ParisLongchamp Saturday

2.15 Qatar Prix du Cadran (Group 1) (4yo+) 2m 4f

A magnificent renewal of France’s premier staying race. Of course the glare of the spotlight will be on the seven-time Group 1 scorer Stradivarius, without doubt the preeminent Cup horse of recent years.

But the 13-strong field also includes the first two from last year (Princess Zoe and Alkuin), the 2019 winner who has been placed in the two subsequent editions (Call The Wind) plus emerging forces from either side of the Channel in Skazino and Trueshan.

Sadly, the weather gods will surely have the final say on Stradivarius’s participation, and the forecast of rain in the 24 hours before racing means that a last minute scratch from John Gosden is a distinct possibility.

The form book suggests the this old warrior has lost some of his brilliance at the age of seven but, remembering that his official career best was achieved on soft ground in last year’s Gold Cup at Ascot, he still cannot be ruled out entirely.

Princess Zoe will love every drop of rain that falls. Despite having failed to get her head in front in five attempts since her 2020 triumph, she has, according to both her trainer, Tony Mullins, and the official handicapper, improved appreciably during that period. She will need to have done, as this is a much hotter race than 12 months ago.

After a slow start to her campaign, Princess Zoe’s second in the Gold Cup on unsuitably fast ground was a fabulous effort and her subsequent Group 3 second over an inadequate mile and six was another fine run. Stamina is her forte and, with confirmed front-runner Alkuin lining up again, this should be a severe test.

Lack of recent form puts me off both Alkuin and Call The Wind, while the second Irish challenger, the Donnacha O’Brien-trained Emperor Of The Sun, has twice finished behind Princess Zoe this term.

Which leaves us with Trueshan and Skazino. My suspicion is that Trueshan is flattered by the two wide-margin successes that make him likely to be sent off favourite here – the ground was desperately deep for last October’s Long Distance Cup victory and his recent Group 1 breakthrough came in a sub-standard Goodwood Cup.

At bigger odds, Skazino makes much more appeal. A revelation since being stepped up in distance in the spring, he somehow managed to win the Prix Kergorlay at Deauville in August despite being given way too much to do, and had earlier failed by just a head to shrug off a 3lb Group 2 penalty when forced to make his own running in the Prix Maurice de Nieul.

SELECTION: SKAZINO

Next Best: Princess Zoe

2.50 Qatar Prix de Royallieu (Group 1) (3yo+ Fillies & Mares) 1m 6f

The rerouting of Raabihah to the Arc means that this 11-runner fillies’ Group 1 event loses much of its stardust.

Aidan O’Brien’s two representatives, Passion and Willow, are some way behind the likes of Love and Snowfall on the Ballydoyle distaff tree, and the most logical winner is Valia.

This daughter of Sea The Stars was a smooth scorer over this course and distance in the Group 2 Prix de Chaudenay exactly a year ago and is bidding to give the widely admired Alain de Royer-Dupre a heartwarming final top-level triumph before he retires from training at the end of the season.

But the British raider, Believe In Love, looks capable of denying Royer-Dupre his fairytale finish.

Her trainer, Roger Varian, has been doing very well with his fillies on recent French sorties and Believe In Love has won both of her last two overseas starts – in Group 3s at Saint-Cloud last October and the Curragh in July.

SELECTION: BELIEVE IN LOVE

Next Best: Valia

Today’s undercard includes three Group 2 races, each one boasting €200,000 in total prize money.

The Francis Graffard-trained mudlark The Revenant goes for an unprecedented third straight victory in the Qatar Prix Daniel Wildenstein over a mile and might just pull it off even though Novemba, Dilawar and Real World provide stiff opposition in a cracking 12-runner renewal.

The Qatar Prix Dollar, over 1m 1f 165y, looks much less competitive and may fall prey to Jessica Harrington’s Cadillac, one of two Irish contenders alongside Joseph O’Brien’s Patrick Sarsfield in a 12-strong field.

The two-day festival kicks off bright and early at 12.23pm with the Qatar Prix Chaudenay over 1m 7f.

The suggestion here is to ignore both Charlie Appleby’s two-pronged assault and Aidan O’Brien’s St Leger fourth, Interpretation, and instead side with Love Child, who almost beat the classy Adhafera last time and is a half-sister to the 2018 Chaudenay hero, Brundtland.