10:00 – DELTA SPIRIT @ 8/1 (Each-way)
Another early start in France with a one-mile conditions race for three-year-old colts and geldings getting the action underway. Celestin has the best form following an impressive victory in listed company at Toulouse last November. Christophe Soumillon is booked to ride but having already seen serval horses turned over a short prices this week, it might be worth looking elsewhere for value.
Moshadid broke his maiden here in mid-March and drops in trip, while Winwood for Andre Fabre has a second-career start having finished sixth on debut last year. Delta Spirit is a tentative each-way selection against the favourite, having already won on heavy ground and having the benefit of a run this season in February.
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10:30 – BIONIC WOMAN
The Prix de La Pistole, a conditions race for three-year-old fillies over one-mile looks a match between Simeen and Bionic Woman. Both fillies are sired by Lope De Vega with the Andre Fabre-trained Bionic Woman is theselection. The Godolphin owned filly returns to the racetrack following a fourth-place finish in the Prix Marcel Boussac behind Albigna last October.
That is top-class form.
The unbeaten Simeen represents the main danger having shown an excellent turn of foot to win in comfortable fashion at Clairefontaine last season. Race tactics will be interesting between Christophe Soumillon and Mickael Barzalona, with the hope a positive front running display from Bionic Woman could see her find plenty from the front to secure victory.
11:00 – CITADELLE @ 9/4 (nap)
Speed is the key in the five-furlong maiden for two-year-olds with every horse making their debuts on the racetrack. Edina has some speed in pedigree from the sire Epaulette, but heavy conditions might not suit. Tokyo is another who should be popular with the in-form Pierre-Charles Boudot booked to ride for trainer Henri Alex Pantall.
Citadelle represents top trainer Jean-Claude Rouget and looks the safest selection under jockey Cristian Demuro. The filly has speed on both sides of her pedigree by sire Siyouni, out of an Acclamation mare, Power Of The Moon. Both sire and dam managed victories over five-furlongs on soft going conditions and the winning trainer/jockey combination this year stands at 32 per cent.
11:30 – ORNAMENTAL GLITTER @ 4/6
Another maiden for the juveniles over the five furlong trip for colts and geldings with Rouget and Demuro teaming up again with newcomer, Ornamental Glitter. He has bought for E160k last October at Tattersalls yearling sales for the White Birch Farm and on pedigree, has every chance of making a winning debut.
The trip might be on the sharp side for Bobby on debut under jockey Alexandre Gavilan and the same could be said for Arctico under Pierre-Charles Boudot.
If the ‘dead eight’ runners all start, the Andrew Hollinshead trained Oneonechop could represent each-way value with a speedy pedigree under jockey Maxime Guyon.
12:30 – AYAAD @ 7/2
The Prix des Veneurs could be fought out by two offspring by Kingman – namely Ayaad and Marbling – over this six-furlong trip. The Andre Fabre trained Marbling was very green when giving her maiden away when veering across the track on debut at Compiegne last October. The Juddmonte runner is open to further improvement, but the poor form of jockey Vicent Cheminaud puts me off.
Ayaad gets the verdict from the stable of Jean-Claude Rouget with jockey Cristian Demuro in the saddle. The Sheikh Hamdam owned runner showed a nice turn of foot when claiming a maiden last October at Deauville. The form of that race has worked out nicely this week with the second, Miss Extra winning a handicap at Longchamp on Monday.
13:12 – WOODED
The Prix Texanita is the feature race on the Chantilly card having been diverted here from Maisons-Laffitte and this renewal looks competitive. The Pascal Bary trained Wanaway is on the short-list but was workmanlike in winning a Listed race over a slightly shorter trip here in March. The consistent Abama and the Juddmonte owned Alocasia are two others who warrant respect.
Wooded is our piock for trainer Francis Graffard and jockey Pierre-Charles Boudot having shown solid form against good company last season. He ran a good second in Group company at Longchamp last September before pulling hard and finishing third behind the Charlie Appleby trained King’s Command at Saint-Cloud last October.
He has the class to win this feature race today.
*Prices correct at publishing but are subject to change
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