Saint-Cloud Sunday

TEMPERATURES in Paris this weekend could exceed 40 degrees and therefore conditions will be punishing. Jump racing was cancelled in France this week.

3.25 Prix de Malleret (Group 2) (3yo fillies) 1m 4f

John Gosden should be perfectly set up for his two-pronged raid on the Grand Prix later on the card by landing the previous race, the Group 2 Prix de Malleret.

His representative here is Mehdaayih, hampered on three occasions when seventh, beaten just over six lengths, as favourite for the Oaks at Epsom. Successful on ‘good to firm’ as a juvenile, she should handle the fast ground and gain compensation here at the main expense of the Prix Cleopatre runner-up Villa D’Amore who should appreciate this step up in trip.

SELECTION: MEHDAAYIH

Next best: Villa D’Amore

4.00 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (Group 1) (4yo+) 1m 4f

British trainers make a concerted effort to plunder the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud trophy for the first time in 10 years (albeit second past the post Noble Mission was eventually awarded the 2014 version after a positive dope test) when they saddle five of the seven runners in Paris on Sunday.

It’s an intriguing contest, with the top three favourites all fillies and various different form lines between the field.

The obvious place to start is André Fabre’s Morgan Le Faye, bred to be a stayer and campaigned as a stayer until this term when she has won three good races at a mile and a quarter, culminating in the Group 2 Prix Corrida.

However, the suspicion that, against other females, she has been beating little, gained credence when the Corrida third, Listen In (who now reopposes on 2lb better terms), was only seventh in the Grand Prix de Chantilly.

John Gosden’s Coronet was beaten by the narrowest of margins by Waldgeist in this race 12 months ago and went on to be placed in three more Group 1s. She has the most solid form, but her only start this term was disappointing and she does not always impress with her attitude when getting involved in a battle.

Gosden has another leading candidate in Lah Ti Dar, who has run just seven times and ought to have progressed enough to overturn October’s Ascot form with Coronet, when they were separated by three-quarters of a length. Yet she was far from impressive when narrowly beating Rawdaa at York on her reappearance, before failing to handle the track when sixth, five lengths behind fifth-placed Marmelo, in the Coronation Cup.

Trained by Hughie Morrison, Marmelo also looked all at sea on Epsom’s idiosyncratic undulations and had earlier had Aspetar a length adrift when taking a Group 3 at Newbury. Aspetar renews rivalry on Sunday and has since beaten another of Sunday’s runners, Ziyad, in the Grand Prix de Chantilly.

The field is completed by David Menuisier’s Thundering Blue, last year’s Canadian International runner-up who tends to bloom in midsummer and will surely come on a bundle for his two 2019 starts thus far.

With doubts about the entire field, the best tactic may be to side with the battle-hardened Marmelo, a two-time Group 2 winner. Confidence is tempered by the lack of an obvious front-runner – Marmelo’s two biggest victories have been achieved at a mile and three-quarters and beyond.

SELECTION: MARMELO

Next best: Lah Ti Dar

4.35 Prix Eugene Adam (Group 2) (3yo) 1m 2f

Headman and Jalmoud, the two British hopes, may have to give best to Flop Shot in the Group 2 Prix Eugene Adam, which is being staged at Saint-Cloud for the first time since 1997.

A son of New Approach from the family of the 2010 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud heroine, Plumania, Flop Shot skipped the classics after his easy victory in Group 3 Prix de Guiche eight weeks ago and the renowned patience of his trainer, André Fabre, can be rewarded with victory here.

Headman collected the London Gold Cup at Newbury last time but that form has not worked out as well as usual.

Jalmoud did too much in front at Royal Ascot last week and had been all out to land a French listed race on his previous start.

SELECTION: FLOP SHOT

Next best: Headman