1m2½f Qatar Prix du Jockey Club (Group 1) (3yo Colts & Fillies) (Turf) (3yo)
There doesn’t appear to be a standout colt in this year’s French Derby and so often the French 2000 Guineas is a great trial for this race. Camille Pissarro finished third in the French 2000 is the rather obvious typical Coolmore favourite, but is he a strong one? His pedigree doesn’t exactly scream 1m 2f and an entry for the 6f Commonwealth Cup this season also suggests a potential leaning towards speed over stamina. Camille Pissarro did finish ahead of Luther, Detain and RIDARI in the French Classic, but it’s Ridari who makes most appeal out of those four as a colt that should show significant improvement for the step-up in trip.
Ridari was quoted as having been a bit of a fragile two-year-old for Michael Delzangles, but this son of Churchill has got a nicely progressive profile picking up a Group 3 over a mile on his first start of the season before running the fastest closing three furlongs in the French 2000 Guineas when getting caught quite far back. Ridari finished like a train, but got snatched up a couple of times in the home straight finishing a better than the bare form 5/16.
Ridari has shown a potent turn of foot, which is so often needed in this race and his sire has already got a Prix Du Jockey Club winner in the shape of Vadeni for the same connections. Ridari looks an obvious one to go close albeit he could have hoped for a better draw than stall 11.
I think it’s also worth looking away from the main Classics for our other selection as the race has a wide-open feel about it. Some of the more interesting lightly-raced horses are drawn poorly and whilst it’s almost 100 years since a horse came out of a maiden to win this, there must be something significant about the fact that Andre Fabre and the Wertheimers have supplemented SINILEO just 16 days after romping home in a maiden over this track.
It’s impossible to know how good Sinileo is but if there was any doubt about his ability or capacity to run well here then I don’t think Andre Fabre would rush him into such a contest. And what is more, his stable jockey, Maxime Guyon had a choice of three and has also picked Sinileo. It could easily be the case that he is too inexperienced to win this race, but he is drawn beautifully in stall 4 which will allow him to go forward and is a decent price at 9/1. He’s the most unexposed horse in the race, but his sire has already produced two former winners in St Mark’s Basilica and Sottsass and he is worth a punt.
1pt win Ridari @5/1, 15:05 Chantilly, Sunday
1pt win Sinileo @9/1, 15:05 Chantilly, Sunday