Auteuil Saturday
4.00 Grande Course de Haies d’Auteuil (Hurdle) (Grade 1) (5yo+) 3m 1f 110yds
Willie Mullins’s decision that Covid-19 quarantine rules are too stringent to allow him to try to land this, the French Stayers’ Hurdle, for a sixth time, is a disappointing one for Irish racing fans.
Yet, even without a Closutton contingent, the nine-runner renewal presents an intriguing conundrum and there is still a strong chance of an Irish triumph, in the shape of the Matthew Smith-trained Ronald Pump.
The hot favourite will be L’Autonomie, winner of 10 of her last 12 starts, all in graded company. However, her two defeats, at long odds-on both times, came when she was stepped up to three miles and beyond, and her inability to jump anything other than markedly right-handed is a huge handicap on this left-handed track, especially over longer trips.
Fresh horse
Ronald Pump will be much the freshest horse in the field, a stone bruise followed by a thrown splint meaning that he has run just three times in the last 14 months. And there is every reason to expect him to come on for his recent third place behind Klassical Dream at the Punchestown Festival.
His jockey, Robbie Power, may have a big decision to make - whether to follow L’Autonomie to the wide outside or save ground up the inner. If he can keep the gap to the front-running mare down to manageable proportions, Ronald Pump has the staying power to outgun her in the closing stages.
SELECTION: RONALD PUMP
Next best: L’Autonomie
Auteuil Sunday
3.30 Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris (Grade 1) 5yo+) 3m 6f
No Irish horses but two jockeys, Rachael Blackmore and Danny Mullins, take part in France’s top steeplechase, which sees defending champion Docteur De Ballon, trained by Louisa Carberry, wife of former Irish rider (Philip), square up against the young pretender, Le Berry, the winner of all of his eight career starts over fences.
Le Berry did well to overcome a penultimate fence blunder to collar Feu Follet right on the line in his warm-up race, the Grade 2 Prix Ingre, and will strip fitter now. But, unlike his rival, Docteur De Ballon is proven over this extreme trip and that stamina edge may prove vital.
While Mullins is aboard a big outsider, the British-trained Lord Du Mesnil, Auteuil first-timer Blackmore has been head-hunted to partner Le Berry’s stablemate, Ajas, winner of two of the main trial races, the Grade 3 Prix Troytown and the Grade 2 Prix Murat, beating Docteur De Ballon by three-quarters of a length on the second occasion.
Unlike Ronald Pump, Rachael won’t have to take the ferry as we all know that she can walk on water! Yet even her talent for miracle-working may not be enough to get Ajas to beat Docteur De Ballon for a second time.
SELECTION: Docteur De Ballon
Next best: Le Berry
ParisLongchamp Monday
2.50 Saxon Warrior Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary (Group 1) (3yo Fillies) 1m 2f
Whit Monday is a bank holiday in France and sees the staging of a Group 1 and two Group 2s at ParisLongchamp. The feature is the Saxon Warrior Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary, for three-year-old fillies over a mile and quarter, and this may go the way of André Fabre’s Deep Impact filly, Harajuku, who did not have much luck as a juvenile but began to fulfil her undoubted potential with victory in the Group 3 Prix Cleopatre on May Day.
Unbeaten Calgary
The three-year-old males take the stage in one of the main support races, the one-mile, three-furlong Prix Hocquart, where the unbeaten Olympic Glory gelding, Calgary, trained by Frederic Rossi, may lower the colours of the Epsom Derby entry, Media Stream.
Alain de Royer-Dupré’s Valia looks to have the other Group 2, the one-mile, seven-furlong, 110 yards Prix Vicomtesse Vigier, at her mercy provided she is relatively fit for her seasonal debut.