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Longchamp preview and tips: Graeme North French racing preview

By Graeme North

Horse Racing

Mon June 09, 2025 · 7M ago

Our French racing guru Graeme North looks back over some of the recent action across the Channel.

It's nothing new in French Classics, but one horse who shaped a good deal better than the bare result might suggest was Azimpour who was fifth in last week’s Prix du Jockey-Club.

Timeform (or I, given my remit there includes handicapping French Flat form) have rated him 116p, which is currently 1lb below the Jockey Club winner Camille Pissarro, and makes him the best middle-distance colt in France with potentially more improvement to come when he is tried over a mile and a half or 2400m given he is by Dubawi out of a home-bred mare by Galileo.

Labelling him as the best in France might seem a little left field given he has been beaten in all his three races this year and hasn’t finished in the first three in either of the last two, but the official tracking data showed he ran each of the last four 200m sections in the Jockey Club faster than any of his rivals after being dropped out from stall 16, and he would have beaten the Jockey Club runner-up Cualificar too in the Prix La Force earlier in the season had he not been asked to make his effort that day too from too far behind on the home turn.

His run reflects well too on Nitoi and Leffard, both of whom beat him in the listed Prix des Suresnes at Chantilly in May but had their prospects wrecked in the Jockey Club by draws of 18 and 15 respectively, and both of those need bearing in mind for pattern races further down the line this year.

So too does Azimpour’s stable-companion Parachutiste; he came into the race on the back of two wis in minor events but was always on the back foot from stall 17 but picked up well enough to run the third-last and second-last 200m sections faster than anything else other than Azimpour.

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Derby afternoon had begun with a promising performance by two-year-old newcomer Afjan, a colt by Mehmas, not least since he made his effort well away from the favoured far rail, quickening in some style too as he and the runner-up Vardif came over six lengths clear.

Graft made the most of the far rail in the listed Prix la Fleche, a shade disappointing that he was good enough to beat Karl Burke’s raider Super Soldier given he had finished only third in a claimer on his debut, and the far rail was the place to be again in the Group 3 Prix du Gros-Chene which went to my big-priced fancy Monteille.

She was helped no end not only by the withdrawal of Coto de Caza but also the Champions Sprint winner Kind Of Blue blowing the start from the outside stall and being able to chase a strong pace set by the inveterate front-runner Ponntos who isn’t as good as he was but can still go a good lick till past halfway.

She was given some quotes afterwards for Royal Ascot but looks a fair way off that level given she had everything in her favour here unless, like another stable-switcher recently, Mgheera, she has improved for the change of trainer.

Godspeed, who’d run two of the last three 200m sections faster than subsequent Poule d’Essai des Pouliches winner Zarigana only to then get the worst of the draw in the Pouliches herself, won the Group 2 Prix du Sandringham cosily ridden by Christophe Soumillon for the first time but probably wouldn’t be good enough should connections consider bringing her across for Royal Ascot.

Rayveka won the listed Prix MArchard d’Or with what, on the face of things, a smart effort but she was another who ended up on the far rail admittedly after moving through the field in taking fashion, and 113p might just be a rating that flatters her slightly.

Another Graffard inmate Sunly made short work of admittedly modest opposition in the Group 3 Prix de Royaumont, not quite winning in the style that subsequent Arc runner-up Aventure had done last year but impressing nonetheless with her last 200m and leaving me the impression that she might well do even better on easier ground.

Arrow Eagle won the final pattern race of the day, the Grand Prix de Chantilly in honour of the late Aga Khan.

It turned into something of a sprint which should have suited the former Hong Kong Vase winner Junko but this might be evidence he’s not quite as good as he was after missing the second half of 2024.

Sunday selections

1pt win Troia in 1.33 Longchamp at 9/4

1pt win Selenien in 2.50 Longchamp at 5/1 - NON RUNNER

1pt win Iresine in 3.25 Longchamp at 7/4

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