John Ingles looks ahead to Longchamp's Sunday card featuring British/Irish interest in several races.
Longchamp’s Sunday card features the main trials for the French ‘Guineas’ run over the same course and distance next month, with the fillies contesting the Prix de la Grotte and the colts warming up in the Prix de Fontainebleau. But there’s British and Irish interest on the card as well, with cross-channel runners in four of the contests.
There’s not much between the three British-trained runners in the listed Prix Jacques Laffitte over an extended nine furlongs. Karl Burke’s Liberty Lane carries a penalty for winning two similar events last year, at Goodwood and Newmarket, but the form of both races has already been boosted this spring, and he looks the pick of the three visitors. At Goodwood he got the better of Meydaan, recently third in the Dubai World Cup, while at Newmarket in the autumn he got the better of the promising Gethin who returned with a smart win in the Magnolia Stakes at Kempton last Monday.
Meydaan’s trainers Simon & Ed Crisford are represented by Involvement who missed all of last year but returned to his best on the second of his two starts at Meydan this season, coming from last to first to win a handicap in ready fashion last month. The other Newmarket runner is Wathnan Racing’s Diego Ventura for Hamad Al Jehani. He won a listed race over seven furlongs at Longchamp last May, and while he signed off with a creditable third in Italy in the Premio Roma over a mile and a quarter on his final start last year, he seems best at up to a mile.
Burke is also represented in the Prix de la Grotte by useful filly Evolutionist who is entered in the 1000 Guineas as well as the French equivalent. She progressed with each run last year, winning a maiden at Newmarket in August and finishing a good third to Precise in the Fillies’ Mile back there in the autumn. She’s a lengthy type who could well progress further this year, though she’ll need to here, as the French fillies Green Spirit and Narissa set a good standard from their placed efforts behind Diamond Necklace in the Prix Marcel Boussac here last October.
There’s no British involvement in the Prix de Fontainebleau where Nighttime and Campacite look the pair with the best two-year-old form. They both ended their campaigns with second places in Group 1 company behind Ballydoyle colt Puerto Rico, in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and Criterium International respectively. Campacite finished behind Nighttime in the Lagardere and could do so again here if, as expected, Nighttime improves again on his first try at a mile.
The Prix Noailles over an extended ten furlongs is the other Group 3 contest on the card which went to none other than Calandgan two years ago and is an early trial for the Prix du Jockey Club. Joseph O’Brien looks to have the one to beat here with Hardy Warrior who holds a ‘French Derby’ entry. He shaped well when a staying-on fourth behind Puerto Rico and Campacite in the Criterium International and made a successful reappearance in a three-runner minor event at Naas last month, and the extra distance here should suit.
The Prix Lord Seymour, a listed contest for older horses over a mile and a half, sees the return to action of Arabian Force for William Haggas. He won a couple of novices last spring but ran his best race when third behind Pride of Arras in the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York. A Coronation Cup entry shows that connections have Group 1 ambitions for home this season and he’s a rangy type who could well make a better four-year-old, though fellow Coronation Cup entry Map of Stars is the pick on form for Francis-Henri Graffard. He’s not yet proven over this far but his form at Longchamp last spring, when successful in the Prix d’Harcourt before a good second in the Prix Ganay, was very smart.
More from Sporting Life
- Racecards
- Fast results
- Full results and free video replays
- Horse racing news
- Horse racing tips
- Horse racing features
- Download our free iOS and Android app
- Football and other sports tips
- Podcasts and video content
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
