Anapurna wins the Oaks under Frankie Dettori
Anapurna wins the Oaks under Frankie Dettori

John Gosden trio primed for Prix de Royallieu at ParisLongchamp


Enbihaar, Lah Ti Dar and Anapurna give John Gosden a formidable hand in the Qatar Prix de Royallieu at ParisLongchamp.

Saturday's race has been raised in distance and status for this year's renewal - with the nine declared runners set to tackle a mile and three-quarters in search of Group One glory.

The field is headed by Enbihaar, who completed a hat-trick of wins at Group Two level with a narrow success in the Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster last month.

Angus Gold, racing manager to owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, said: "She's a lovely filly, but she's got a few others of John's (Gosden) as well as everybody else to contend with, including the Oaks winner (Anapurna).

"She's done nothing but improve all year, and everybody loves her. She's a thoroughly good filly, so hopefully she'll run very well.

"It would be nice to win a Group One with her."

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Lah Ti Dar came close to breaking her Group One duck when a close-up third behind stablemate Coronet in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on her penultimate start, since when she has finished a distant third behind Gosden's superstar mare Enable in the Yorkshire Oaks.

"John has been very happy with her preparation, and this is a race we've had earmarked for her all year," said Simon Marsh, racing and bloodstock manager to Lah Ti Dar's owner-breeders Lord and Lady Lloyd-Webber.

"I think she'll be very comfortable in the softer ground and she finished second in the St Leger last year, so there's no reason to believe she won't stay the trip.

"You have to respect John's other two fillies, who are both high-class. But Lah Ti Dar deserves to be there, and I think she'll run a big race."

The Gosden trio is completed by Anapurna - winner of the Investec Oaks at Epsom at the end of May.

She made her first start since that Classic triumph in last month's Prix Vermeille, but could only finish seventh behind stable companion Star Catcher - who dominated from the front under Frankie Dettori.

Mark Weinfeld, of owners Helena Springfield Ltd, said: "Anapurna is in good form. She looks to have a nice enough draw (stall four) and we've got Frankie (Dettori) on board, so fingers crossed.

"We're always hopeful. She was boxed in when she ran in the Vermeille and couldn't get out, and didn't really have a race.

"We'll see how she gets on. She's in the race on Champions Day at Ascot (Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes) later in the month, but we'll get Saturday out of the way before we make any plans."

Roger Varian's Pilaster is a fourth British challenger, while Aidan O'Brien sends South Sea Pearl and Delphinia from Ireland.

Andre Fabre's Musis Amica, the Carlos Laffon-Parias-trained Mutamakina and Markus Klug's German raider Satomi are the other hopefuls.


Related Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe links

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