Exciting European Action! + 1259/1 Each-Way Treble!

With Royal Ascot taking centre stage this week, there has been plenty of international raiders coming to the fore in the big races. Watch Me took the Group 1 Coronation for France on Friday, taking a deserved victory for the raiders. Although we have one day left of Royal Ascot, there is plenty of great action in Europe to get stuck into this weekend, and we’ve previewed them below! We do, of course, have our Royal Ascot tips on site too!

Grand Prix de Compiegne (Saturday, 3.25pm)

The big race from France on Saturday is the Grand Prix de Compiegne, with a fascinating favourite in the form of Musis Amica for Andre Fabre and Godolphin. She’s been absent since June 2018, where she was beaten a neck by Lauren’s in the Group 1 French Oaks. That form is obviously extremely strong and although she has a big absence to overcome, she’s the class of the race.

Many of you will also recognise the name Stellar Mass, who was formerly trained by Jim Bolger in Ireland, leaving that yard after a disappointing Group 3 run. He changed hands for 75,000 euros and is dropped in grade for his French debut. He’s now a six-year-old, granted, but his best form doesn’t put him far away from the aforementioned Musis Amica, especially if this change of yards has rejuvenated him. At 20/1, he looks greatly overpriced.

Oaks d’Italia (Sunday, 4.30pm)

Hosting one of their biggest races of the year, the Group 2 Italian Oaks is held at San Siro in Milan. The favourite goes for the home nation in the shape of Call Me Love, who has won three of her four starts. She gained a Listed success on her second career start and was 1/5 when gaining a facile success at Rome in Conditions company subsequently.

Her only defeat came on her latest start at Group 2 level, where she was third in the Derby Italiano, a race where fillies may also take their chance. That is obviously a brilliant piece of form in the context of this race and she needs respect, but there is a spanner in the works for her.

That spanner comes in the shape of Andrew Balding’s King Power (7/1), who comes over from Britain to try and steal the prize. She’s a three-race maiden and her form figures don’t leap off the page, but don’t let that fool you. She was second to Sparkle Roll on her second career start, with that horse third in the Ribblesdale earlier this week. She was a shade disappointing in the Lingfield Oaks Trial, but her stamina looked to fold late and much better can be expected down in distance.

Grosser Preis der Wirtscharft (Sunday, 2.10pm)

Germany also hosts some Group action this weekend in the form of the Grosser Preis der Wirtschaft, a Group 3 contest. The favourite is thirteen-time winner Potemkin, who was a winner in this grade two starts ago. He’s been absent since November, however, where he ran poorly in a Listed race at Marseille, so he does have something to prove at a skinny price.

Perhaps more interesting is Folie De Louise (13/2), who ended 2018 with a Listed success at Saint-Cloud. She’s not run badly in two starts this year, fifth over course and distance on her latest start in a Listed contest. She’s certainly exposed at this stage, but she’s consistent and looks set for a big run in a race that certainly isn’t strong for the level.