No doubt France Galop have reverted the Prix Du Moulin to a separate card in order to create an extra fixture at Longchamp but also to avoid clashing with the Irish Champions Weekend next week, when the Arc Trials will still be on Sunday.
QM you have not mentioned Delaware dont you think it will handle the step up.
The eleven runner field includes a few Group 1 winners but that has to be viewed in the context that someone has to win the Group 1 races even if there are no real Group 1 horses. On the official ratings, Phoenix Of Spain comes in rated 120 as it has not been dropped for his two woeful efforts since the Irish Guineas. Pascal Bary’s Frankel filly Obligate comes here on the back of a third in the Prix Rothschild but that does not look good enough form here taking on the boys. Shaman was second in the Poulains, finished in front of Phoenix Of Spain at Royal Ascot but chased home ROMANISED in the Jacques La Marois, where Line Of Duty and Success Days were behind. Circus Maximus comes in having run abysmally in the Juddmonte at York, prior to which he was second in the Sussex and won the St James’s Palace (Shaman and Phoenix Of Spain behind). Olmedo won a Group 3 last time but his overall record is poor since winning the 2018 Poulains and veteran Robin Of Navan simply is not good enough at this level.
In conclusion, if Circus Maximus can find his form from the two big mile races of the summer, he is the best chance of a three year old winning but ROMANISED appears to have returned to his peak form (winning the 2018 Irish Guineas) and can follow up his Jacques Le Marois win.
Back on these shores, Dakota Gold has an excellent chance of stepping up to Listed class after two wins in big handicaps, but that is factored in to his price in the York 2:55, where Perfection is the obvious alternative. The rest of the York card looks equally avoidable with a couple of short priced ones that may come unstuck.
