ParisLongchamp Saturday

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

A cracking international renewal of this fillies’ contest, last year upgraded to Group 1 status and extended to its current one-mile, six-furlong trip, with five from Britain, four from France, two from Ireland and one from Germany.

The Irish representatives are Pista, from the Joseph O’Brien yard, and Passion, trained by Joseph’s father, Aidan.

Pista only lost her maiden tag at the beginning of August but has since scored in both listed and Group 2 company. She is improving at a rate of knots but quite what this daughter of American Pharoah will make of this very testing ground is anybody’s guess.

Passion has been averaging almost a run per fortnight since the Covid-19 delayed season got back under way in June. She has a Group 3 triumph to her name, not to mention third and fifth places in two Irish classics, but looks unlikely to make a sudden leap forward and win here.

The British quintet is led by Manuela De Vega, from the in-form Ralph Becket string, a proven soft ground performer who landed the Group 2 Lancashire Oaks before finishing fourth on an unsuitably quick surface in the Yorkshire Oaks, and Wonderful Tonight, a pillar-to-post Group 3 scorer in the Deauville mud back in August.

Arguably the most talented member of the raiding party is John Gosden’s Miss Yoda. A headstrong Sea The Stars filly, she benefitted from a brilliant front-running ride from Frankie Dettori in the Preis der Diana (German Oaks; form which has worked out well) and is the only Group 1 winner in the field.

Miss Yoda is capable of outrunning her double figure odds but the one I really like here is Ebaiyra. Trained by Alain de Royer-Dupré (the Royallieu’s winning most handler who won this event for the first time way back in 1984), she looked to be toying with her rivals when making all in the Group 2 Prix de Pomone, and, as a member of the same family as the Gold Cup winners Enzeli and Estimate, should relish this step-up in distance.

SELECTION: EBAIYRA

Next best: Miss Yoda

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

When the German export Princess Zoe registered her 10th consecutive defeat as she was beaten into second off a handicap mark of 64 at Navan in June on her first start for Tony Mullins, it was hard to imagine that she would be second favourite for a Group 1 race little more than three months later.

But this half-sister to a Group 2-winning miler has since seen her rating rocket up 45lb while notching four easy victories, the most recent in listed company. Mullins is convinced that neither heavy ground nor being asked to cover five furlongs farther than she has ever gone before will be a problem for her.

Her Co Kilkenny trainer has never won a pattern race on the flat in over 30 years with a licence and it is heart-warming that he has kept faith with 18-year-old apprentice jockey Joey Sheridan for her French assignment.

While this is not a vintage Cadran field, and Princess Zoe’s recent form has been franked, her price is plenty short enough given that she will be making a massive leap in class.

Her toughest opponent is clearly Call The Wind, winner of this race in 2018 and a narrow runner-up 12 months ago. Though a slightly tricky ride as he needs to have his challenge delayed until late, he likes soft ground and has enjoyed a fine season of his own, beginning triumphantly in Saudi Arabia in February and encompassing two further wins and an unlucky defeat.

The second Irish hope, Irish St Leger fourth Barbados, makes much less appeal than Think Of Me, who may thrive for the combination of heavy ground and extreme stamina test.

The best bet in the race could be André Fabre’s very lightly-raced Shamardal gelding, Sublimis, narrowly behind Think Of Me last time and another who could be transformed by this step up to two miles, four furlongs.

His dam, Be Fabulous, landed the 2011 running of the Prix Royal-Oak (French St Leger).

SELECTION: SUBLIMIS

Next best: Call The Wind

Conditions ideal for The Revenant

SATURDAY’S undercard includes three Group 2 races, each one boasting €140,000 in total prize money.

The best-quality event of the trio is the eight-runner Qatar Prix Daniel Wildenstein over a mile, which sees the Francis Graffard-trained mudlark The Revenant defend his crown on his first appearance since chasing home King Of Change in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot last October.

He has never been beaten on a return from a lay-off, and conditions are ideal, so he should prove too strong for the three-time Group 1-placed Shaman and Jessica Harrington’s Ancient Spirit, who may make the running.

The Qatar Prix Dollar, over one-mile, one-furlong, 165 yards, could also witness a repeat winner in the shape of Skalleti. His seven rivals include Joseph O’Brien’s Patrick Sarsfield and the exciting Coolmore Stud-owned/André Fabre-trained three-year-old Ocean Atlantique.

Aidan O’Brien runs Mythical, whose best 2020 effort was third in the Group 3 Ballyroan Stakes, in a six-runner Qatar Prix de Chaudenay (one mile, seven furlongs) which could be won by the provincially trained Mykiss.