Pat's mount just finished too fast."