Neil Morrice shares all of his best bets and tips for Sunday’s racing coming your way from Longchamp, Ffos Las and Epsom Downs.
LONGCHAMP
Race 1 QATAR PRIX JEAN-LUC LAGARDERE (Group 1)
No4 BEAUVATIER
Trainer: Yan Barberot – Jockey: Maxime Guyon
The former Grand Criterium sees a powerful challenge from England and Ireland fronted by UNQUESTIONABLE, running in the colours of the sponsors. While the Wootton Bassett colt’s form is strong, he could find the progressive and unbeaten BEAUVATIER too hot to handle. In four starts the last-named horse has delivered in ground ranging from good to soft. He readily shook aside the attentions of EVADE in a Group 3 here on trials day having previously scored in Listed company at Deauville, and sets a high bar for the others to aim at.
Race 2 QATAR PRIX MARCEL BOUSSAC (Group 1)
No7 DARNATION
Trainer: Karl Burke – Jockey: Clifford Lee
ROSE BLOOM and RIBALTAGAIA give the home side a strong shout in the old Criterium des Pouliches but might be usurped by DARNATION, a daughter of Too Darn Hot who looked a bit special in her latest successes in the Prestige Stakes at Goodwood and the May Hill at Doncaster. The way the selection went about her business was a joy to behold, and there’s growing confidence amongst her connections that by stretching her winning sequence to four she can put a foot into becoming favourite for next year’s 1,000 Guineas.
Race 4 QATAR PRIX DE L’ARC DE TRIOMPHE (Group 1)
No8 PLACE DU CARROUSEL (EACH WAY)
Trainer: Andre Fabre – Jockey: Mickael Barzalona
Wonder colt ACE IMPACT is amongst five three-year-old colts that take on ten older horses and fillies in the best field assembled worldwide for a Group 1 this year. Such is the behest of the race known simply as the Arc, and widely considered the best of its kind in the global racing spectrum. ACE IMPACT produced a stunning change of gear to mow down his rivals in the French Derby at Chantilly before a no nonsense display in his only subsequent start in the Prix Guillaume D’Ornano at Deauville. Not everyone was impressed by the manner of that victory, but trainer Jean-Claude Rouget and jockey Christian Demuro were mindful that the son of Cracksman was only 80 per cent fit, a fact borne out when he had a good blow upon returning to unsaddle. The favourite thereby remained unbeaten, and if showing he stays a mile and a half will be very hard to beat.
HUKUM and WESTOVER engaged in a memorable battle in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes which the former won. He’s an unusual entity being a six-year-old entire and therefore qualified to run in this, whereas geldings are exempt. The Sheikh Hissa-owned horse had quite a hard race at Ascot and was dealt a blow at the pin pull when being handed the outer gate of 15. Westover enjoyed a subsequent racecourse gallop at Salisbury and has worked on Hayling Island beach, and enjoys from the rail a good chance of turning the tables.
BAY BRIDGE put in an assured display on his first try at a mile and a half when taking out the September Stakes at Kempton. He came good at the same time last season when landing the Champion Stakes and excelled himself in pulling ten lengths clear of Regal Reality in his winding up gallop for this on the Limekilns. Regal Reality gave home a boost when himself running a cracker when second in the Group 2 Joel Stakes at Newmarket on Friday.
CONTINUOUS has looked better race by race this season and did it the hard way in the St Leger where he led virtually all the way up the home straight for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore.
FEED THE FLAME would be a poignant winner were he to deliver for veteran handler Pascal Bary in the hands of Christophe Soumillon and he should finish on the premises.
SIMCA MILLE is a progressive type who could get into the argument as trainer Stephane Wattel’s first Arc runner.
FANTASTIC MOON didn’t do enough in his trial, the Prix Niel, to convince me it was worth supplementing him into the race but I was impressed by PLACE DU CARROUSEL’s delivery in the Prix Foy. The Lope De Vega filly has returned to a similar level of form as when taking out the Group 1 Prix de l’Opera on this day 12 months ago. With such little mileage on her racing clock and as a filly improving in the autumn she must have a good chance of giving master trainer Andre Fabre a first success with a distaffer in this historic race.
Prediction: 1st PLACE DU CARROUSSEL, 2nd Bay Bridge, 3rd Ace Impact, 4th Westover, 5th Simca Mille, 6th Feed The Flame, 7th Continuous
Race 5 PRIX DE L’OPERA LONGINES (Group 1)
No2 STAY ALERT (EACH WAY)
Trainer: Hughie Morrison – Jockey: Oisin Murphy
While not the obvious answer to the race that call ‘the fillies’ Arc’, STAY ALERT goes to post in good form from home and might be capable of staging a minor upset. With only three outings she’s had a less taxing 2023 agenda, and though a shade disappointing in the Yorkshire Oaks had previously shown her true mettle when holding at bay all bar Via Sistina in the Pretty Polly at the Curragh.
Prix de Diane winner BLUE ROSE CEN needs to bounce back from a couple of heavy defeats and could again prove vulnerable, but JANNAH ROSE looks to be moving quickly on an upward curve and should enter calculations for Carlos Laffon-Parias and Christophe Soumillon. LUMIEREROCK also arrives in the form of her life and should bag a cheque of some kind.
Prediction: 1st STAY ALERT, 2nd Jannah Rose, 3rd Lumiere Rock, 4th Blue Rose Cen
Race 6 PRIX DE L’ABBAYE DE LONGCHAMP LONGINES (Group 1)
No19 HIGHFIELD PRINCESS (NAP)
Trainer: John Quinn – Jockey: Jason Hart
With five Pattern race successes since moving from the all-weather onto grass over the last season and a half, HIGHFIELD PRINCESS has shown herself to be a rare commodity, and one who can strut her stuff on many stages. Her Group 1 sequence at Deauville, York and the Curragh last season wasn’t matched this season but the six-year-old ran right away with the King George Stakes at Goodwood and found only shock victor Live In The Dream her superior at York. If forgiven an underwhelming display back in Ireland, she’s very much the one to beat as she tries to add this historic contest to her towering CV.
Eighteen take on the favourite of whom Irish challenger MOSS TUCKER can enjoy a slice of the pie together with ASYMMETRIC and ROGUE LIGHTNING.
Prediction: 1st HIGHFIELD PRINCESS, 2nd Moss Tucker, 3rd Rogue Lightning, 4th Asymmetric
Race 7 QATAR PRIX DE LA FORET (Group 1)
No1 KINROSS
Trainer: Ralph Beckett – Jockey: Frankie Dettori
If Frankie Dettori is to go out with an Arc day winner it’s most likely to happen on KINROSS. The combination stormed home in the corresponding race 12 months ago, and has demonstrated with recent triumphs at Goodwood and York that he’s operating at the very top of his game.
FFOS LAS
Race 3 No5 TAMFANA
Trainer: David Menuisier – Jockey: Hayley Turner
TAMFAMA might have been unlucky not to score on her introduction here last month when meeting trouble in running. It was a promising first offering by the daughter of Soldier Hollow, who has benefitted from the experience.
Race 6 No3 SHEROOD
Trainer: Ed Walker – Jockey: Saffie Osborne
Although lacking the experience of her opponents, SHEROOD jumps off the page as a likely winner, as he put in a career best when troubling the judge on his handicap debut at Newmarket last time and with a fair forecast ahead could find the rain softened ground drying up in his favour.
Race 7 No4 WILLINGLY (Nap)
Trainer: Mark Usher – Jockey: Owen Lewis
WILLINGLY was a prolific scorer for Usher before briefly leaving that trainer. Returned to his Lambourn base she showed bags of pace in a six furlongs race at Hamilton and shouldn’t mind this return to the minimum trip under an apprentice who was in the irons that day.
EPSOM DOWNS
Race 1 No5 THE SMILING WOLF (Each Way)
Trainer: Jack Channon – Jockey: Rose Dawes
THE SMILING WOLF looked home and hosed on a first visit to this course only to get mugged in the final 50 yards. This diminutive son of Twilight Son bombed under a penalty when switched to the all-weather, but if getting away smartly here from a good slot in the gate can prove the one they all have to catch.
Race 4 No2 SOTO SIZZLER
Trainer: Gary Moore – Jockey: Rhys Clutterbuck
Even though he prefers this track to any other, SOTO SIZZLER comes with risks attached. He’s failed to menace on five occasions this year, but now dropped to a workable mark is going to bounce back soon, and this could be D-day.
Race 6 No5 FLY ZONE (Nap)
Trainer: Sir Michael Stoute – Jockey: Pat Dobbs
If the giant FLY ZONE runs as well as he’s been working at home he should take care of business on this handicap debut. He’s enjoyed match practice at a switchback course when third in a Brighton novice, and with blinkers added for the first time is very much the one to beat.
