Our man returns with a look ahead to Sunday's big-race action at ParisLongchamp and reflections on the Prix Djebel and the Prix Imprudence.
While we might have to wait another few days for the Craven meeting to get under way, the Greenham and Fred Darling at Newbury this weekend mean the domestic traditional Classic Trials are up and running.
Similar sentiments apply in France, too, where the Prix Djebel and the Prix Imprudence - both reviewed later in this piece - have already been run while this Sunday’s ParisLongchamp card hosts the Prix de Fontainebleau, the Prix de la Grotte and the Prix Noailles which are all contested by seven runners as well as a couple of Listed races for older horses on an interesting eight-race card.
The Prix Fontainebleau at 14.50 sees the reappearance of one of the most exciting home-trained colts from last season, Misunderstood, who won his first two races, including the Prix des Chenes at Deauville, before signing off his season with third place in the Jean-Luc Lagardere where he had only Camille Pissarro and Rashabar in front of him.
Misunderstood was for me the top staying juvenile in France last year and deserves his Lagardere effort marking up not only because it came over 1400m after his two earlier runs had been over further but also because it was also contested on Longchamp’s tight Nouvelle Piste and not the more galloping Grande Piste that will face him in the Fontainebleau.
The stoutly-bred Misunderstood who had looked an out-and-out galloper in his first two starts had little option but to try and make the Lagardere a test of stamina - the finishing speed in soft conditions came in at 98% from 400m out - and in the circumstances did well to hang on in for third against two juveniles with high-class six-furlong form.
That run sets a tall standard – he is 8lb clear on Timeform ratings – and he’ll relish the return to 1600m with fast conditions unlikely to be an inconvenience given he overcame them when winning well at Deauville last July on his debut.
On form, Misunderstood’s toughest opponents look to be Darius Cen, a son of the last winner of this race who went on to success in the French 2000, Persian King who comes here after winning the same race the last two winners of the Fontainebleau have taken en-route, the listed Prix Omnium II at Saint-Cloud which he arguably pinched from the front, and Heybetli who wasn’t far behind him in the Lagardere.
That said, the ones who may well give Misunderstood most to do are Sahlan and Ridari. Sahlan is in the same ownership and created a good impression in an admittedly messy race at Deauville in December, showing a smart turn of foot, while Ridari found himself in all sorts of trouble at Chantilly in November when last seen (the re-opposing and subsequent Omnium fourth Batal Youmzain was third) and clearly has plenty of ability to have got himself out of trouble in the manner he did with a bit to spare.
How will Zarigana fare on her return?
The Prix de la Grotte (15.25) is arguably the more interesting race featuring as it does the reappearance of last year’s star two-year-old French filly Zarigana who might well have gone into winter quarters unbeaten had she not been beaten by what looked an over-confident ride from Mickael Barzelona in the Prix Marcel Boussac.
An imperious winner of the Prix d’Aumaule on her previous outing where she displayed a dazzling turn of foot, Zarigana wasn’t able to pick up in the Boussac in the manner anticipated by her rider on ground that had been hit by unexpectedly heavy showers, but this faster forecast surface will suit her and she should have far too much class for some inferior-looking opponents.
Rosa Salvaje and Lady Majesty Cen take her on again despite getting slammed seven lengths and 13 lengths respectively in the d’Aumale but she faces a new challenge in the shape of unbeaten pair Safia and Tigress of Gaul who have both won twice apiece, the former by a combined total of six lengths in deeper company than the latter has been keeping.
There’s also an interesting British challenger, Shes Perfect, who is representing Charlie Fellowes. She made all in a weak race at Haydock last August before signing off with third place from the worst of the draw under completely contrasting heavy conditions at Goodwood in a valuable fillies-only race. I’ve heard she works very well but it might be a case of being thrown in at the deep end too quickly here.
French Derby hopes go on trail
The ‘form’ selection for the Prix Noailles, a French Derby trial, is arguably the physically-imposing Rafale Design, a winner of two of his three starts including at Deauville when last seen in November where he was being cajoled along on the home turn but ended up striding right away while carrying his tail awkwardly to win by seven-and-a-half lengths.
He’s certainly the pick on official ratings, ahead of the gelding Aidan’s Phone who has won his last three including a Listed race at Saint-Cloud in the mud in March where he beat the re-opposing Uther by a head, that pair well clear of the other two (Stormy Donald and Sirius Brown) who currently have official ratings, but the most intriguing runner of all is Tito Mo Cen who is trained by the emerging Victoria Head and is a half-brother to last season’s crack French three-year-old filly Ramatuelle.
He made a striking debut at Chantilly in February, winning by seven lengths, and though he didn’t find things as easy last time when having Stormy Donald back in fifth, he showed a higher level of form as well as a good attitude dropping back in trip. This longer distance – an extended ten furlongs – ought to be within reach and this race looks a good option to test his Derby credentials with the once-raced once-successful Nitoi (won at Chantilly on the turf last autumn) a likely improver.
The two Listed races that open the card, the Prix Lord Seymour over 2400m and the Prix Jacques Laffitte over 1850m, have attracted just five runners each.
Graffard can get off to flying start
Just one four-year-old goes to post in a sub-standard-looking Lord Seymour and it may be a good opportunity for the supplemented Mont de Soleil to get the day off to a good start for Zarigana’s trainer Francis Graffard. He won a similar race at Vichy last summer and his top trainer presumably thinks there is more to come from his late-maturing inmate who despite being five still has had only six races.
French Derby runner-up First Look was a bit disappointing after his Royal Ascot fourth last year but there was no disgrace in defeat on his return by Map Of Stars who will surely be one of the top French four-year-olds this season in the Group 3 Prix Exbury and he’s so much in hand here – 12lb on Timeform ratings – that it will be a major surprise if he doesn’t get back to winning ways.
Deauville trials reviewed
The aforementioned Prix Djebel and Prix Imprudence took place on unusually fast spring ground with both races run in the fastest times since the races were transferred from the currently closed Maisons-Laffitte.
Eight went to post in the Djebel over 1400m, including the British challenger but French regular Arabie who was trying his luck beyond 1200m for the first time, having finished fourth in the Prix Morny when last seen in August, but neither he nor any of the other runners could get the better of the favourite Maranoa Charlie who was getting back to winning ways after losing his unbeaten record in the Criterium International over 1600m at Saint-Cloud last October.
As I wrote after that performance ‘those who backed him would have expected to see him go clear early on as he had done in his two previous races but there’s a big difference between maintaining an efficient high cruising speed out in front and running yourself into the ground and no sooner than he turned into the short straight his ten-length advantage rapidly reduced to zero, eventually straggling home in a 87.6% finishing speed from 200m out’.
On the evidence of the Djebel, which he won from the front by a length-and-a-quarter from the race-fit Silius Maranoa Charlie looks to have run to 112 which is pretty much the same level as in the Prix Thomas Bryon once the amount he was eased down is factored into the result.
Post-race comments from his connections focussing on his ebullient nature also uncovered the possibility that he might even go sprinting at some point, but it would be disappointing if we didn’t see him show what he is capable of in the French 2000 first, for which he is for me the leading home-trained contender with Misunderstood more of a French Derby type.
Third-placed Woodshauna is worth keeping tabs on going forward seeing as he ran the last 600m two lengths faster than Maranoa Charlie from an unpromising position which was enough to upgrade his own performance by 2lb, but sprinting will surely be back on the agenda for Arabie who might have needed the run but backed out tamely at the business end.
The Imprudence went to Juddmonte participant Better Together in a time that was just over a second slower than Maranoa Charlie recorded. She was readily on top at the line in a bizarre race in which the tearaway leader was ignored and promises to even better over the 1600m she will encounter in the French 1000, comments which also apply to the runner-up Ghoufrann who emerges with the better sectional upgrade by my calculations if not by enough to change the result.
Odds-on favourite Daylight who was second in last year’s Cheveley Park made a respectable reappearance trying 1400m for the first time but found herself paddling in the last 200m, running that section three lengths slower than Better Together according to the tracking data, and that’s probably the end of her French 1000 hopes. Better Together is currently 12/1 for that event behind hot favourite Zarigana and behind also Tajlina who got back to winning ways in the Group 3 Prix Penelope at Saint-Cloud at the end of April but given that race was contested at 2100m and didn’t take much winning (bare Timeform rating 102), Tajlina surely looks more one for the Prix de Diane.
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