SUNDAY

PARISLONGCHAMP

3.30 EMIRATES POULE D’ESSAI DES POULICHES (GROUP 1) (3YO FILLIES) of €500,000. 1M

IF the Pouliches is to throw up a champion, the likelihood is that the winner’s name will be Castle Lady, as she has looked pretty special on her two starts to date, hence the decision of her owners, Godolphin, to fork out a €36,000 supplementary entry fee.

She is trained by a man, Alex Pantall, with a wealth of experience and patience even though he has, astonishingly, just a solitary Group 1 success to his name.

This race is a rare example of a top Group 1 that Aidan O’Brien rarely plunders (Rose Gypsy, 18 years ago, remains his only winner) and early indications are that this year his three-year-old colts may be better than his fillies.

So it is hard to get excited about his only runner, Coral Beach, who was a 16/1 chance when landing a Leopardstown Group 3 when last seen on a racecourse, back in October.

More credible threats to Castle Lady are offered by the first two home from the Group 3 Prix Imprudence at Maisons-Laffitte last month, Watch Me and Suphala.

The mere fact that she is trained by Andre Fabre means many will side with the runner-up, Suphala, but Watch Me was disadvantaged in coming from the rear off a slow pace and can confirm the form.

British involvement is restricted to Simon Crisford’s Imperial Charm and the Kevin Ryan-trained East. Imperial Charm posted a career best when making the running and finishing a length and three-quarters adrift of Castle Lady in the Grotte, but it is unlikely that she will get so close this time around, while East, last seen when a creditable but distant second at the Breeders’ Cup, will find this much harder than her last French trip, when beating four rivals in the Group 3 Prix Thomas Bryon last October.

On the undercard at ParisLongchamp, The Broghie Man, the mud-loving Adrian Keatley-trained sprinter who made a winning reappearance in listed company at Naas last April, makes an ambitious tilt at the Group 3 Prix de Saint-Gorges over five furlongs.

Gold Vibe may finally break his pattern race duck here after numerous near-misses, including in this race 12 months ago and in the Prix de l’Abbaye.

SELECTION: CASTLE LADY

NEXT BEST: Watch Me