Laurens Towers Over Saint-Alary Rivals

Sidestepping the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas, Laurens (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) begins her French love affair early on Sunday with Karl Burke unable to pass up the opportunity of taking care of the G1 The Gurkha Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary en route to the June 17 G1 Prix de Diane. Prior to running second in Newmarket's G1 1000 Guineas three weeks ago, John Dance's flagbearer had tasted her sole defeat in this country when runner-up to Polydream (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) in the G3 Prix du Calvados at Deauville in August, but that was no disgrace as the winner is a genuine top-class performer and subsequent events have proven the G1 Fillies Mile and G2 May Hill S. heroine Laurens needed further than that trip. “We were beaten by a better filly on the day in the Guineas, no excuses at all,” Burke said. “We have always felt she would improve for a step up to this kind of distance. Whether travelling to France this close to the Prix de Diane, which is her main target, is ideal, I don't know, but this looks a good opportunity.”

Polydream's stablemate With You (GB) (Dansili {GB}) is as exciting a 3-year-old filly in France and with Freddy Head's stable slow to come to hand he has been patient with George Strawbridge's homebred. She was last seen beating Altea (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr})–who is now graded stakes-placed for Chad Brown–in Deauville's G3 Prix des Reservoirs staged on very soft ground over a mile in October and the chances are that the full-sister to We Are (Ire) will be unable to match the British raider at this stage with Chantilly very much the focus. Godolphin's Flowrider (Street Cry {Ire}) scored with some authority on debut at Saint-Cloud May 8, but the daughter of the 2011 Saint-Alary heroine Wavering (Ire) (Refuse To Bend {Ire}) faces a herculean task taking on the front two. “Flowrider is taking a big step up in class from her maiden win, but goes into this race in great form,” the operation's Lisa-Jane Graffard commented. “Her dam won this race and physically she looks very similar. She is a filly with plenty of ability and we hope that she can run well.”