Prix Bertrand de Taragon Tips & Betting Preview

A nine furlong trip for fillies and mares in this Group 3 contest with British interest courtesy of Roger Varian. Our expert tip and runner by runner preview are below.

IN SUMMARY: HEURISTIQUE brings the strongest form to the table in this Group 3 contest with a placed effort in the French 1000 Guineas. She enjoys plenty of cut in the ground, with the step up in trip promising to bring about an improved display for a yard in good form. Via Firenze looks like her main danger, placed in a Group 2 in Meydan, she won on soft ground last time out so conditions shouldn’t be an issue for her. Golden Legend has progressed well in 2017, winning a Listed race last time out. She enjoys soft ground and could be a little overpriced.

1 VIA FIRENZE – Didn’t have to improve to pick up a Listed contest last time out at Clairefontaine. That was her first time on genuinely soft ground, but this heavy surface shouldn’t be too much of an issue for her. A runner-up effort in Meydan to Opal Tiara in February reads well in the context of this race coming at Group 2 level; she has strong claims over her best trip.

2 GAME THEORY – Only went under by a short neck at this track last time out over a mile. The winner Usherette is well known to racing fans over here as a Royal Ascot winner – that race coming on soft ground. She has won on heavy ground as well as a win on very soft, so neither track nor conditions hold any fears but she needs a little more at Group 3 level.

3 DAWN OF HOPE – UK raider, she has been placed at Listed and Group 3 level the last twice. She has yet to encounter anything worse than good to soft ground which is something of a worry. Mastercraftsman offspring enjoy a bit of cut in the ground, but there are few on the dam’s side of her pedigree who wanted ground this soft, best watched.

4 SYRITA – Placed on very soft ground at Clairefontaine in June in a minor contest, however the majority of her better form has come either on artificial surfaces or good turf. She caused a shock when landing a Listed race at Chantilly in July, but that was on sand. She is hard to support at Group 3 level when the ground is as testing as this.

5 GOLDEN LEGEND – Produced a career best earlier this month when landing a Listed success at Chantilly. She has plenty to find with some in here on that bare form, but it came on soft ground so she’ll have no problems with the conditions. She is still a relatively lightly raced three-year-old so there may be more improvement to come to allow her to challenge for a place.

6 HEURISTIQUE – Third in the French 1000 Guineas back in May on very soft ground which is the strongest form in the contest. She was a Listed winner last backend on heavy, so deeper conditions are no issue for her. She kept on at the end of the Guineas, suggesting that the step up a furlong in trip is going to see her in a better light. She looks like the one to beat for the Francis-Henri Graffard stable who have been in the winners in recent weeks.

7 ARAAJA – Progressive in 2017, she was a Listed winner at Vichy before finding Group 2 level a step too far most recently. That Group 2 contest was won by Sobetsu for Charlie Appleby, Araaja finishing six and a half lengths off the Godolphin winner. That leaves her with a fair bit to find at this level.

8 DJUMAY – German raider who was placed in a Listed race at Hoppegarten on good ground in mid-August. That form is solid enough at Listed level, but it leaves her with upwards of a stone to find if she is to trouble the principals here. Rightfully the wide outsider of the field.

9 DALLAS AFFAIR – A winner of a minor contest on soft ground in March, she has progressed this summer when faced with a sounder surface. A Listed winner and a near miss in a Group 3 the last twice are enough to think that she can be challenging for the places on this occasion, provided that the step back to a much softer surface is detrimental to her chances.