Desmond Stoneham

SAINT CLOUD

1.30 Criterium de Saint-Cloud (Group 1) 2yo colts & fillies 1m 2f

Criquette Head-Maarek can train another juvenile Group 1 winner for Khalid Abdullah when she saddles the unbeaten Epicuris in this 10-furlong race which has not always been a great pointer to the following year’s classics.

Aidan O’Brien has decided to bypass the race but Ireland will be represented by Clonard Street who is now trained for J.P. McManus by Tony Martin.

The only other runner from across the Channel is the Richard Hannon’s Crafty Choice. Andreas Lowe has supplemented Palang. Epicuris is on a hat-trick following his very comfortable victory from Big Blue and Capo Maximo in the Group 3 Prix de Conde. It was the trial for the Criterium and Epicuris made every yard of the running before totally dominating the final stages. Big Blue and Capo Maximo take up the challenge again but with little hope of reversing the positions. Clonard Street (Fran Berry) was trained by John McConnell when he made a winning debut at Galway but was with Martin when he chased the top class Ol Man River home in the Juddmonte Beresford Stakes at the Curragh and was staying on at the finish so will appreciate this extra furlong. Crafty Choice (Christophe Soumillon) has won his last four races but this is a big jump up in class for the colt who won a couple of nurseries before landing a conditions race over this distance at Newmarket. Palang made a winning debut in a maiden at Cologne so must be ranked by his experienced trainer to be catapulted so much in class.

Selection: EPICURIS

Next best: Clonard Street

AUTEUIL SUNDAY

Paul Nicholls is chasing another Grade 1 hurdle at Auteuil as tomorrow he saddles Art Mauresque (Sam Twiston-Davies) in the Prix Renaud du Vivier which he took a year ago with P’tit Zig and David Cottin.

Last Sunday, Nicholls won the Grand Prix d’Autumne with Zarkandar.

Art Mauresque will have a harder task and he has not run since taking a close third place in a novices hurdle at Ascot last February. The horses to beat in this race could be Hippomene, Roll On Has and Amarantine who are all trained by Jean-Paul Gallorini.