THERE was Irish success earlier on the ParisLongchamp Sunday card as Baron Samedi completed a Princess Zoe-like metamorphosis from low grade handicapper to performer when landing the €90,000 Group 2 Prix du Conseil de Paris over a mile and three furlongs for Joseph O’Brien and jockey Mickael Barzalona.

This son of Harbour Watch was finishing down the field at Tramore off a handicap mark of 65 little more than two months ago (Princess Zoe was defeated off 64 at the start of the campaign) but has been transformed by a gelding operation.

Having lost his maiden tag a mere five days after castration, he then won three more handicaps in the next four weeks, defying a monstrous 32lb rise in the weights, and continued his progress here, albeit with nothing to spare.

Having swept past Mare Australis a furlong from home, Baron Samedi found that rival rallying in determined fashion and, holding on by a head, may have been collared in another two strides.

Just as in the Royal-Oak two hours later, the only two three-year-olds in the field filled the first two places.

Potential

Roger Varian’s Believe In Love, half-sister to the 2013 Ascot Gold Cup third, Top Trip, has the potential to better her sibling’s performance in that showpiece judged on her comfortable success in Saturday’s Group 3 Prix Belle de Nuit over a mile and six furlongs.

The daughter of Make Believe was also continuing the recent theme of horses making a successful jump from handicaps to pattern races – she was twice beaten off marks in the low 70s back in February.

Grand Glory, well beaten by Dermot Weld’s Breeders’ Cup hope Tarnawa in both her most recent starts, gave that form a boost with a gusty neck victory in the Group 3 Prix de Flore (1m 2f 110y).

Finally, the Canford Cliffs filly Jin Jin a €4,000 yearling purchase bred by Gerry Callanan’s Nanallac Stud in Co Kildare, looks an interesting dark horse for next season’s top mile events after taking her career record to a perfect six-from-six in the Group 3 Prix Perth.

A first pattern success for Czech-born German trainer Bohumil Nedorostek, she beat the Group 1 winner and classic-placed Alson by a convincing length and three-quarters.

THE sports newspaper L’Equipe has reported that the French government has made the decision that top level sport, including racing, will continue through the second national coronavirus lockdown, which began this week.