The Prix Marcel Boussac has been a happy hunting ground for Ballydoyle but Promise To Be True does not look good enough on her ordinary showing in the Moyglare last time and I have to go with Frankel’s daughter TOULIFAUT as she has all the necessary credentials. I just hope that Jean-Claude Rouget does not win with his second string First Of Spring, as he has done that a couple of times this season!
I cannot see anything that I really fancy at the prices in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère, especially with two supplemented.
Whilst I respect Jemayel and Speedy Boarding in the Prix de l’Opéra, I expect So Mi Dar to win comfortably. Limato looks similarly obvious is a poor renewal of the Prix de la Forêt. I would like to see Mecca’s Angel sign off with victory in the Abbaye but at the odds I will not be getting involved.
The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe itself presents something of a conundrum. My ante post bet never made it to post and this year’s short-priced favourite Postponed was last year’s ante post bet at 20/1. Whilst he is the best horse in the race on ratings and I would like to see the best horse win, I would not be gutted for the owner if he was beaten because he is a prat.
Assuming that the middle draw is better than a high draw, the Derby winner Harzand has got to have every chance, especially with his pacemaker drawn in one.
The problem is that many of the fancied runners have double-digit draws, so tactics could be a big factor and which jockeys get the best positions and do not use up too much horse early could be critical. The Ballydoyle trio have it all to do but I expect that Frankie may try to make a lot of use of Order Of St George because he is a stayer.
I have no idea what Christophe Lemaire plans to do on Makahiki but I do feel that in an average year this has to be the best chance of a Japanese victory; however, I do not expect to see him until late in the race as he never wins by far. Back in May, I could not see the Japanese sending a three year old over but he is here trying to go two better than dad.
Silverwave has been trained for this and with his single figure draw I think he has a serious chance and is overpriced; however, despite her draw, I am going with the Prix Vermeille winner LEFT HAND, as the form was franked on Saturday by The Juliet Rose winning the Prix Royallieu and she is the only three year old filly and gets all the allowances under Maxime Guyon. Back in 2012, the owners’ unfancied Solemia (same trainer) floored a Japanese raider – will history repeat itself?