Godolphin's big race-winning machine rolled back into action after a temporary malfunction as Bachir seized France's equivalent of the 2000 Guineas at Longchamp today.
The colt, ridden by Frankie Dettori, moved to the front with more than a furlong to go and stretched away to defeat Berine's Son by one and a half lengths in the Dubai Poule d'Essai des Poulains.
It was the same distance back to the John Gosden-trained Valentino in third.
Bosses of Godolphin were breathing a sigh of relief after a series of setbacks in recent weeks.
They had seen one of their main Derby hopes, River's Curtain, run poorly earlier in the day in the Prix Lupin.
Other potential Derby contenders have also flattered to deceive and top sprinter Diktat was beaten in Tokyo this morning.
'You could say we've taken a few knocks and though we weren't exactly on the ropes this result is very welcome,' said Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford.
Bachir, a 3.1-1 chance, was aided by the fast pace set by British contender Ekraar.
Once he moved to the front the race was as good as over although he did seem to be idling in the final 100 yards.
Ekraar finished fourth but the big Irish hope Monashee Mountain trained by Aidan O'Brien hung badly left in the closing stages and finished well back in fifth.
Dettori admitted that he had been helped by the tactics set by Richard Hills on Ekraar.
'I was able to sit in behind and when I asked him my horse quickened well with one and a half furlongs to go. He then thought he'd done just enough.
'He's a good horse to have around and always tries his hardest for you.'
Godolphin have plenty of strength for races around one mile as they can also call on China Visit and Aljabr.
The word is that China Visit, well beaten in the Kentucky Derby, is some four lengths superior to Bachir.
'Over a mile there may not be as much as that between them but I like China Visit a lot and I'm looking forward to him returning to the turf,' said Dettori.
That is likely to happen at Royal Ascot with China Visit set to drop back to one mile and tackle the St James's Palace Stakes.
Bachir is a possible for the Irish 2000 Guineas at the end of the month with Aljabr earmarked for the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.
Crisford admitted that Godolphin is much weaker in the middle-distance sphere.
River's Curtain's poor performance today followed hot on the heels of the eclipse of Dubai Two Thousand at Lingfield yesterday.
'The possible Derby horses we've run so far haven't been good enough,' said Crisford.
'But in most cases we were just trying them out - there was no hard evidence to say that they were really good.'
Godolphin's best hope of a Derby runner now rests with Best of the Bests, formerly trained by Clive Brittain, who is set to run in the Dante Stakes at York on Wednesday.
Also in action for Godolphin at York are Kayf Tara (Yorkshire Cup) and Lend a Hand (Duke of York Stakes).
'We've an important week coming up,' said Crisford. 'Best of the Bests is not 100 per cent as he had an injury in the early part of the winter and we haven't been able to give him at trial.
'But he needs to show us something positive on Wednesday or he wouldn't be in the Derby equation.'
Godolphin still has plenty of options for the Oakes with Teggiano, Melikah and possibly Bintalreef.
The Dubai-based operation went on to complete a double when Sampower Star (5-1) beat Richard Hannon's Watching by a neck in the Group Three Prix de Saint-Georges.
The first Group One race on the card, the Prix Lupin was won by the Irish contender Ciro.
O'Brien's charge was quoted at 16-1 by Ladbrokes for the Vodafone Derby after his three-quarters of a length defeat of Kutub.
Ciro is owned by Michael Tabor, whose Montjeu went on to win the Prix du Jockey-Club (French Derby) and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe after being turned over in this race last year.
'This horse has improved a lot at home and he was helped by the better ground today,' said O'Brien.
'He's perfectly effective at this trip of just over one and a quarter miles but I'm sure one and a half miles wouldn't be a problem.'
Having already won the Derby at Chantilly, Tabor admitted he would be keen to take Ciro to Epsom.
But he added: 'In the end it will be up to Aidan and if he decides Chantilly I will be happy with that.'
O'Brien confirmed that stablemate Aristotle was likely to go for the Epsom race and would not have another outing.
British raiders ran with credit in France's equivalent of the 1000 Guineas, the Dubai Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, with Alshakr (third) and Iftiraas (fifth) behind Bluemamba.
The hot favourite Lady of Chad, trained by French-based Englishman Richard Gibson, pulled too hard and trailed in eighth.
