Prix Jean Prat: Nemoralia to show colts the way home

Although a Group 1 contest, the Jean Prat is usually something of a consolation prize for three-year-olds who have fallen a bit short in one of the Guineas or at Royal Ascot. That’s certainly the case again this year, though in a race normally dominated by colts, the presence of some smart fillies adds an extra dimension.

We’ll start with the colts, though, and three of them contested the Poule d’Essai des Poulains won impressively by The Gurkha. The French Guineas form has worked out well, on the whole, and First Selection belied huge odds to put up a career-best effort and finish second at Deauville after making much of the running. Soft ground in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot last time almost certainly counted against him, but he’s always going to be vulnerable to less exposed rivals.

One such is Zelzal who was a big disappointment (when this column’s selection) in the Poulains, possibly due to racing in the ‘wrong’ group on the stands rail, but he has won all his other three starts readily and proved better than ever last time when quickening away with the Prix Paul de Moussac over this course and distance, confirming himself a smart colt. His trainer Jean-Claude Rouget (who also runs the filly Positive Vibration as pacemaker) is enjoying an excellent season with his three-year-olds and it would be no surprise if there’s further improvement to come from this son of Sea The Stars. This looks a stiff task, on the other hand, for Alignement who was well held in the Poulains though has since taken advantage of a drop in grade to win a minor event at Lyon Parilly.

2000 Guineas form is represented here too. Besides First Selection who was seventh at Newmarket, Zonderland finished a place ahead of him in sixth, while Stormy Antarctic, sent off second favourite, beat only two home and hasn’t been out since. Stormy Antarctic may have been feeling the effects of his win in heavy ground in the Craven Stakes a few weeks earlier, form which ranks amongst the best on offer here, though conditions are set to be very different for him on Sunday. There shouldn’t be any ground concerns for Zonderland who skipped Royal Ascot when the ground turned soft so comes here on the back of a win in the listed Heron Stakes at Sandown. He has more to do back up in grade but he may have more to offer after just five starts.

German colt Degas has only one win to his name but was unlucky not to win his own country’s 2000 Guineas when failing by just a nose to catch the British-trained winner Knife Edge. He didn’t get the best of runs when finishing strongly for third behind Zelzal here last time but will do well to turn the tables on the ready winner.  

The other German entry is the filly Spectre who won the Prix Imprudence at Maisons-Laffitte in April, but it’s her fifth place in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches which gives her claims here. That was a very good effort to be beaten less than two lengths behind the winner La Cressonniere who has since won the Prix de Diane, while she was only just behind third-placed Qemah who went on to win the Coronation Stakes.

Qemah won a messy race at Royal Ascot where she was chased home by Nemoralia who was one of those to meet trouble, though essentially not good enough in the end in being beaten a length and three quarters. Nemoralia started second favourite for the Coronation after an impressive six-length win on good to firm ground in a listed race at York in May, her first start since an eye-catching third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf the previous autumn. Conditions at Ascot may have been softer than ideal for Nemoralia, but with a hot, dry weekend forecast in France, the ground should be more in her favour this time. Reunited with Frankie Dettori, who has partnered her to all three of her wins, Nemoralia can prove too good for the colts among whom Zelzal looks the pick.

Recommendation:

Back Nemoralia in the Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly

Timeform weight-adjusted ratings:

134 Nemoralia

129 Stormy Antarctic

127+ Zelzal

127+ Zonderland

127 Spectre