Sunday’s mouth-watering, eight-race card at Auteuil sees many of the 2021 campaign's leading lights make their seasonal bow, and with over €500,000 prizemoney on offer, a top-class afternoon of competition looks guaranteed at the Parisian venue.
Our man in France dissects the feature race on the card, the Group Three Prix Juigne (16.35), and highlights some key names to follow throughout the afternoon.
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
A contest that has been highly anticipated all through the winter, Sunday’s Group Three Prix Juigne finally offers rising young stars Hermes Baie and Theleme the chance to take on their elders, as the talented pair step up to open company for the first time.
A fascinating race on paper, the Prix Juigne boasts a stellar, eight runner line-up. despite the absence of 2020 winner L’Autonomie, who was declared forfeit on Thursday morning.
Assuming that four-time Group One winning veteran Galop Marin remains loyal to his habitual front-running tactics, a truly run contest can be expected over the 3,600m trip. The ten-year-old is a specialist around Auteuil and has placed twice in this contest over the years, but despite being the highest-rated of the field, Dominique Bressou’s champion often performs better in the autumn and may be vulnerable to the younger generation.
A FASCINATING RIVALRY
Five encounters since 2020 leave the dual Group One winner Theleme holding the upper hand over his resolute rival Hermes Baie, three to two. The outrageously talented pair of five-year-olds are far superior to the remainder of their generation and step into open company for the first-time on Sunday. Five-year-olds have an excellent record in the Juigne (winning six of the last seven renewals) and the pair are expected to dominate once again this weekend, although in which order?
Although he has won on only two of their encounters, the François Nicolle-trained Hermes Baie has always looked more a later-burner than Theleme and has fallen victim to immaturity and greenness on occasion. A first flight tumble in the 2020 Group One Prix Cambaceres and a dramatic unseating of jockey Bertrand Lestrade in November’s Group One Prix Renaud Du Vivier handed an open goal to Theleme on both occasions, who has only beaten Hermes Baie once on merit.
A son of Crillon, Hermes Baie is touted by many to be a future French Champion hurdler and barring misfortune, could finally establish himself at the top of the pecking order and in doing so, would secure a third successive victory in the Prix Juigne for his trainer.
OUTSIDERS TO NOTE
It is difficult to envisage anything other than Hermes Baie, Theleme or Galop Marin passing the post in front for the Prix Juigne, although Gex is the one that could pick up the pieces should the race fall apart.
Placed in last year’s French Champion Hurdle, the Emmanuel Clayeux trained six-year-old is a course and distance scorer but is likely to need the run. With his target (French Champion Hurdle) still a few months away, connections are unlikely to put Gex under severe pressure but he may be worth considering for each-way punters, along with the Marcel Rolland-trained Colbert Du Berlais.
That five-year-old receives weight from all seven rivals and chased home Theleme on his final start of 2021.
LEGEND RETURNS FOR ANOTHER SEASON
Without doubt one of the most popular horses in training in France, Simon Munir and Issac Souede’s Sreligonn returns to Auteuil for a new campaign. A Group One winner back in 2017, the Nicolle-trained nine-year-old has been gifted the perfect opportunity in the first race of the afternoon, the Prix Jean Doumen (12.58).
The seven runners all make their seasonal debut, including the regally-bred Chickito Du Berlais, who returns from an incredible 1,725 days off! The eight-year-old was successful at this track on debut back in 2017 and although bred to be a champion, it is difficult to see the Arnaud Chaille-Chaille trained gelding getting involved after such a lay-off.
A winner on seven of his 29 career starts, Sreligonn is clear of his rivals on ratings and although he is better over fences, the evergreen gelding should be able to stamp his authority on this.
The talented Doctor Squeeze has been off the track since a fantastic campaign over fences in 2020. Likely to need the run, the Dominique Bressou-trained seven-year-old is one of the class acts of the field and can sneak a place.
HANDICAP SURE THING?
In the fifth race on the card, the Listed handicap hurdle, the Nicolle-trained Marie Coastala gets in towards the bottom of the weights and looks sure to come in for strong market support. The four-year-old is yet to score, but the daughter of Coastal Path has put up two game performances to finish second on two occasions this winter.
A lenient opening mark could allow this progressive filly the chance to get off the mark, in what looks a wide-open contest. Stable jockey Angelo Zuliani has chosen to partner Marie Coastala here, and it would come as no surprise were she to open her account on handicap debut.
COTTIN DEBUTANTE DANGEROUS
Despite a lack of top-class ammunition in 2021, Chantilly-based trainer David Cottin continues to prove his aptitude for preparing horses to strike early in their careers. The four-year-old Red Triple (16.00) can make a winning debut in the Rohan Hurdle (16.00) and is the choice of stable jockey, Kevin Nabet.
The four-year-old son of Triple Threat faces 13 rivals for her debut, but should know exactly what to expect due to the rigorous Cottin regime.
Close relations Rouge Vif, Rouge Et Sage and Robin Des Bois have all gone on to be successful in the UK and it would be no surprise to see Red Triple follow suit.
