Parislongchamp Saturday

3.25 Qatar Prix de Royallieu (Group 1) (3yo+ Fillies & Mares) 1m 6f

Sunly would be a worthy contender for tomorrow’s Arc having posted a career best third in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud prior to suffering a luckless passage before filling the same position in the Group 1 Prix Vermeille.

However, with her owner-breeders, Juddmonte, already fielding a strong Arc candidate in Kalpana, Sunly’s trainer, Francis Graffard, has decided to take the soft option in the hope that this lightly-raced four-year-old can break her Group 1 duck by pointing her instead towards the Qatar Prix de Royallieu.

Her style of racing hints that this mile and six furlongs should be well within her compass and, although unlikely to be much of a price, she rates as one of the best bets of the weekend.

Which is not to suggest that her opposition is weak – the 11-strong line-up includes last year’s British-trained 1-2, Sir Mark Prescott’s Consent and Santorini Star from the William Haggas yard, not to mention three Ballydoyle representatives headed by the distant Group 1 St Leger third, Amelia Earhart.

With cheekpieces added for the first time, the other Haggas hope and Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes winner, Earth Shot, may chase Sunly home.

SELECTION: SUNLY

Next best: Earth Shot

4.00 Qatar Prix du Cadran (Group 1) (4yo+) 2m 4f

While Sunly will be a hot Royallieu favourite, Aidan O’Brien’s Scandinavia will no doubt be sent off at the shortest odds of the weekend when he bids for a ninth consecutive victory and sixth top level success in the Qatar Prix du Cadran.

With his stablemate Queenstown, who was third to Caballo De Mar in the 2025 renewal of this race, likely to make it a proper test as he did in last month’s Group 1 Irish St Leger, there is no reason to oppose the remarkably consistent and classy Scandinavia. Back to form at Doncaster last time, Caballo De Mar can complete the forecast.

SELECTION: Scandinavia

Next best: Caballo De Mar

Saturday’s undercard includes three Group 2 races, each one boasting €183,000 in total prizemoney, plus a €260,000 Arqana sales race for juveniles over a mile where Jessica Harrington’s Breath Of Paradise and the Joseph O’Brien-trained Moon Sand feature among 15 runners.

The initial Group 2 event, the mile and seven-furlong Qatar Prix Chaudenay, sees Aidan O’Brien’s Pierre Bonnard try to get his head in front for the first time since he won the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud almost a year ago.

He has proved himself capable of top-class efforts during an inconsistent three-year-old campaign but does not strike me as one to take a short price about.

The Amy Murphy-trained pair of Jabracadabra and Victoire Magique both make more appeal but it will perhaps pay to side with Asakir, who has always looked like a nice stayer in the making and has been sent over from Ireland by Johnny Murtagh on his return from a 108-day absence in preference to plenty of easier opportunities closer to home.

Overlooked

First Look, the reigning champion of the Group 2 Qatar Prix Dollar over a mile, one furlong and 165 yards, may have been overlooked in the betting market because he has two and a quarter lengths to find with the subsequent Irish Champion Stakes runner-up, Wimbledon Hawkeye, from their meeting at Deauville in August.

First Look was coming back from almost four months away that day so is no forlorn hope to reverse the form. Charlie Appleby’s Irish 2000 Guineas second Distant Storm and Phineas, a stablemate of First Look in the Andre and Lavinia Fabre yard who is trying to complete a five-timer here, our other quality individuals among an interesting seven-strong field.

The Group 2 action concludes with the Qatar Prix Daniel Wildenstein over a mile in which Aidan O’Brien’s Group 3 Desmond Stakes victor, Isaac Newton, flies the flag for Ireland against five British challengers and four home-based contenders.

The Karl Burke-trained five-time Group 1-winning mare Fallen Angel has been declared here rather than defending her Sun Chariot Stakes crown following an improved effort when third in the Group 1 Matron Stakes last time. But her attempt to end a spectacular career on a successful note may be thwarted by Simon and Ed Crisford’s Quddwah, who appears to have improved markedly since finishing second to the reopposing Ridari in this race 12 months ago.

Quddwah was returning from a summer break and had Isaac Newton among his victims when landing the Group 2 Solonoway Stakes three weeks ago and should strip fitter now.