Desmond Stoneham

SAINT-CLOUD - SUNDAY

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

Kataniya looks capable of giving the Aga Khan, Alain de Royer-Dupré and Christophe Soumillon back-to-back wins in this prep for the Prix Vermeille. Paul Cole runs Jasmine Blue (Jim Crowley) and this daughter of Galileo could run into a place. Kataniya made all to win the Group 3 Prix de Royaumont over this distance at Chantilly in May and had a little in hand when holding off Sea Calisi by a neck. Bella Donna Borget was fifth. Royer-Dupré very nearly ran Kataniya in the Prix de Diane Longines and also considered the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot. The daughter of Raven’s Pass will have the assistance of pacemaker, Minya. André Fabre is going for his eighth Malleret with a beautifully-bred daughter of Galileo (her dam Plumania won the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud) who only won her maiden on June 8th so she must be showing something on the home gallops. Jasmine Blue broke her duck at Newbury in April before a third in a listed race at the same track earlier this month. Yaazy made a winning debut in a newcomers’ race at Longchamp and John Hammond has dropped her in at the deep end which has also been chosen by Jean-Claude Rouget for Aimless Lady. She recently hacked up in two races at Angers.

Selection: KATANIYA.

Next best: Solilea

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

Treve meets several old and talented rivals but she has already shown to be at the top of her game and spot on target for a third attempt to win the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in October. The mare looked a picture at this track last month when she thrashed dual Group 1 winner We Are by four lengths in the shorter Group 2 Prix Corrida with Feodora back in fourth position. Written off by many after a lacklustre fourth in the Qatar Prix Vermeille, Treve totally redeemed her reputation with a second victory in the Arc. That day, she had Flintshire two lengths away second and Dolniya just over three lengths back in fifth position and they both take up the challenge again. The weather forecast predicts a heatwave for the weekend so the ground could be a little lively. Criquette Head-Maarek reports the mare in great shape and her foot and back problems a thing of the past. The daughter of Motivator is back to her best distance and will again be ridden by Thierry Jarnet. Flintshire (Vincent Cheminaud) is a very genuine son of Dansili who loves to hear his hoofs rattle. Since chasing Treve home in the Arc, he has been runner-up in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf race, the winner of the Longines Hong Kong Vase before going under on three occasions to Dolniya at Chantilly, Meydan and Epsom. Dolniya (Christophe Soumillon) has improved this season and was two and a quarter lengths clear of Flintshire when taking the Dubai Sheema Classic and a length and a half clear of him when just being caught at the end of the Investec Coronation Cup by Pether’s Moon. She is a course and distance winner having won the Prix de Malleret last year but she does have just over four lengths to make up on Treve from last October’s Arc. Dauran will be pace making for Dolniya and Altaira for Treve. Godolphin’s Manatee is one of three horses in the race trained by André Fabre (the others are Flintshire and Feodora). Being by Monsun, he would prefer a little cut but the ground was good when he held on gamely to win the Group 2 Grand Prix de Chantilly last time out. Meleagros is a course and distance winner and has run well in the Grand Prix for the past two years but not against such strong opposition.

Selection: TREVE

Next best: Dolniya