Chantilly Sunday
2.10pm Prix du Jockey Club (Group 1) (3yo Colts & Fillies) 1m 2f 110yrds
Andre Fabre’s Victor Ludorum can further live up to his name by following up his Poule d’Essai des Poulains triumph with victory in the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly tomorrow.
The economy of effort expended was the most striking aspect of his Poulains triumph five weeks ago. He sauntered along at the back of the field, reeled in the leaders, and, before you knew it, jockey Mickael Barzalona was signalling his elation as the partnership crossed the line.
Though he beat the reopposing The Summit by just a length and a half, he left the distinct impression that there was more left in his tank and both his pedigree (by a Jockey Club winner, Shamardal, out of a high-class middle-distance mare, Antiquities) and style of racing suggest that this step up in trip should be ideal.
He faces no less than 16 opponents, so trouble-in-running is nigh-on inevitable rounding the turn into the home straight. Provided he breaks alertly, his draw in stall one should be an advantage.
Aidan O’Brien has yet to win either of Chantilly’s most famous races and the fact that in this, the most unusual of all seasons, five of Europe’s six biggest midsummer classics are run within eight days of each other means that he is unlikely to break his duck in 2020. Even O’Brien doesn’t have the ammunition to run top horses in all five.
Closely related to last year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine, Iridessa, Order Of Australia will offer an intriguing connection between the French and Irish Derby form provided his eight-day turnaround allows him to reproduce his best.
Beaten by less than seven lengths when fourth at the Curragh, this drop in trip should be to his taste, but he has not won a race of any kind thus far and a win would be a monumental shock.
Fort Myers is the other Ballydoyle representative. This son of War Front can readily be forgiven his ninth place in the Irish 2000 Guineas, given that he got upset in the stalls and then suffered serious interference, but his pedigree does not suggest sufficient stamina.
Fabre-trained
If a Coolmore Stud-owned colt is going to land the Jockey Club for the first time since Montjeu in 1999 it is most likely to be the Fabre-trained Ocean Atlantique. This beautifully-bred son of American Pharoah, who cost €1.1 million 14 months ago, was ridden with his education rather than the result as the primary concern when he finished a length and a half second to Pao Alto in a Group 3 on May 14th.
But he is the worst-drawn of all the fancied runners in stall 14, is a shorter price than Pao Alto, and seems to lack the type of immediate burst of speed that may be required to keep out of trouble in this big field so, on this occasion, he will not be burdened with any of my betting resources.
Mishriff, much the pick of the two British raiders, makes more appeal. John Gosden’s charge did incredibly well to finish second in the big money Saudi Derby, on an alien dirt surface in Riyadh back in February, then beat Volkan Star, who has franked the form, with contemptuous ease in listed company on fast turf at Newmarket four weeks ago.
Also worthy of close consideration are the only two unbeaten colts in the line-up, Port Guillaume and Hurricane Dream.
The former’s trainer, Jean-Claude Rouget, has won this race three times in the last four years while the latter hails from the tiny Le Mans yard of Mikael Mescam but has recently been purchased by the shrewd Team Valor operation.
SELECTION: VICTOR LUDORUM
Next best: Mishriff
2.55pm Prix De Diane Longines (Group 1) (3yo Fillies) 1m 2f 110y
Could this be the year that Ireland finally doubles its tally of Prix de Diane victories, adding to the solitary success of Sweet Mimosa, exactly 50 years ago?
The betting certainly suggests it is a strong possibility, as three of the top four favourites hail from Irish stables including the market leader, Alpine Star.
Her trainer, Jessica Harrington, continues in superb form and this half-sister to the stupendous Prix Jacques le Marois winner of 2018, Alpha Centauri, has all the right credentials to land another massive French prize for owner-breeders the Niarchos Family.
Alpine Star drew comparison with her big sister when emulating her victory in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, albeit this time the margin was four lengths rather than six. That was a fast-run affair with an uphill finish and, given her sire, Sea The Moon, is an influence for stamina, all the indications are that she will relish this extra two and a half furlongs.
Raabihah’s bloodlines are almost as regal. By Sea The Moon’s sire, Sea The Stars, her grandam is the (Epsom) Oaks winner, Eswarah and, if you go back one more generation on the distaff side you come to the dual classic scorer Midway Lady.
Raabihah has raced only twice in her life, so inexperience could count against her. But the fact that trainer Jean-Claude Rouget has persuaded her owner-breeder, Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, not to take her on with his recent five-length course-and-distance Group 1 winner, Tawkeel, suggests that he thinks she could be pretty special.
The other two Irish hopes are the one-two from the Irish 1,000 Guineas, Peaceful and Fancy Blue, trained by father and son, Aidan and Donnacha O’Brien.
Early evidence suggests that may have been weak classic form (the third and fourth have been well-beaten since) though this longer trip could bring out improvement in both.
The French 1000 Guineas form, the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches, also goes on trial here via its second and third, the Fabrice Chappet-trained stablemates, Speak Of The Devil and Mageva.
My suspicion is that it was not much of a race.
SELECTION: ALPINE STAR
Next best: Raabihah
Today, Auteuil hosts its penultimate action before the midsummer break with four graded races.
A ninth successive foreign annexation (including six by Willie Mullins) of the €115,000 Grade 2 Prix la Barka is likely to be avoided as the English-trained rank outsider, Garo De Juilley, is the only overseas contender for this two-mile, five-furlong hurdle.
Galop Marin may bounce back to form and take his career earnings past €1.1 million in the Barka, while Crystal Beach can get the better of a strong François Nicolle-trained trio of Edgeoy, Srelighonn and Fou Delice to take the feature Grade 2 chase, the two-mile, six-furlong €155,000 Prix des Drags.