ParisLongchamp Sunday preview: What the trainers say

12.55 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac - Criterium des Pouliches

Francis-Henri Graffard’s Zarigana will bid to uphold family honour in the Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac. The filly, owned and bred by the Aga Khan, has an impeccable pedigree as she is by Siyouni and out of Zarkamiya, a Group winner who is herself out of the undefeated Arc heroine Zarkava.

She made her debut at Chantilly in July, strolling to a four-length victory ahead of nine rivals in a seven-furlong maiden to take the first steps in living up to the expectations that inevitably come with such breeding.

She then lined up at Longchamp last month for the Group Three Prix d’Aumale, a race run over the Boussac course and distance that became the scene of another taking victory as she came home three lengths to the good under a hands-and-heels ride from Mickael Barzalona. The two-year-old now steps up in grade on return to Longchamp and heads the market for the Group One in a field of 11.

“She is very well, everything has gone smoothly and we’re looking forward to Sunday,” said Graffard “She won nicely in her two races and it’s big step up in class now, hopefully she can show she is competitive against Group One fillies. She won on soft ground the other day so we’re not worried about that, she’s a good looking, well-bred filly with a lot of talent. Fingers crossed for Sunday.”

Opposing Zarigana will be Aidan O’Brien’s Bedtime Story, who blew away her rivals when taking the Chesham at Royal Ascot by nine and a half lengths.

She then landed both the Silver Flash and the Debutante Stakes, albeit by lesser margins, but connections were disappointed to see her finish last of five in the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh on her most recent outing.

“She just jumped smart and was then a little bit keen in the Moyglare and we think that was the reason for her little bit of a disappointing run,” O’Brien said of the defeat, during which she finished behind stablemate Exactly and Ollie Sangster’s Simmering.

Both Exactly and Simmering reoppose, with January completing the Ballydoyle trio and Simmering a late addition to the field having been supplemented following the Moyglare second and a prior Prix Calvados triumph.

“I think she will be a filly to go a mile next year, but we will see,” Sangster said of the latter. “She seemed to see out seven furlongs well in both the Moyglare and the Calvados. They went a good hard gallop in the Moyglare, but I don’t imagine they will go so hard in France on Sunday. We will find out, but I would suspect she will handle the mile.

“Lake Victoria who won the Moyglare was impressive in the Cheveley Park last week. Nothing else has come out of it yet, but we felt it was a very strong race going into it and I think everyone in the race was quite high on theirs and it was probably the strongest fillies’ race of the year so far at the time. I suspect the form of the Moyglare will continue to work out.”

1.30 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere

Field Of Gold has the chance to firmly put himself in the equation for next year’s Classics when going for Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere glory. John and Thady Gosden’s youngster cost owners Juddmonte €530,000 as a yearling, which looked money well spent by the way he claimed Sandown’s Solario Stakes earlier in the season.

This event was immediately highlighted as the perfect spot to test the Kingman colt’s credentials at Group One level and connections head to the French capital buoyed by Solario third Royal Playwright’s performance in the Royal Lodge, which gives the Esher Group Three event a useful look.

“He’s in good form and he’s a very promising colt,” said Barry Mahon, European racing manager for Juddmonte. “I thought he did it very well in the Solario and the form of the race seems to be working out with Royal Playwright running so well in the Royal Lodge. John and Thady seem happy with him and it is all systems go.”

Also heading to Paris with next year on their mind are connections of Rashabar, Brian Meehan’s surprise Coventry Stakes winner, who proved that Royal Ascot performance was no fluke when going close in the Prix Morny.

He got within a length of Whistlejacket from an unhelpful draw at Deauville and the Manton Thoroughbreds-owned raider now steps up to seven furlongs with his team optimistic of a bold showing.

“I kind of felt that if the draw had been a little less biased towards the winner then we would have been a lot closer in the Morny – not that we weren’t close already,” said Sam Sangster of Manton Thoroughbreds. “He’s out of a Camelot mare and after looking at his pedigree and chatting to Billy (Loughnane) and Sean (Levey), neither were concerned about whatever the ground was going to turn up like on Sunday.

“We’re coming into the race with a lot of confidence and he is working very well and whatever he does this weekend, he has a really big future next year ahead of him.”

Aidan O’Brien will saddle both National Stakes runner-up Henri Matisse and the battle-hardened Camille Pissarro in search of his ninth victory in the Lagardere, while son Joseph runs Cowardofthecounty, who accounted for Christopher Head’s reopposing Houquetot at Deauville in the summer.

That is the only defeat in the Al Shaqab-owned youngster’s season and he is one of the leading French hopes, alongside Mario Baratti’s Misunderstood, having regained the winning thread in the Prix La Rochette.

Rupert Pritchard-Gordon, Al Shaqab’s French racing consultant, said: “He has thrived for racing throughout the season and he’s never looked as well as he did when winning the other week at Longchamp. Christopher has always had this plan in mind and said to go to Deuaville after he won his first two starts and then run in the La Rochette as well. This has always been the plan and luckily the horse has been able to take everything we’ve asked in his stride.

“Christopher and his team are very happy. It’s going to be a tough, tough race. He’s entitled to be there, he’s done nothing wrong and he’s now got plenty of experience as well which I think will be a help in a race like that. The only slight issue is being drawn 10 of 10 which wouldn’t probably have been the choice but you have got to deal with the cards you are given and I think he goes there with an each-way chance.”

2.05 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines

Archie Watson’s Bradsell and Hollie Doyle will have to overcome stall nine if they are to make it a Group One hat-trick in Sunday’s Prix de l'Abbaye. The UK and Irish raiders have a fantastic record in the Group One sprint over five furlongs, but the race has not always gone to the fancied runners.

Part of the reason for that is down to the draw, although the likes of Move In Time, Marsha, Mabs Cross and Highfield Princess last year have all defied a double-figure stall in the past 10 years.

“We’d have liked to have been a little bit closer to the rail but I don’t think it stops us, we’re happy to run,” said Oliver St Lawrence, racing manager to Bradsell’s owners, Victorious Racing. “It would have been better to have been two or three closer to the rail, but there’s no excuses. Highfield Princess, Mabs Cross, Move In Time, Tangerine Trees – they’ve all won from double-figure stalls so it’s not impossible so we march on.”

Winner of the Coventry Stakes two years ago, injury threatened to finish Bradsell’s career. But he has been brought back expertly this season to be unbeaten, including two defeats of George Boughey’s Believing in the Nunthorpe and the Flying Five at the Curragh.

“Believing has a nice draw, which is good, so we can hopefully settle that argument in everyone’s minds!” Lawrence continued. “They’ve emerged as the top two around, the only other around is Lazzat who won the Maurice de Gheest and he’s heading for the Golden Eagle in Australia, I believe. Hopefully all will be revealed and the rain stays away.

“I think next year will depend on how he runs over the next short while, but I think he will probably retire. Archie and the team have done an amazing job to get him back and it is testament to the horse himself.”

The team behind Believing have been thankful of the journey they have been on with their filly and are hoping she can go out on a high for them, with the sales beckoning. Harry Herbert, racing manager for her syndicate, Highclere Racing, said: “We’ve got the better draw this time, but neither of us have got the ground really. At least we are inside him.

“There’s not much between them in what we’ve seen the last twice. I’ve actually been looking back at the race she ran on Champions Day last year and she travelled so well until the furlong marker and didn’t get home over six. She has won on soft ground in Chantilly so we’ll just have to take it as it comes. This is her last race anyway before she heads to the December sales.”

He went on: “She’s in very good form, has travelled over there really well and she doesn’t owe us anything. She’s just been the most phenomenal filly and incredible for the syndicate – most of them will be over there to see her race for the last time for them.

“She’s been remarkable as a syndicate horse, these are such rare items. To race as much as she does, placed in the first four in five Group Ones and second in two, it’s extraordinary so it would be incredible if she could bow out – for us anyway – with a Group One win.”

As ever there is a strong UK and Irish challenge with Richard Hughes’ improving No Half Measures the mount of Oisin Murphy, and Ryan Moore on Aesop’s Fables for Aidan O’Brien.

There are two juveniles in receipt of plenty of weight – John Ryan’s Mill Reef runner-up La Bellota and Boughey’s filly Englemere, while Tom Clover has fitted Rogue Lightning with first-time blinkers having finished just over a length behind Highfield Princess last year.

Richard Brown, of owners Wathnan Racing, said: “This seems to be the time of year where he thrives and it was his best run of the year when he was just beaten in the Group Three over track and trip a few weeks ago. We hope he will have an each-way chance.”

Rest of the action

Karl Burke’s Classic heroine Fallen Angel puts her stamina to the test as she steps up in trip for the Prix de l’Opera Longines. The daughter of Too Darn Hot was a beaten favourite in the 1000 Guineas earlier in the year, but quickly made up for that disappointment when claiming the Irish equivalent at the Curragh, confirming the promise of her high-class juvenile form.

A setback kept her on the sidelines for Royal Ascot and all of the summer’s feature attractions, but she made an extremely positive return behind Porta Fortuna when second in the Matron Stakes. That was her first run in the colours of new owners Wathnan Racing and a performance that encouraged connections to now move up in distance and test the waters at 10 furlongs.

“Going up in trip is going to be the big question, but everyone in the team feels that will really suit her,” said Richard Brown, racing adviser for the owners. “It was a great comeback run in the Matron and we were delighted with that having been off a fair while and we’re looking forward to seeing her up in trip. The ground will be on the soft side and she will enjoy that. James (Doyle) said you can do what you want with her, put her where you want in a race, she’s just a complete pro and that is going to stand her in good stead for a big day.”

There is a strong cast of rivals in opposition, with Aidan O’Brien set to field Matron fourth Ylang Ylang and Yorkshire Oaks scorer Content, while Patrice Cottier will saddle his Prix de Diane champion Sparkling Plenty.

Al Shaqab Racing joined Jean Pierre Dubois on the ownership ticket after her Chantilly Classic triumph and after giving a mile and a half a try in the Prix Vermeille most recently, she is now back down to her optimum trip.

“Everyone agreed it was worth trying her over a mile and a half in the Vermeille and as you saw she got back a little bit too far and it became a bit mission impossible,” said Rupert Pritchard-Gordon, Al Shaqab’s French racing consultant.

“Her running style, she travels strongly and the more pace there is in front of her the better. There is always more chance of that going a mile and a quarter rather than a mile and a half and we just feel it is the most logical race for the filly. The fact that Bluestocking, Aventure and Mqse De Sevigne have all taken their chance in the big one, all those sort of things made us feel it was the right decision for Sparkling Plenty to run in the l’Opera.”

Other British and Irish interest in the race is provided by John and Thady Gosden’s duo Friendly Soul and Running Lion, Johnny Murtagh’s Blandford Stakes winner Hanalia and Joseph O’Brien’s Prix Jean Romanet runner-up American Sonja.

In the Qatar Prix de la Foret, Kinross will attempt to regain the crown he surrendered to Carlos Laffon-Parias’ reopposing Kelina 12 months ago. Ralph Beckett’s gelding won this title in the midst of a halcyon campaign in 2022 and looked back to his best when winning Doncaster’s Park Stakes last month.

“We’re very excited. Hopefully the ground doesn’t dry out too much, but I can’t see that happening. We’re all looking forward to it,” said Jamie McCalmont, racing manager for owner Marc Chan. Hopefully his win will give him the confidence ahead of this race and it’s really exciting to be going back to the Foret.”

William Haggas’ Hungerford Stakes winner Tiber Flow and John and Sean Quinn’s supplemented City of York Stakes scorer Breege feature amongst the raiders, while there is a strong home team led by Andre Fabre’s Prix du Moulin hero Tribalist.

Christopher Head will be represented by his star filly Ramatuelle, who drops in distance following fine efforts in defeat in both the 1000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.

“Ramatuelle is really nice and she’s had a lot of advantage missing the summer, it’s really done her well,” said Head. “She is really doing her job every morning and I am really happy with her. She is still as good as she was at the beginning of the season. We are really happy with the stall number (six) we have got in the Foret and I am pretty sure Aurelien (Lemaitre, jockey) and Ramatuelle can handle it.”

Head trained Big Rock to Queen Elizabeth II Stakes success last year, but since switched to Maurizio Guarnieri he has failed to reach the same heights and he also drops in trip having been supplemented on Thursday.

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