French Guineas Preview: You can be King again

By Nick Seddon — published 11th May 2019

Nick Seddon previews both the French 2000 and 1000 Guineas at Longchamp on Sunday, and provides his best bet in each race.

The Poule d’Essai des Poulains returned to its regular home following the completion of redevelopment works at Longchamp last season, and the race saw Jean-Claude Rouget and Cristian Demuro complete a double in the race with Olmedo – having struck the year before with Brametot.

Rouget doesn’t have a runner this year, meaning that it is André Fabre who is responsible for the leading hope this time around, in the form of Persian King – who swerved an engagement in last week’s English Guineas at Newmarket in order to take his chance here. A winner of three of his four starts as a two-year-old last season, he looked a high-class colt in the making when winning the Group 3 Autumn Stakes at Newmarket last October, showing plenty of resolution to win by a neck from Magna Grecia – who has since boosted the form in some style by winning at Newmarket last week. Persian King made a pleasing return when winning on reappearance in the Prix de Fontainebleau over C&D last month (Duke Of Hazzard third), and, sitting 7 lb clear of the field on Timeform ratings, he will be very difficult to beat with the prospect of more improvement to come.

Persian King (6-5F) bravely sees off the Ballydoyle battalions to win the Group 3 Autumn Stakes @NewmarketRace for Andre Fabre & Pierre-Charles Boudot.

Results https://t.co/7iJOPsdIyZ pic.twitter.com/QndQAt5qXO
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) October 13, 2018

Aidan O’Brien has won this race four times this century, most recently with The Gurkha in 2016, and he sends two this time around in the form of Never No More and Van Beethoven. The former is the far more interesting proposition of the two, and arrives here on the back of an impressive win in listed company at Leopardstown last month when doing well to overhaul one who got first run on him. He has plenty to find on Timeform ratings with Persian King, but the forecast soft going will suit and he’s a threat for his top connections now stepped into Group 1 company. Also due to travel over from Ireland is the Joseph O’Brien-trained No Needs Never. Like Never No More, he would need to take a significant step forward to have serious claims, but he bounced back to his best when second on his reappearance at Naas last month, and the mile trip should be within range for him.

More interesting are the French-trained trio of Anodor, Shaman and Graignes. The first-named defeated Persian King when making a winning start at Deauville in August, and he’s backed that up with two useful efforts over this course and distance since, winning a Group 3 in September before finishing third in the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere a month later. He was arguably unsuited by the change of tactics last time, having made all previously, and isn’t one to write off here, for all that Persian King has improved a considerable amount since they first met. Shaman also has a Group 3 success at Longchamp under his belt, having produced a career-best effort to score over nine furlongs here last month. It’s worth noting that he’s won all three of his starts since being allowed to stride on and would be a threat here if granted an easy lead – for all that this is much tougher. Meanwhile, Graignes was beaten by the smallest of margins by Munitions on his reappearance in the Prix Djebel at Maisons-Laffitte last month and looks worth a try at a mile. Finally, San Donato has solid form claims on the back of his effort to win the listed Doncaster Stakes last October, and isn’t one to write off for the in-form Roger Varian team at 25/1 if handling the step up to a mile.

The Poule d'Essai des Pouliches looks far more open, though Olivier Peslier will be aiming to seal a hat-trick of winning rides in the race with Watch Me, having won the past two renewals with Precieuse and Teppal.

The daughter of Olympic Glory has made a strong start to her career so far, winning two of her three starts to date, and produced her best effort yet when winning the Group 3 Prix Imprudence over seven furlongs on her reappearance at Maisons-Laffitte last month. She’s proven over a mile having opened her account in a listed contest over that trip at Toulouse last November, and should make a bold bid here with more improvement likely.

Two dangers are the French-trained pair of Matematica and Suphala. The first-named produced her best effort to date when finishing second in the Prix Marcel Boussac on Arc day last October (Rocques sixth), before opening her account in good style in a maiden at Chantilly last month. This requires more, but she remains open to improvement, as does Suphala. Having won a pair of races in quick succession at Chantilly last September, Suphala was unable to complete a hat-trick when beaten a short neck by Watch Me in the Imprudence, though she disputed the lead until being edged out in the final strides that day, and it’s worth noting that connections are bullish that she will come on for that run.

There’s a considerable international challenge in the Pouliches, with three of the 10-runner field – Imperial Charm, East and Coral Beach - heading over from Britain and Ireland. The last-named represents Aidan O’Brien, who has won this race just once to date, with Rose Gypsy in 2001. Coral Beach was kept particularly busy last season, making 13 starts, and although she took a big step forward when winning a Group 3 at Leopardstown last October, she has plenty to find with the principals here. A more credible challenger is Simon Crisford’s Imperial Charm, who produced her best effort yet when finishing second to Castle Lady on her reappearance here last month – though would need more to overturn the form with that rival – meaning it is East who has the strongest claims of the travelling contingent for Kevin Ryan. She progressed into a useful filly in a short space of time last term, finishing second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Churchill Downs on her final start last November. She was no match for the excellent Newspaperofrecord that day, though caught the eye with the way she was able to cut through the field and take second, and having won a Group 3 contest at Saint-Cloud in October, she has leading claims with more improvement to come.

However, preference is for the current favourite, the unbeaten Castle Lady, who was supplemented for this race by Godolphin on Thursday. A half-sister to the smart performer Top Score, Castle Lady has made the perfect start to her career so far, winning a fillies’ newcomers race in good style at Chantilly in March, before readily taking the step up in class in her stride when winning the Group 3 Prix de la Grotte over C&D last month. The form of that performance puts her 5 lb clear of the field on Timeform ratings with a ‘small p’ attached to her rating – meaning that there is scope for more improvement – and she is fancied to reward her connections outlay in supplementing her by taking this.