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On Arc day, there is a plethora of races, with form lines more muddled than a few facebook statuses I saw last night, lay off the gin flower. The ground has gone softer than a southerner spending his Saturday night on the sofa watching X Factor, be wary of both.
I like to take a couple against the field on Arc day, especially in the tough races with large fields, and perm the lot, like an eighties hairdresser, with added fizz. I will go through the fields as a process of elimination, and work with what I have left. If that doesn’t make sense, think of it as playing a game of Guess Who, but with thoroughbred equine specimens.
The Prix De L’Abbaye is a generally horrendous race for me, and I am woeful at it. I liked Sole Power a lot, and would like him even more if it wasn’t for the ground to be horrific, and he is traditionally a lover of the firmer stuff, aren’t we all mind. The two I’ve pinpointed as soft ground animals are SWISS SPIRIT for David Elsworth, who comes for that infamous mare Swiss Lake, and all her progeny love a bit of juice. As does MAYSON, who won The July Cup on torrential ground, and handled it better than any. Ortensia and Society Rock have franked the form in behind, and they should handle conditions better than most.
Gradually going through the gears, and The Prix Marcel Boussac is the fillies chance to strut their stuff, and their coats will no doubt be glistening off the crisp turf, hopefully the British invasion of France continues with AGENT ALLISON and PURR ALONG going for us, Purr Along is the obvious stand out with her second behind Certify franked by Godolphin’s star filly winning The Fillies Mile at HQ last week. Agent Allison is another who was second behind a superstar when behind Newfangled at Royal Ascot. By Dutch Art, and out of a Diktat mare, I’m hopefully she will handle the conditions well.
In The Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, I cannot have the Ballydoyle two, even though they have a good record in the race and in particular on Arc Day. George Vancouver and Pedro the Great, are both out of Henrythenavigator won six of his ten starts on turf, but the two runs on soft he faltered, and being American bred, I don’t like his kiddies running on the wet stuff. I don’t like Olympic Glory, and generally avoid the Hannon and Hughes horses. The two I like are WHAT A NAME, who is a group three winner already in France, and Tha’ir for Godolphin. What a Name although a Mr Greeley colt, ran well on his maiden on soft, finishing a good third of nine at Deauville when very soft. THA’IR won at Ascot when the ground had plenty of juice, and he has good form in behind the likes of Toronado, Steeler and Dundonnell.
IZZI TOP immediately goes on the shortlist for The Prix De L’Opera and has seen her best form come on very soft ground, most memorably winning The Pretty Polly in Ireland ahead of Sapphire of Dermot Weld. The daughter of Pivotal will have her ideal conditions today. GALIKOVA is a horse I have liked since winning The Prix Vermaille last year and this half-sister to Goldkova ran well behind Snow Fairy and Izzi Top in a stellar renewal of The Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville in August. She has won over further and the trip will need getting again.
I have backed Orfevre ante post, but with the ground it is hard to not fancy GREAT HEAVENS in the Arc, The filly gets 11lb from the four year old colts and will be sure to handle the heavy going. Camelot is a place lay; I can not have him in the slightest.
The Prix De La Foret should have been a cake walk for Moonlight Cloud, seven furlongs on soft, she could have won this doing handsprings, somersaults and various other gymnastic tricks the filly would have learnt watching The Olympics. Instead, the two to take here are Penitent and Mashoora. I backed Mashoora in the 1000 Guineas, and she just didn’t stay the trip. She is a classy filly, and will go well. As will Penitent, who loves the soft ground, putting his best foot forward in the mud, as seen last week when winning well at Newmarket over a mile. Gordon Lord Byron is respected but far too short, although he should handle things well.
The Prix Du Cadran looks a good renewal this year, and with the ground as it is, I can not have Kasbah Bliss or Saddlers Rock. The two to take out are High Jinx and Colour Vision, with preference for the latter. High Jinx has chased home Times Up twice on his last two starts, but is a progressive colt for James Fanshawe, who has a stable in top nick. Colour Vision is a progressive Gold Cup winner, who is sure to stay the trip, it will take some getting.
12.55 – Mayson & Swiss Spirit
13.30 – Purr Along and Agent Allison
14.05 – Tha’ir & What a Name
14.40 – Izzi Top& Galikova
15.25 – Orfevre & Great Heavens
16.55 – Mashoora & Penitent
17.25 – Colour Vision &High Jinx
The Yorkshireman - Jack Milner
Follow me on Twitter - @JJMSports
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