Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains (Group 1)

WHAT to make of Monday’s French Guineas? Positive for the colts’ version, less so for the fillies.

One producing a clear-cut scorer, the other a very narrow success and an unfortunate runner-up. One winner hailing from the most powerful yard in the country and looking like future big race triumphs over longer trips are nigh on guaranteed, the other giving a little known provincial trainer his first success at above Group 3 level and shaping like a filly who would not stay an inch further than a mile.

A general conclusion to be drawn from the first two European classics is a word of caution when analysing comeback race form in this unique, Covid-19-ravaged season. Both winners comprehensively overturned placings with the winners of trial races from three weeks earlier.

Only a very hard taskmaster would have failed to have been impressed by Victor Ludorum’s victory in the €360,000 Group 1 Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains.

Travelling markedly the best from some way out, he cruised up the inside rail to move from last to first in little more than half a furlong.

And, although Mickael Barzalona did drive him out firmly in the last 100 yards, that may have been more to guard against the Shamardal colt’s tendency to idle in front rather than because the jockey was in any doubt about his mount’s supremacy.

Professional

“When he tasted defeat for the first time in the Prix de Fontainebleau it actually did him a lot of good,” Barzalona said. “He can be difficult in the preliminaries but once the stalls open he is a complete professional.

“I had intended to ride him more prominently but he found his own position. He never wins by wide margins and I had plenty in hand today.”

An eighth Poulains success for his peerless handler, André Fabre, who had rather incongruously been sitting outside the top 10 in the French trainers’ championship going into this race, Victor Ludorum will be extremely hard to beat in the Prix du Jockey Club (on July 5th).

His pedigree gives emphatic indications that he will stay at least a mile and a quarter though it is possible that Fabre has an even better Jockey Club candidate in his yard.

His stablemate, third-placed Alson, should make big progress from this, his seasonal debut. Yet, alongside Victor Ludorum, the 2/1 favourite, Fabre has two more inmates shorter in the ante-post market for next month’s Chantilly showpiece than 12/1 shot Alson – Sunday’s Prix de Suresnes scorer, Ocean Atlantique, and the brilliant juvenile Earthlight, currently on the road to recovery following a minor injury.

Victor Ludorum and Alson were split by The Summit, who proved his shock Fontainebleau triumph was more than just a front-running steal. The big disappointment of the race was Ecrivain, runner-up in the Fontainebleau, who never looked happy and trailed home last.