French Guineas: More glory for Al Shaqab?

The temporary closure of Longchamp means the French equivalents of the Guineas – the Poule d’Essai des Poulains for the colts and the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches for the fillies – will be run for the first time in their history at Deauville. That means they’ll be run over a straight mile and, in theory, should mean the draw is less of a factor than at their traditional home where a high number on the round course can be difficult to overcome.

Starting with the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, this doesn’t look the strongest of fields by classic standards, and those with pattern-race form already might prove vulnerable to one of the less exposed colts stepping up in grade. 2000 Guineas form from Newmarket is represented here by the Simon Crisford-trained First Selection, though faded into seventh at Newmarket after making the running.

The two other British-trained entries will be making their reappearance on Sunday. Birchwood sets the standard judged on his smart form last season for Richard Fahey, winning the Superlative Stakes at Newmarket and running well on his first try at a mile to finish a close third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on his final start. That’s better form than Crazy Horse can boast, though John Gosden’s colt did win both his starts last season, narrowly coming out on top in a blanket finish to the Horris Hill Stakes on heavy ground at Newbury.

The best French pattern-race form on offer comes from Dicton who has been supplemented for this after his latest success in the Prix de Fontainebleau at Chantilly. That was his sixth win from his last seven starts, and however he fares here, he has come a long way already after starting his winning spree in claimers. However, Dicton might struggle to confirm Chantilly form with runner-up Taareef who lacked a recent run and still looked green when going down by a neck.

Taareef’s trainer Jean-Claude Rouget has a strong hand here, with stable-companions Zelzal and George Patton other unexposed contenders. A son of Sea The Stars, Zelzal has won both his starts easily and last time at Chantilly beat a subsequent listed runner-up by four lengths. His two runs so far have both been on polytrack, but he wouldn’t need to improve much more on his first start on turf to give his trainer a first win in this race.

George Patton’s two wins at two included a beating of subsequent Group 1 winner Robin of Navan in a minor event here last summer, but he went down to another unbeaten colt when coming up against the superbly-bred Zarak in a similar contest at Maisons-Laffitte last month. He too a course winner last year, the Alain de Royer Dupre-trained Zarak has attracted plenty of attention as the first foal of the unbeaten Arc winner Zarkava to reach the racecourse. He’ll need to improve again, but like Zelzal, has plenty of scope for improvement.

Another colt with a similar profile is The Gurkha whom Aidan O’Brien has supplemented for this after a nine-length win in heavy ground in a maiden at Navan last month.

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By contrast, it looks best stick to with proven group-race form among the fillies in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches earlier on the card.

Newmarket form is represented here too, with Alice Springs, third to stable-companion Minding in the 1000 Guineas, and fifth-placed Nathra, representing Aidan O’Brien and John Gosden respectively. There may not be a Minding in this field, but Alice Springs has had plenty of chances already, while Nathra is another whose form seems to have found its level now.

William Haggas is responsible for the other British raider Besharah who didn’t contest the Guineas after finishing only third in the rearranged Fred Darling at Chelmsford. She had the best form of these at two, when her wins included the Lowther Stakes at York, and wasn’t seen to best effect on her reappearance but it could be that she proves best over distances short of a mile.

While Jean-Claude Rouget is seeking a first win in the colts’ race, he’s bidding to win the Pouliches for the third year running and has an excellent chance of doing so with Qemah who was a really taking winner of the main trial, the Prix de la Grotte, at Chantilly last month from Kenriya and Antonoe. A promising third in the Prix Marcel Boussac last season (in which Antonoe sustained an injury), Qemah is most progressive and the fillies she beat last time will do well to turn the tables on her, even though Kenriya is still unexposed too and Antonoe wasn’t given too hard a race.

Rouget’s other runner La Cressonniere is unbeaten in five starts, the last three of them listed races, but looks her stable’s second string, while the German filly Spectre won the Prix Imprudence at long odds and it will be another surprise if she’s good enough here. If there’s a danger lurking among the rest, it could be Andre Fabre’s Godolphin filly Come Alive who has won both her starts in minor company and held a 1000 Guineas entry earlier in the spring.

However, this could be a very good day for Jean-Claude Rouget and owners Al Shaqab, with Qemah very much the one to beat in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches and Zelzal also holding good claims in the Poulains.

Recommendations:

Back Qemah in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches and Zelzal in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains

Timeform weight-adjusted ratings:

POULICHES

Qemah 129p

Besharah 127

Alice Springs 125

Nathra 123

Aim To Please 123?

POULAINS

Zelzal 126p

Birchwood 125

Dicton 124

Taareef 123p

First Selection 123