 Expert - Bill Esdaile | |
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| Bill Esdaile has worked in racing journalism in the United Kingdom for over 20 years. He began his working career at the Sporting Life back in 1995, and has since worked for the Racing Post, The Sportsman, and is currently racing editor of London-based City AM. He is a keen form student, and will bring a unique insight into the major European races. | |
Expert Column for Prix du Jockey Club (S2-1) & Prix de Diane (S2-2) (Bill Esdaile)
S2-1 Prix du Jockey Club
VICTOR LUDORUM will attempt to land a second French Classic in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club over 2,100m. The son of SHAMARDAL, who won this race 15 years ago, took the G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains over 1,600m at Deauville a month ago having ended last season unbeaten after three starts. His smooth victory in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere over 1,600m at ParisLongchamp on Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe Day last October marked him down as a top prospect. It was surprising to see him beaten on his return to action in May when only third behind THE SUMMIT, but he set the record straight when turning the tables on that rival when they met in the opening Classic of the season at Deauville. Both those races were over 1,600m and he showed plenty of gears to swoop from the rear to land the G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains, but his breeding suggests the step up to 2,100m will not be a problem.
His trainer Andre Fabre is going for his fifth Prix du Jockey Club victory and he also has claims with OCEAN ATLANTIQUE. He was also beaten on his comeback run in a ParisLongchamp G3 over 1,800m but he looked good when making all the running to land a 2,000m Listed contest at Deauville by a comfortable five lengths. This is a big step up in class but he deserves a shot at this Classic prize.
That improved performance pushed the claims of PAO ALTO as he had beaten OCEAN ATLANTIQUE in a good G3 over 1,800m at ParisLongchamp in May. The runner-up obviously improved for the run but the way PAO ALTO got the job done was most pleasing. The extra 300m is sure to help so he has a lot in his favour.
MISHRIFF dented some big reputations when running away with a 2,000m Newmarket Listed contest but he did have the run of the race from a prominent position. Whether he is up to G1 level is open to question.
Jean-Claude Rouget is going for his fourth Prix du Jockey Club win in the last five years. He runs PORT GUILLAUME, who is unbeaten after three starts having only made his debut at Cagnes-Sur-Mer in January. His defeat of GOLD TRIP and DAWN INTELLO to land a Saint Cloud conditions contest over 2,100m in May was a nice step forward and he deserves plenty of respect.
Finishing last of six in a Chantilly G3 over 1,800m might not be the ideal Classic preparation but it doesn’t tell the whole story for SAN FABRIZIO. He could easily have won that contest if he hadn’t endured a nightmare passage and he should run well granted more luck.
SELECTIONS: 6. VICTOR LUDORUM, 17. PAO ALTO, 7. SAN FABRIZIO, 13. OCEAN ATLANTIQUE & 12. PORT GUILLAUME
S2-2 Prix de Diane
The Irish have not won the G1 Prix de Diane over 2,100m since SWEET MIMOSA triumphed 50 years ago, but in ALPINE STAR, PEACEFUL and FANCY BLUE, they hold their strongest hand for many years at the Chantilly classic table.
The intermediate distance of 2,100m looks perfect for all three fillies, especially ALPINE STAR, who has not looked back since finishing a promising third to subsequent English Guineas heroine LOVE at Leopardstown over 1,400m on her debut. She was the only one without a previous run this season when she stepped up to the top table for the G1 Coronation Stakes over 1,594m at Royal Ascot. Yet she left two G1 winners in SHARING and QUADRILATERAL gasping for air in the last 150m, and the further she went the better she looked.
The Niarchos Family always target their best fillies at this race – they have won it four times – and the moment Frankie Dettori got off ALPINE STAR at Ascot, he told connections that she was made for the Diane. Arc-winning jockey Stephane Pasquier is the perfect deputy for the Italian.
PEACEFUL was also doing her best work at the end when winning the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas over 1,600m. She hit a flat spot at half-way but got the jump on runner-up FANCY BLUE, though both finished the race strongly and deserve the utmost respect.
However, four times in the last eleven years, Jean-Claude Rouget has kept the prize at home, and in RAABIHAH, owned by Hamdan Al Maktoum, he has looked hugely exciting. RAABIHAH was backward last year so never raced, and her trainer waited until January for the filly to break her maiden at Cagnes-Sur-Mer over 2,000m. She was then not pressed to win in Listed grade at ParisLongchamp over 2,200m and, though she now takes a big jump up in class, Rouget is a past master with these late-developing individuals.
MISS EXTRA, supplemented at a cost of EUR39,600, has improved tremendously since joining Pia and Joakim Brandt, climbing up through the ranks. She completed a hat-trick of successes over 1,600m, culminating in the G2 Prix de Sandringham here two weeks ago.
SPEAK OF THE DEVIL, who impressed when winning on her Deauville debut over 1,600m last year, has twice finished second this season over the same trip. She looks a stayer so could improve for the extra distance.
Nobody has a better record in this classic than the Aga Khan, who has won it seven times. However, his representative, EBAIYRA, a G3 winner at Chantilly over 2,400m, might need going up in trip rather than dropping down in distance. She comes from the same family as Gold Cup winners ENZELI and ESTIMATE.
SELECTIONS: 4. RAABIHAH, 9. ALPINE STAR, 8. PEACEFUL, 7. FANCY BLUE & 1. MISS EXTRA
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