G3 Prix de Guiche

If there was any doubt who was the Cock Of The North among the French 3-year-old middle-distance colts heading into Tuesday's G3 Prix de Guiche, Yeguada Centurion's Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}--Hardiyna {Ire}, by Sea The Stars {Ire}) provided the emphatic answer with a dominant display at a rain-soaked Chantilly. Compared to Frankel (GB) by the commentary team of Racing Galop afterwards, the homebred first foal out of the owner-breeder's €72,000 Goffs November purchase from The Aga Khan's draft was more Old Vic (GB) as he sliced through...

Tuesday's G3 Prix de Guiche sees a rematch between the Etienne and Gregoire Leenders-trained Mister Saint Paul (Fr) (Dariyan {Fr}) and the Andre Fabre project Dreamflight (GB) (Frankel {GB}) after the pair finished in that order in ParisLongchamp's G3 Prix la Force over this nine-furlong trip Apr. 10. Mister Saint Paul was causing an upset that day, but he was over-priced considering he was just behind Dreamflight and the re-opposing Valmer Magic (Fr) (Gris de Gris {Ire}) in the Listed Prix Omnium II over a mile at Saint-Cloud Mar. 19....

Some leading G1 Prix du Jockey Club hopefuls take the next step en route to the Chantilly showcase on Tuesday as that track stages the nine-furlong G3 Prix de Guiche, won in 2007 by Lawman (Fr) and five years ago by another subsequent winner of the domestic Classic in Almanzor (Fr). Likely favourite will be the Wertheimers' Adhamo (Ire) (Intello {Ger}), who scored by three lengths in the G3 Prix la Force over this trip at ParisLongchamp Apr. 11, but he faces a stern opponent in The Aga Khan's returning...

Following Tuesday's Derby pointer at Leopardstown, there are more preps for the upcoming middle-distance Classics on Wednesday in France and Ireland, with Chantilly staging the G3 Prix de Guiche which is a key pointer to the July 5 G1 Prix du Jockey-Club. There are two from ParisLongchamp's May 14 G3 Prix la Force re-opposing in the third and fourth Chachnak (Fr) (Kingman {GB}) and 'TDN Rising Star' Another Sky (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) respectively and the form of that nine-furlong contest has already been boosted by the runner-up Ocean Atlantique...