French Racing Sunday Spectacular! + 70/1 Acca!

After a brilliant Saturday of action in the UK and Ireland, attention on Sunday turns to Saint-Cloud, with the French venue holding a stacked card that includes the Group 1 Prix de Saint Cloud. With plenty of British challengers, it should be a memorable days racing and we’ve previewed all the big races, which can be found below! For the British action, our horse racing tips are on site now.

Prix de Saint-Patrick

The first of the pattern action comes in the form of the Prix de Saint-Patrick, a Listed race over the mile. There is a British interest straight from the gate, with Charlie Appleby sending over Art Du Val, a son of No Nay Never who has won two of his three starts. Winning a novice race at Sandown on debut, he ended a short two-year-old campaign with a second-place finish at Deauville in Listed company. He’s been seen once in 2019, easily winning a conditions’ race at Meydan.

He remains completely unexposed and further improvement should be right around the corner. The chief French threat looks to be Tantpispoureux, who arrives here on a hat-trick, winning a big-field handicap at Longchamp on his latest outing. That’s a good piece of form, but he may struggle to match the British raider, who is already proven at this level.

Prix de Malleret

The eye is immediately drawn to John Gosden’s Mehdaayih in this twelve-furlong Group 2 contest, an impressive winner of the Cheshire Oaks two starts ago. She didn’t have the best of runs when seventh in the Epsom Oaks, and perhaps better can be expected at a more “conventional” venue. She sets the form standard in this race and should poach a second pattern win at the meeting for Great Britain.

In terms of the French runners, Edisa arrives here hunting up a hat-trick, winning a ten-furlong Listed race at Longchamp by a head earlier this month. Her pedigree is positive on her staying chances up in distance, but she does still have stamina to prove regardless, as well as needing to find improvement to live with the British raider.

Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud

The big race on the card, the British have launched an assault on this Group 1 contest, with five of the seven entries being from this side of the Channel. The favourite, however, is Andre Fabre’s Morgan Le Faye, who has won all three of her starts in 2019, latterly at this venue when landing a Group 2 over the extended ten furlongs. She’s consistent and slowly progressive, so a big run has to be expected from this five-year-old.

Coronet heads the British challenge and looks to have the biggest chance, with John Gosden’s charge falling short by a nose in this race twelve months ago behind Waldgeist. She ended the year with a very good second to Magical on British Champion Day, but then flopped on seasonal return at Newmarket. She should come on for the run, and Frankie Dettori prefers her to the other Gosden runner.

Enjoying a very successful three-year-old campaign last year, Lah Ti Dar actually finished behind Coronet to end 2018, coming home a length behind in the British Champions Fillies & Mares. She scrambled home on seasonal return over an inadequate ten furlongs, though it’s harder to forgive a heavy defeat she suffered at Epsom last time. She handles softer ground is a force at her best, but the fact that Frankie jumps ship could be telling.

Prix Eugene Adam

The pattern action finishes off with another Group 2 contest, which features two well-known British horses. Headman burst back onto the scene on his latest start at Newbury, winning the London Gold Cup in fantastic style off a big weight. Given his pedigree, he’s worth a chance up in grade and he remains lightly raced, so further improvement can be expected. The worry for him, however, would be soft in the going description.

That perhaps hands the advantage to Jalmoud, who won a twelve-furlong Listed race at Longchamp in May on a softer surface. He disappointing in the Queen’s Vase last time, but raced far too keenly that day and dropping back in distance can see him in a much better light, especially as he’s only raced four times and he was progressive up until that latest forgivable run.

The biggest hope from France looks to be Flop Shot, who left behind his previous form when dominating a Group 3 field at Chantilly last month. He was eased down to win by three lengths, clearly relishing the softer ground. He’s been sent off favourite for all of his career starts and he’s stepped forward on the figures with each. Andre Fabre is a master trainer and this son of New Approach has to be feared.

70/1 British Runner’s Acca!

With Art Du Val (11/10), Mehdaayih (5/4), Coronet (11/4) and Jalmoud (3/1) all having huge chances for the British, an Acca of the four would return at 70/1!