Qatar Prix Vermeille (Group 1)

THE unexpected 24-hour delay in the final day of the St Leger meeting following the sad death of Queen Elizabeth II meant that ParisLongchamp ended up the third most interesting European fixture last Sunday, put in the shade by both Leopardstown and Doncaster.

That might have changed had the Bois de Boulogne venue witnessed a stunning performance in one of its three course-and-distance trials for October 2nd’s Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

In truth, none of the trial winners posted anything close to a convincing audition for the big day and Simca Mille, who recorded by far the fastest time of the three in the Qatar Prix Niel, is not a certain Arc runner given that he needs to be supplemented for Europe’s biggest race.

Despite all this, there were plenty of happy faces at ParisLongchamp as all five of the afternoon’s group races fell to home-trained runners, bucking a trend that had seen almost total overseas domination at Deauville during August.

Protracted battle

Arc clues could still be gleaned if you looked hard enough, and the card’s only Group 1, the Qatar Prix Vermeille, saw a protracted battle between Sweet Lady and Lilac Road, two fillies who in their previous starts had each trailed home well behind the most fancied member of their sex for next month’s showpiece, Alpinista.

The real hero of the Vermeille was jockey Gregory Benoist, who made the running on the usually held-up Sweet Lady and got the fractions spot on, going as slowly as he dared without prompting a challenge for leadership and then winding up the tempo from far enough out to suit the attributes of his mount, who does not possess a push-button turn of foot.

Benoist’s judgement was even more praiseworthy given that he had not ridden the daughter of Lope De Vega in a single one of her previous 13 racecourse appearances.

Only eighth in last year’s Prix de Diane but out of the first two just once (when fourth to Alpinista in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud) in six subsequent starts, she is set to take her chance in the Arc but is unlikely to get such a favourable pace set-up next time.

Trainer Francis Graffard said: “We have always been minded to wait for the autumn with her, as we know that she appreciates softer ground.

“She still did well in the spring, winning a Group 2, and we haven’t had any hold ups with her since then, so I was surprised that she was such big odds [12.5/1 on the Pari-Mutuel].”

Consideration

“When I saw her in front, with her big ears pricked, I thought to myself that it wasn’t such a bad position to be in! I need to talk to her owners but we will certainly give the Arc strong consideration – if it comes up soft, she would have a chance.”

The unlucky horse of the race was the Prix de Diane runner-up, La Parisienne, who got squeezed for room at the two furlong pole and, having been forced to switch wider, finished best of all to be beaten by no more than a head and a short neck.

Aidan O’Brien’s Oaks heroine, Tuesday, was a little disappointing as although she was forced to come from a long way back, she did get a clear run down the outside.

Having used up plenty of gas to close to within shouting distance of the leaders a furlong out, her run petered out, and one was left to speculate if her fourth place might have been improved upon had her stablemate, History, who beat just two home, been used to set a stronger gallop.