10 May - Poule d'Essai des Poulains Preview

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By ARSENE ABITBOL - 8 May 2009 - 23.46 pm
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The last two editions have not thrown out the smartest sorts (Astronomer Royal, Falco) and it wouldn't harm if the reputation of the French 2,000 Guineas was restored on Sunday. Mind you, the presence of a selected handful sets the standards, and this year's renewal is not a vintage renewal, but it ought to be good.

Le Havre saw the winners' enclosure on three occasions in four starts. He did not run his race when sent off 5-2 favourite in Zafisio's Criterium International (Gr I) at Saint Cloud last year. Probably unsuited by testing ground, he finished 7th out of 11 but the Jean-Claude Rouget-trained colt (Literato-US Ranger) shows a perfect record on good-good to soft ground. He is the one who defeated Naaqoos a month ago, in the Prix Djebel (Listed Race). He definitely looks a plausible victor.

Handsome Maestro : Unlucky 3rd, then removed 5th in the Prix de Conde (Gr III), David Smaga's charge is not to be underestimated. On this particular race, he bumped into Zafisio, so it is hard to assess his last performance as a 2 y-o. Meanwhile, he is probably the one who possess the most stamina, is a course and distance winner, and is capable to race prominently. It certainly can prove a big edge, and the best example is Falco. Last year's winner was always racing prominently and bagged this contest using a 'catch me if you can' tactics.

A dark horse could be Ballydoyle's second string in the mould of Born to be King. His unique victory was gained at Gowran Park, a right-handed course which is also a feature of Longchamp.
The Storm Cat colt has to prove it all on ratings but his seasonal debut in Gr III company (2,000 Guineas Irish trial) was far from average. A pretty close third only 2 lengths behind Intense Focus on this occasion, he is likely to improve, therefore a 2nd or 3rd place in Sunday's Group 1 seems ambitious however possible. Jamie Spencer's booking is a positive sign too.

Silver Frost : Winner of the Cabourg, (Gr III, 2y-o) finished in midfield position in Bushranger's Morny (Gr I, 2y-o -7/14); the son of Verglas has been stepped up to the mile in his last four starts and took another two Gr III events (Thomas Bryon at 2, Fontainebleau last month) over this distance. His form reads 1.3.1.1 so it makes little doubt that Sunday's challenge will be his optimum trip. Christophe Soumillon's mount commands respect.

Shaped in the provinces, Oiseau de Feu galloped very nicely in the straight, finishing well to take third behind Silver Frost and Westphalia in the Fontainebleau (Gr III). He is a progressive sort.

Diableside will represent the South West provinces of France and Yann Duperaire's 3 y-o ran well in the Prix Djebel behind Le Havre and Naaqoos. All the more hard to fancy, he has never seen Longchamp before.

Last but not least Vocalised (Vindication - Serena's Tune) might prove too good for them as the way he's been doing things so far, suggests he has never been really pushed. Stable jockey Kevin Manning will be in the saddle. It looks like Jim Bolger is oozing confidence about his colt, and when one is aware that he moulded Aidan O'Brien...no comment...lol.

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Naaqoos (see previous post), Le Havre, Handsome Maestro and Vocalised sound like the most progressive types. Silver Frost's success in the prep race was very convincing, he is fairly exposed but it's equally hard to write him off for a win.

Oiseau de Feu and Born to be King, also on the upward curve, could both surprise.
Shaweel for Godolphin, and Westphalia for Coolmore, are all very decent but don't seem to possess much room for improvement; their ambitions are more than legitimate though.

Diableside will do very well to complete the quartet, whereas, Roi des Sables appears over-raced in this type of tournament and, on paper, he does not stand a chance to finish in the first three.

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Selection : Naaqoos
Biggest threat : Vocalised
Ousider : Born to be King

Sources : www.racingpost.com