View from France: Classy card at ParisLongchamp on Sunday
Our man in France Jason Kiely takes you through the main highlights from ParisLongchamp's €400,000 card featuring the Group 3 "La Coupe".
It may be difficult to better the exploits of Vadeni and co last weekend at Chantilly, but this Sunday’s ten-race card at ParisLongchamp is packed full of potential stars.
Sunday’s card focuses on progression through the ranks, with a trio of Listed races on the afternoon restricted to horses on who have never won a Group race. The feature, the Group Three “La Coupe” sees an interesting field of ten go to post and our man in France Jason Kiely dissects Sunday afternoons €400,000 card.
RED-HOT GRAFFARD CAN STRIKE AGAIN
Residing almost full time on the ‘hot’ trainers list, Francis-Henri Graffard’s immense string seem untouchable since the flat season hit top gear last month and the Chantilly based trainer could take top honours again this Sunday with Hurricane Dream in the Group Three “La Coupe” (15.25).
Having saddled his first runner in 2011, Graffard has chartered a remarkable rise through the ranks and has already managed the careers of champions such Bateel, Erupt and more recently, The Revenant.
Sunday’s feature may only be a Group Three contest, but Hurricane Dream looks superior to most of his nine rivals (excluding Mr De Pourceaugnac) and should get back to winning ways for the first time since making a winning stable debut last October.
Carrying the familiar colours of Team Valor International, who own the five-year-old in partnership with his breeder Andre Brakha, Hurricane Dream was formerly trained by Mickael Mescam and was considered talented enough to contest the Gr.1 Prix du Jockey Club in 2020.
The free-going sort was transferred to Graffard following a disappointing streak with Mescam and has yet to run a bad race for his new handler, who took two of the feature races last weekend at Chantilly.
Sure to be well suited by the likely fast tempo which should help him to find cover, it looks difficult to bypass the Theo Bachelot ridden Hurricane Dream in such a field, especially considering the soft underfoot conditions, on which he excels.
MR DE POURCEAUGNAC AND KERTEZ FOR FABRE
Andre Fabre has not won this contest since 2008, but saddles two live chances on Sunday – the aforementioned Mr De Pourceaugnac, and the rapidly improving Kertaz.
A slow burner in his early days, five-year-old Mr De Pourceaugnac holds perhaps the best form in the race and despite being rated slightly inferior to the likely favourite Hurricane Dream, he does hold sway over the latter on one piece of form from April.
It remains to be seen if Hurricane Dream paid the price to for chasing some genuine Group One horses that day, but if the form is taken literally, then it would be no shock to see Andre Fabre’s Mr De Pourceaugnac claim the biggest pot of his sixteen-race career, under stable jockey Mickael Barzalona.
Kertaz has won all three of his starts this season and deserves a second chance at this level, having bombed out in a similar contest at the back end of last season, however, it would be surprising to see him finish ahead of the two main protagonists. Of the remainder, both Monty and Baby Rider are Group horses on their day with ratings that put them firmly in the frame, but the duo are proving expensive to follow and place claims are more realistic.
ROUGET LAUNCES POET INTO LISTED COMPANY
Extremely well-touted by all connected to the horse, the unbeaten three-year-old Epic Poet can start Sunday’s party with a bang, as the colt looks highly likely to take the opener, the Listed Prix Ridgeway (12.33).
Placed in modest company for his first two career starts by last weekend’s celebrated trainer Jean-Claude Rouget, the stunning son of Lope De Vega produced a monstrous effort when winning at ParisLongchamp four weeks ago.
Epic Poet steps up to 2,000m on Sunday but with entries in both the Group One Grand Prix de Paris and October’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, both stamina and connections expectations are assured.
The colt’s devastating turn off foot was apparent in his most recent success, where, having been held up last of six he then shot to the lead in a matter of strides, covering the second last furlong in under 10.5s. From an original entry of fourteen for the €55,000 contest, four have held their ground against Epic Poet, including Haya Zarak, who on all known evidence should claim the runner-up spot.
IRISH RAIDERS CAN MAKE PRESENCE FELT
A slight deal below his usual calibre of French raider, but the progressive filly Voice Of Angels could uphold her trainer, Joseph O’Brien’s perfect 100% strike-rate in France this term.
State Of Rest and Above The Curve have both plundered Group One’s across the channel this season, while Brostaigh was electric at Chantilly last weekend for the Pilltown-based trainer.
Having disappointed at Group level last year, Voice Of Angels heads for Sunday’s Listed Prix Volterra (14.50) under jockey Tony Piccone. A winner last time out at Navan, the daughter of Dark Angel will need to produce a career best to overturn rivals like Samahram, Osmose, and the unbeaten Sun Flame, the likely winner of the €55,000 contest.
No stranger to success in Paris, trainer Jessica Harrington fields two runners on Sunday’s card. Nectaris lines-up same contest as Voice Of Angels but will need to step up on last months Curragh success to get involved, although the combination of soft ground and 1,600m are definitely positives.
HARRINGTON RUNNER INTERESTING
Harrington’s main chance however could come in the final Listed race on the card, with Viareggio in the Prix Melisnade (13.33).
Third in a Goodwood Listed contest three weeks ago, the daughter of Caravaggio has fallen of a real mixed bag of rivals for the 2,000m Prix Melisande. Raclette and Singforthemoment both jeopardised their reputations on two respective starts this season.
Ataared is perhaps the quality of the field, but it is difficult to assess the exact strength of her Listed effort, while Francis-Henri Graffard’s Taryiana was only the stables second string when bolting up on debut.
It may be worth taking a punt on the battle-hardened Viareggio under master jockey Stephane Pasquier, who could offer Harrington with her first winner at ParisLongchamp since Albigna took the Group One Prix Marcel Boussac in 2019, under the same rider.
Next Off
Most Followed
MOST READ RACING
