View From France: Ebonite to strike at Auteuil

A nine-race card offering up over €600,000 prize-money marks the return of action this weekend at the Hippodrome d’Auteuil where the Grade Two Prix Murat is the feature of the day. Our Man in France Jason Kiely give us his expert opinion on the Murat, along with a few horses and jockeys to follow for the afternoon's action.

Electric Ebonite can continue to dominate

A complete revelation over the past twelve months, tough mare Ebonite will need to be at her level best if she is to please all her supporters and take the spoils in the Grade Two Prix Murat (13.35). Trained in Vaumas by Emmanuel Clayeux, Ebonite looked like she had plateaued towards the end of 2018, having placed several times at listed level before being firmly held in Group company. Then a step up in trip and a return to Auteuil last Spring proved to have been a stroke of genius by Clayeux as the Khalkevi mare improved from a rating of 58 (128 UK) to an incredible 77 (169) in only seven runs. That sequence of performances (2,1,1,2,2,2,1) brings her into this afternoon's race as one of the principal favourites in the seven-runner field and although this will be one of her toughest assignments to date, on paper it looks like a duel between her and the François Nicolle trained Figuero.

Ebonite’s most recent success in the Prix Troytown in mid-March ensured her ticket to the Grand-Steeple Chase de Paris was firmly stamped; a fantastic round of jumping from just behind the pace before being asked to make an effort approaching the second last fence, Ebonite then quickly scooted up the hill and away to victory. The conditions of this afternoons race are once again strongly in her favour and it would be no surprise to see the mare for battle for favouirtism come post-time of 14.50. Ebonite’s regular pilot Felix de Giles (who was attached to Nicky Hederson in his early days) will be on board again this afternoon and he employ his usual sang froid tactics then Ebonite could just get the better of the highly-touted Figuero.

Youngsters Zuliani and Figuero challenge

Talented teenage rider Angelo Zuliani will once again get the leg up on Figuero, the horse that helped him conquer the big time throughout last season. Successful in seven of their eight outings together, the pair even landed their first Group One success together back in November when talking the Prix Maurice Gillois, a race renowned for producing future Grand-Steeple winners (On The Go, So French, Carriacou, Long Run).

Figuero has long time been hyped up as a future Grand-Steeple winner himself, with his trainer François Nicolle even calling him an ‘aeroplane’ soon after that impressive November win. The five-year-old made a pleasant return to action over hurdles in March, in which he took on the older horses for the first time, a task that may be a shade more complicated over the larger obstacles this afternoon. The Prix Murat is generally recognised as the final prep race before the Grand-Steeple Chase de Paris and as it has always been run three weeks before the big day therefore some trainers tend to leave a bit to work on, so it would be no surprise to see the likes of Feu Follet or Carriacou contest in the finish also if either of the favourites were to misfire.

Queen’s much-anticipated debut in wide open Monarch

Year upon year it gets people talking for weeks, maybe even months beforehand - the Prix Wild Monarch (11.35). A listed race over hurdles for three-years-olds that have never ran and today it’s the turn of the fillies (colts & geldings tomorrow) in which there is a full-field of 20 for the race which is usually disputed in mid-April and throws up plenty of top-flight performers.

With all the top yards represented (Macaire, Nicolle, Cottin, Chaille-Chaille) with what is likely to be their best young fillies, it looks quite difficult to work out what one will go off favourite.

With this type of race tends to be his forté and the fact that his runners are generally well aware of the job ahead on debut, a lot of people will latch onto the David Cottin-trained Queen Du Berlais. The Chantilly-based trainer has not hidden his love for this incredibly well-bred filly and if she has a similar ability to most of her siblings then she should be hard to beat.

The half-sister to the incredible Goliath du Berlais will be ridden by Kevin Nabet and runs in the colours of Simon Munir & Isaac Souede. She may face her strongest challenges from the Royan-trained fillies Trheliga, Astadame and her stable-mate Baronne du Berlais.

Imposing James should have them covered

Heading into the 2019 season the Robert Collet-trained James Du Berlais (12.35) was possibly one of the most talked about horses in France, following on from a bloodless victory here in November. A full brother to Queen du Berlais ‘James’ made his return to action as red-hot favourite for a valuable handicap in March as most punters believed he’s was kilos ahead of the handicapper.

Running a bit too keen in the early stages that day, the giant chestnut gelding pulled his way to the head of affairs and in the back straight his jockey Ludovic Philipperon let him stride clear. That effort was paid for just after James jumped the final flight as his stride diminished 100m before the line, unfortunately getting caught by Denomednuo (who runs again today, but off 3.5kgs worse terms). With that lesson learned and an unchanged handicap mark, punters will be hoping that Philipperon can anchor the gelding down today therefore allowing him to show his true potential.

In the final race of the afternoon (15.15) it may pay to keep the faith in Fantasia Du Rock, who has been second in her three most recent starts. As she runs here off the same mark as those three previous runs, the David Cottin-trained runner may be able to get her head in front today, especially as her jockey Charlotte Prichard (who has a female claim of 2kgs) has built up a good rapport with the filly and rode a winner for the yard on Wednesday.

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