G3 Prix de Fontainebleau

It was tight between the unexposed pair Ridari (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}) and Sahlan (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) at the end of Sunday's G3 Prix de Fontainebleau at ParisLongchamp, but where it counted the photo showed the former on top to kick off a notable double for The Aga Khan's Studs. Last seen breaking his maiden over this mile trip on Chantilly's Polytrack in November, the Mikel Delzangles-trained 7-1 shot was squeezed exiting the stalls in this trial for the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and ended up in last with...

Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France, post time: 15:50, PRIX DE FONTAINEBLEAU-G3, €80,000, 3yo, c/g, 8fT Field: Batal Youmzain (Fr) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}), Ridari (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}), Sahlan (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Misunderstood (Fr) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}), Heybetli (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}), Madero (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Darius Cen (Fr) (Persian King {Ire}). TDN Verdict: France's premier Poule d'Essai des Poulains trial sees the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere third Misunderstood tackle some up-and-comers including the Listed Prix Omnium II winner Darius Cen and the maiden winners Sahlan and Ridari. Sahlan, who represents the all-conquering...

Gifted an ideal lead in Sunday's G3 Prix de Fontainebleau, Aurelien Lemaitre took full advantage to steer Nurlan Bizakov's Ramadan (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}--Raushan {Ire}, by Dalakhani {Ire}) to success in the key G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains trial. Race-fit having registered a five-length success in the Listed Prix Omnium II at Saint-Cloud last month, the Christopher Head-trained homebred who had been fourth in the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud last term ticked off honest fractions on the front end before kicking in early straight. Getting the jump on the returning...

France's key mile Classic trials take place on Sunday, with ParisLongchamp hosting the G3 Prix de la Grotte and G3 Prix de Fontainebleau over the same course and distance of next month's G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and Poulains. The Grotte sees some major names among the generation's fillies making their seasonal return, led by China Horse Club International's G1 Prix Marcel Boussac runner-up Rose Bloom (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and Alain Jathiere's G3 Prix des Reservoirs winner Tulipa Chope (Fr) (Born To Sea {Ire}). The Aga Khan's four-length...

With Ballydoyle's Victoria Road (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) and Juddmonte's Halfway Line (GB) (Zoffany {Ire}) missing from the line-up for Sunday's G3 Prix de Fontainebleau, Malcolm Parrish's American Flag (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}--Tres Americanqueen {Fr}, by American Post {GB}) occupied pole position for ParisLongchamp's time-honoured course-and-distance trial for the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and he did not disappoint with another sharp display. Gaining a following with a six-length win over a mile at Saint-Cloud in November and a smooth three-length success in the Listed Prix Omnium II over the...

Andre Fabre's appetite for success in the major international prizes shows no signs of abating and Sunday's action at ParisLongchamp offers more culinary delights, with Raclette (GB) (Frankel {GB}) at the heart of the party. Juddmonte's 'TDN Rising Star' has not been seen since winning by four lengths in a mile conditions event at Chantilly in September, but the daughter of Emollient (Empire Maker) was already big news even at that stage. Her re-entry in the G3 Prix de la Grotte sees her matched against Allan Belshaw's G1 Prix Marcel...

   Gifted the rail and an easy lead, Jacques Cygler's The Summit (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) punished his rivals under a perfectly-judged ride from Pierre-Charles Boudot in ParisLongchamp's G3 Prix de Fontainebleau. With the benefit of a prior outing in 2020, albeit Mar. 15 when second in Saint-Cloud's Listed Prix Omnium II, the bay whose best piece of form last year came when third in the nine-furlong G3 Prix de Conde coasted along completely unpressured to three out. As the 2-5 favourite Victor Ludorum (GB) (Shamardal) failed to find cover...

Along with New York and London, Paris has earned another, more unwelcome renown of late but on the day that most of the rest of France emerge from their doors closed shut by COVID-19, the Bois de Boulogne bears witness to the first major sporting action since mid-March. Such is the tightrope nature of the industry's predicament at present, it was enough to convince President Macron at the 11th hour to allow racing to take place within the "red zone" which is still under strict lockdown. ParisLongchamp has seen its...