7f Qatar Prix de la Foret (Group 1) (3yo+)
The Prix de la Foret market is headed by City Light, who finished down the field in the Prix de L’Abbaye on Arc day last season. He looked pretty impressive in a Group 3 over this course and distance three weeks ago defeating the reopposing Graignes by a length. City Light also claims stall 1 to help his chances. But he has always come up short at the top level, and with his best performances on a sounder surface, he’s worth taking on.
ONE MASTER is going to be a very tough nut to crack as she returns to defend her crown and become the second horse to win back-to-back Forets.
This five-year-old mare has been campaigned at the highest level this season, all on distances away from seven furlongs. After a reasonable warm-up at the Curragh, she put in a fine performance when just outstayed for third in the Queen Anne Stakes over a mile at the Royal Meeting.
One Master then put in a huge run in the Falmouth Stakes, when just denied by yesterday’s Bahrain Sun Chariot stakes runner-up Veracious. One Master has been freshened up since her run in the Prix Maurice de Gheest back in August behind Advertise when she finished a staying on fifth. So the return to 7f looks in her favour and I think she should be favourite ahead of City Light.
The German raider, Waldpfad, can go very close in this and he was tempting at 11/1.
But I really like the profile, and the odds, of GLORIOUS JOURNEY at 10/1. William Buick and Charlie Appleby have had great success at the Arc meeting in previous years and this horse looked better than ever on his previous start on soft ground in the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes last month.
This horse was gelded at the turn of the year and he has steadily improved finishing a close second to Dream of Dreams in a Listed contest and then to Limato in a Group 3 over 6f and 7f respectively.
He had to race over on the stands side rail by himself in the July Cup over lightening quick ground back in the summer. But looked much more at home on the easy ground at Newbury last month. The conditions should suit this son of Dubawi really well here and with two previous Group 3 victories over in France he looks set to put in a big performance.
1pt win One Master @9/2, 17:05 Longchamp, Sunday
1pt win Glorious Journey @10/1, 17:05 Longchamp, Sunday