Sunday's Meetings Plumpton N/H 7 Races 1:45-4:50p.m. Killarney N/H 8 Races 1:55-5:25p.m. Ludlow N/H 7 Races 2:05-5:05p.m. Hamilton(E) Flat 7 Races 3:45-6:45p.m. Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
I have been racking my brains trying to remember the last time that there were two fields as small as today’s for the first two French Classics. Eventually I will go and look it up as the Poulains carries prize money of over €650k and the Pouliches over €550k, making them two of the most valuable races run in France. As usual the problem with both races is whether to take the French trial race form at face value. It has always been the case certain big trainers in France have sent their charges to the trials under cooked and then come the big day they produce their best. In the Prix Djebel, Fabrice Chappet’s Good Guess beat Breizh Sky with Jean Claude Rouget’s Kubrick fourth of the five runners. The winner’s best juvenile effort was a third in a Listed race at Deauville, so did he really improve past the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère third or was that race on Arc day as bad as it looked at the time? Kubrick was last when favourite for the Criterium International at Saint Cloud, nearly ten lengths behind fifth home Breizh Sky. All of this makes me think that the Prix Djebel was not a good trial and the third, Andre Fabre’s Belbek (winner of the Lagardère), is not at Longchamp today. As well as Kubrick, Jean Claude Rouget also runs the thrice-raced Valimi for the Aga Khan. He won an ordinary looking stakes race over course and distance last time so represents the ‘could be anything’ option here for those that want to assume that his trainer knows that his charge is better than the bare form. He was reversing form with the runner-up that day from their previous encounter on quicker ground, so today’s reported going of “Very soft” (penetrometer reading 4.2) from France Galop would appear to be to his benefit. The favourite will be Christophe Soumillon’s mount American Flag, a son of Wootton Bassett who has won his last three on testing ground. Last time he won the Prix Fontainebleau readily dispatching the re-opposing Marhaba Ya Sanafi, following on from beating Kendly by three lengths in a Listed race first time out. That clearly makes him the one to beat. Surprisingly Aidan O’Brien only sends one challenger, Hans Anderson, a Frankel colt who was second in the Irish Futurity as a juvenile before disappointing in the National Stakes. He won the Leopardstown 2000 Guineas Trial easily so is clearly still held in some regard but his overall level of form suggests that he has a few pounds to find with the front two in the British bookies’ betting. The main British challenger is Greenham winner Isaac Shelby, last in the Dewhurst on his final juvenile start. It is easy to crab the Newbury form because the favourite only went one yard with Frankie but Brian Meehan’s colt made all and never saw an opponent with a jockey aboard. The runner-up Charyn was subsequently a mediocre eighth in the 2000 Guineas and today’s other British raider Knight was a well beaten seventh. So how I (and I expect most other observers) think this will pan out is that Isaac Shelby will try to make all from his number one draw and it will be a case of can American Flag pick him off. As the Newbury form does not look that strong, my inclination is towards the favourite collecting the Poulains (2:50). The British bookies have Blue Rose Cen odds on for the Pouliches (3:30) as the Churchill filly won the course and distance trial Prix de la Grotte first time up beating re-opposing Lindy as was expected. She had also won the Prix Marcel Boussac over course and distance on Arc day, thrashing eleven rivals, including the re-opposing Never Ending Story, by five lengths and more. The favourite that day, last home Frankel filly Kelina, also re-opposes after chasing home Quickstep over course and distance in a conditions race to start her season, while Andre Fabre’s Wootton Bassett filly was race fit from finishing fourth in the Prix Imprudence, won by outsider Showay in a photo from Ritournelle. The sole British raider Swingalong won the Lowther as a juvenile, was two-and-a-half lengths behind subsequent 1000 Guineas winner Mawj when fourth in the Cheveley Park and started this term with third in the Fred Darling. The front two at Newbury did nothing for the form in the 1000 and a line through the Newmarket third Matilda Picotte – beaten by Never Ending Story in the Leopardstown 1000 Guineas Trial – suggests that Karl Burke’s filly is not likely to be turning over Christopher Head’s favourite and if one does it is more likely to be the Ballydoyle filly. The other Group 1 race on the Longchamp card is the Prix Saint-Alary (4:10), usually the best of the Prix de Diane trials. Running for the sponsors is Naas maiden winner Boogie Woogie, who clearly would need to improve on that five-and-a-half length odds on success with first time blinkers applied on her sixth start. This does look a field of similar types, although the likely favourite Frankel filly Jannah Rose is unbeaten coming in having won the Group 3 Prix Vanteaux beating Sea The Lady, a Listed winner in the provinces last year. Oisin Murphy gets the leg up on Prix de la Grotte fifth Autumn Starlight, a Listed winner last term owned by Peter Savill. The Godolphin runner Bridestones was sixth on her second start in the Fred Darling and still holds an Oaks entry so must be held in some regard in the Gosden yard. However, the one that I like the look of is Fabrice Chappet’s progressive CROWN PRINCESSE, who followed up losing her maiden tag at the second attempt in the Group 3 Prix Cleopatre beating Elusive Princess and Heartache Tonight.
Plumpton 15,15 Tedwin Hills 14/1 bet365 four places, PP three, 12/1 others 16,20 Dalkingstown 4/1 WH, 7/2 others Killarney 16,55 Everglow 8/1 e/w bet365 four places, 7/1 sky five places
Just for interest today, small punt in the (15:35) at Ludlow, a Class-4 Handicap Hurdle over a distance just short of 2m. The French-bred gelding Force De Frap might give a good account in this event? Connor Brace on board for the Miss E. J Baker stable. 8/1 best price at time of writing, and is generally-available. E/W probably best option.
Hour by hour took double digits yesterday now 6s 11/2 the posotive is nothing to get exited about but they do have a good shout
