By Tom Frary
ParisLongchamp stages its penultimate autumnal farewell on Sunday, with the G1 Prix Royal-Oak the last pattern race to be staged at the prestigious Bois de Boulogne venue which draws its curtains on Thursday. There is no stand-out this year and the main protagonists are a notch or two below the likes of Vazirabad (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}), Subjectivist (GB) (Teofilo {Ire} or even the sadly-lost 2021 hero Scope (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), but there is Bertrand Milliere's popular Iresine (Fr) by Vazirabad's sire whose three runs here include wins in last year's G3 La Coupe and the G2 Prix Foy when last seen Sept. 11. The mount of Marie Velon, the Jean-Pierre Gauvin-trained bay is moving markedly up in trip but looks the type to relish the extra distance.
While Nick Bradley Racing's Oct. 1 G2 Prix Chaudenay scorer Al Qareem (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}) looks to be the leading 3-year-old and the accomplished Irish mares Search For A Song (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Princess Zoe (Ger) (Jukebox Jury {Ire}) would be emotive winners, there is the sense that another Longchamp lover Jannah Flower (Ire) (Olympic Glory {Ire}) is the key player. Al Shira'aa Farms' May 12 Listed Prix Gold River winner boasts two wins and three seconds from five starts at this track, with her latest efforts suggesting she is the class act in this line-up. Given too much to do on both occasions when second to Quickthorn (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in the G2 Prix Maurice de Nieuil July 14 and to Sea La Rosa (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the Oct. 1 G1 Prix de Royallieu over 14 furlongs, the Pascal Bary-trained bay has a killer kick if Stephane Pasquier can get his fractions right.
Click here for the group fields.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
