We are back at Auteuil on Saturday for the 2nd meeting of the week and this is definitely a card to get excited by. The 9:40am start may not be to everyone's taste, but it does mean that we should avoid any serious clashes with the action from Leopardstown and Doncaster later in the day.
We get underway with the Prix Finot, a pair of debutantes races for the 3-year-old hurdlers before we move to the more established horses. The Prix Kerym at 11:25 offers a first opportunity for some star quality to be on show. This is a Class 2 event for the 3-year-old Fillies and has been priced as a match between the unbeaten pair, Pepite Bleue and La Dronne. They set a fair standard having had some strong form over the summer, but this is significant step up in class for both and they meet the likes of Miss Altea Blue and Altura, who showed good form here in the spring. However, the horse that interests me most is Mamisuz de Houelle. We haven't seen Arnaud Chaille-Chaille's 3-year-oild since the opening day of the 3-year-old season at Compiegne in March when she was a narrowly beaten favourite in the Prix D'Essai des Pouliches. It is probably fair to say that she was given an odd ride by Gaetan Masure on the day and finished with more to come. So, despite the absence, she is of obvious interest and the form of the Compiegne race, where she finished ahead of Murcia, a subsequent Listed winner who has now joined Willie Mullins, would suggest that she is capable of holding her own at this level and beyond. We have to take her fitness on trust and she may need the run, but Arnaud Chaille-Chaille has been in incredible form in the last month and she might be worth a small investment if the 6/1 price holds.
I have no intention of backing Diamond Carl, but it is wonderful to see him back and if he does run anywhere near to his rating of 76-kilos, he will win the Prix Ucello II at 12:00. We haven't seen Francois Nicolle's 6-year-old since he finished 2nd in the Prix Maurice Gillois back in November 2022 and how fit he is and how much ability remains is anyones guess after such a long absence. However, he was the most exciting chaser in France in 2022 and the fact that connections have chosen to come here, rather than taking up what looked to be an easier entry at Lyon on Sunday, would give some hope that they feel he is capable of running well.
I have already written about Kloth of Utopia this week so I won't add to those thoughts here (runs in the Prix Cadoudal at 1:10) but 40-minutes later there is an intriguing race over hurdles. The Prix de L'Orleanais features the Willie Mullins trained Saint Sam. Mullins is no stranger to Auteuil and this looks to be a good spot for Saint Sam, who is quite a way clear of most of this field on the official ratings. If he matches the graded form that he has shown in Ireland, then he will probably win, but he isn't the most consistent horse and he hasn't run in France since 2020, so I'm not keen to take a short price about him. Ironically he will meet Feu du Bresil, who has just returned to France from Willie Mullins and will make his debut for Hugo Merienne here, but there are plenty of interesting types in this field with French form. Castellet is a 19-race maiden, but he is also a graded performer and should strip fitter for his return at Clairefontaine last month. Whilst Gallipoli was placed in a Grade 2 over fences in the Spring and can't be ignored at the bottom of the weights. Add in the likes of Fiston de Becon and Politha, who arrive on the back of some promising form at Clairefontaine and we have the makings of a great race. I was keen to try and find an angle to take on Saint Sam, who looks too short at the early price of 10/11, but it is hard to be sure which horses are "straight" for this and which horses are using it as preparation for the season to come, so i will sit on the fence, even if it looks to be the most competitive race on the card.
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