Prix Ganay: Zarak can make fitness count

This looks a really competitive renewal of Europe’s first Group 1 of the year, with little between most of the runners on Timeform ratings. It’s a good-quality line-up, too, with five of them Group 1 winners already. Of course, at this time of year, fitness is a big factor as well as form, and the majority of these will be having their first run of the season with other big races in the summer or autumn as their main targets.

One for whom there are definitely no such fitness worries is Cloth of Stars who has won both contests that serve as prep races for the Ganay, the Prix Exbury here at Saint-Cloud followed by the Prix Harcourt at Chantilly. Regarded highly enough to be Andre Fabre’s Derby contender last year, Cloth of Stars has returned an improved colt this spring and quickened up nicely from off the pace to land the Harcourt last time by a neck. Cloth of Stars still tends to take a good hold in his races, so a well-run race would suit him best, and he needs to progress a bit more in what will be his biggest test since Epsom last year.

Godolphin’s other representative is the Charlie Appleby-trained Hawkbill who gained much his biggest win to date in last year’s Eclipse Stakes on soft ground at Sandown. Hawkbill improved rapidly at three, and that beating of The Gurkha and Time Test represents high-class form, but he was well below that level in his last three starts last year. He might need a run or two if he’s to find the same sort of form this year.

Silverwave was second in last year’s Ganay, but unlike this year had the benefit of a run beforehand on that occasion. That was a good effort, but this year’s field looks a little stronger and it’s almost certain that a mile and a half suits Silverwave ideally. He went on to win the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud over that trip last summer and returned in the autumn to win the Prix Foy at Chantilly.

Runner-up to Silverwave in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, Erupt is another with some of the best form in the line-up, but he’s even more of a confirmed mile and a half performer, or at least has been up until now. There wasn’t much encouragement from Erupt’s sole start over a shorter trip last season when he was well beaten in the Prix d’Ispahan on his reappearance, but that was on soft ground and he’s much better suited by a firmer surface as he showed when winning the Canadian International later in the year.

There are no concerns about the trip as far as Zarak is concerned, while another point in favour of the Alain de Royer Dupre/Aga Khan colt is that he comes here with a couple of runs in Dubai under his belt, like Dariyan who won last year’s Ganay for the same connections. Although a beaten favourite when fourth in the Dubai Turf last time, Zarak had been an impressive winner of the Group 3 Dubai Millennium Stakes on his first start at Meydan prior to that, suggesting he’s improved further since last year when he twice chased home Europe’s top three-year-old Almanzor, including in the Prix du Jockey Club.

This is a stronger Group 1 than the Premio Roma which German horse Potemkin won at the end of last season, but he has a fine strike-rate and shouldn’t be underestimated given he had Zarak back in third in the Prix Dollar at Chantilly on Arc weekend last year. Potemkin has better claims than the other German runner Guignol who caused an upset in the Grosser Preis von Bayern over a mile and a half at Munich on his final start last season under an enterprising ride from the front, Hawkbill in third one of those left with too much ground to make up.

Andre Fabre’s other runner Maniaco has something to find on form but he’s the least-exposed member of the line-up and ran well on his reappearance when a staying-on third behind Cloth of Stars in the Harcourt. He holds a Coronation Cup entry and is another likely to be better off at a mile and a half.

Zarak has always had plenty to live up to as the first runner out of the Aga Khan’s unbeaten Arc winner Zarkava to reach the racecourse, and this looks a good opportunity for him to make his fitness count and land his first Group 1.

Recommendation:

Back Zarak in the Prix Ganay at Saint-Cloud