AUTEUIL SATURDAY

2.50 GRAND PRIX D’AUTOMNE (GRADE 1) (5YO+ HURDLE) of €350,000. 3M.

British trainer Nick Williams won this in 2013 and supplies the only two foreign raiders this time around, Aubusson and Le Rocher.

Aubusson was fourth in this two years ago but has not won a race of any kind since 2015, so the more interesting of the pair is Le Rocher, trying three miles for the first time and having been given a pipe-opener at Newton Abbot last month.

Preference is for last year’s third, Galop Marin, unbeaten in two starts this autumn including when accounting for Titi Di Montmartre in the main trial race three weeks ago.

SELECTION: GALOP MARIN

Next Best: Titi Di Montmarte

AUTEUIL SUNDAY

1.00 PRIX CAMBACERES (GRADE 1) (3YO HURDLE) of €250,000. 2M 2F.

Contending for his first French trainers’ championship, Royan handler Francois Nicolle is responsible for the bulk of this field of juvenile hurdlers.

But the Nicolle battalion may have to give best to his neighbour, Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé, whose Martaline colt, Beaumec De Houelle, will be bidding to make it five wins from six career starts.

SELECTION: BEAUMEC DE HOUELLE

Next Best: L’Autonomie

2.50 PRIX LA HAYE JOUSSELIN (GRADE 1) (5YO+ CHASE) of €520,000. 3M 3F 110Y.

Milord Thomas is taken to land this autumn chase championship - France’s equivalent of the Leopardstown Christmas Chase or the King George at Kempton - for a fourth time, leaving him three short of the incredible seven victories achieved by Al Capone II at the end of the 20th Century.

Now nine years of age, Milord Thomas was beaten into second by Bipolaire in 2017, but had suffered a troubled preparation, running just once in a minor hurdle race nine days beforehand. Getting him here has been much smoother this time and he can take revenge on both Saint Goustan Blue, who beat him in the traditional prep, the Prix Heros XII, and Bipolaire.

With a field of only seven runners, Ross O’Sullivan is guaranteed to pay for his travel from Co Kildare provided Baie Des Iles, now 9lbs worse off for the two lengths she beat Bipolaire in a Grade 2 here in June, gets round. Baie Des Iles has never finished out of the first three in four lifetime Auteuil chase starts.

SELECTION: MILORD THOMAS

Next Best: Saint Goustan Blue

3.30 PRIX MAURICE GILLOIS (GRADE 1) (4YO CHASE) of €320,000. 2M 6F.

This two mile six furlongs represents a severe test for four-year-old chasers so a shock result following jumping calamities is highly possible.

Eludy, trained by title-chasing Francois Nicolle, may confirm October 14th course and distance form over many of these rivals but Espion Collonges, winless in five career outings but only nine lengths behind Eludy last time, is an interesting alternative.

SELECTION: Eludy

Next Best: Espion Collonges