Sunday French racing preview: Stars out in force at Auteuil
A mouth-watering, eight-race card to look forward to from Auteuil, where €900,000 total prize money has really attracted the best equine talent to Paris this afternoon.
The Prix du President de la Republique - “French Grand National" (14.15) - sees twenty runners go to post and the Group Two Prix Leon Rambaud (16.00) is oozing quality with the likes of l’Autonomie and Paul’s Saga going to post.
Both races are not to be missed and luckily our man in France Jason Kiely is here to take us through this afternoon's card.
L’Autonomie for a double Rambaud?
She is the apple of her trainer François Nicolle’s eye and widely regarded as the best hurdler in France. Wondermare l’Autonomie lines up as the red-hot favourite for this afternoon’s Group Two Prix Leon Rambaud. The six-year-old boasts a fantastic record and bids to take her lifetime stats to 13 wins from 18 starts.
L’Autonomie’s success in last year’s renewal brought up the hat-trick in this race for her trainer, Nicolle, and the champion trainer is strongly represented again as he also runs recent winner Polorico.
A Group One in all but name, the Prix Leon Rambaud is traditionally a prep race for the French Champion Hurdle in just under a month's time and with l’Autonomie, Galop Marin and English raider Top Ville Ben it is sure to be run at a frantic pace.
L’Autonomie’s regular rider and champion jockey Angelo Zuliani will be in the plate again and will be extremely aware of the likely pace factor.
L’Autonomie’s Achilles heel is her stamina, the daughter of Blue Bresil was found out twice at the back end of last season with surprising defeats over 4,800m and 5,100m. Her atypical jumping style (violently right at times) may not be enough to stop her this afternoon, though, especially on the drying ground and l’Autonomie should get the job done once again.
Leech’s Roi leads British raid
A revelation since owner James Finch claimed him out of Dominique Bressou’s yard for €20,051 in November, Enfant Roi lines up as favourite for this afternoon's Prix du President de la Republique "French Grand National".
One of three British runners on the card, Enfant Roi, trained by Sophie Leech, has already recuperated over €70,000 for his new connections and looks like one of the key players in this afternoon’s big one.
His recent bloodless victory at Auteuil resulted in a 4.5kg rise in the weights, and therefore he runs off almost top weight of 70.5kgs for today's 4,700m contest.
Regular rider James Reveley has chosen to stay loyal to Darling Des Bordes in the same race and as a result, former champion jockey Bertrand Lestrade takes the ride on the seven-year-old son of Saint Des Saints.
Already a Group One winning trainer in France, trainer Tom George sends out Espoir De Teillee from his satellite yard in Chantilly for today’s Group Two.
The nine-year-old comes into the race in excellent form, having bagged a brace of wins at Newbury and Warwick on his two most recent starts. Not seen over hurdles since 2019, Espoir De Teillee reverts to the smaller obstacles this afternoon as connections hunt for their share of the races €155,000 prize-money.
He will be ridden by James Reveley and although both the ground and trip shouldn’t be an issue, this will be the stiffest company that George’s gelding has faced to date.
In the same event, trainer Phil Kirby saddles the classy Top Ville Ben who is having his first start since January 2020.
Kirby’s last runner in France came in 2015 (Aniknam, Auteuil) and Top Ville Ben will have to be in prime condition if he is to get involved here. The Grade One-placed nine-year-old hasn’t been seen over hurdles since 2018 and could just find things happening too fast under Felix De Giles.
Cottin to continue winning streak
Cheltenham Festival-winning trainer David Cottin has been firing on all cylinders from his Chantilly base recently and is currently sitting second in the French trainers' championship. The young handler saddles seven runners this afternoon and should continue to build on his recent successes.
Of the septet, Queen Du Berlais looks to be the most interesting.
The daughter of Muhtatir has been sensational this spring at Auteuil and could get the hat-trick up this afternoon. Owned by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, Queen Du Berlais produced a devastating turn of foot when stepped up in trip last time out. Queen Du Berlais has always been highly regarded by Cottin and she looks almost impossible to oppose on today’s terms.
In the Prix Wild Monarch (Listed race for fillies first time out), Cottin is mob-handed and saddles four runners. Of those, both Foxy Girl and Mathilde Du Berlais catch the eye, with both boasting attractive pedigrees.
Cottin’s recent domination of the juvenile events hasn’t always been plain sailing for his stable jockey Kevin Nabet. The talented rider has twice been pipped on the post by a stablemate in recent weeks and judging purely on pedigrees, there is every chance that it could happen again as Felix de Giles rides Mathilde Du Berlais, with Nabet on Foxy Girl.
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