Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere Tips & Betting Preview

Race Time: 1.35pm Meeting: Longchamp Day: Sunday 4th October Distance: 1m
Full Race Name:  Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (Grand Criterium) (Group One) (2yo Colts & Fillies)

A look back at previous winners sees Olympic Glory taking it for Richard Hannon in 2012, and Richard Fahey in 2010 with Wootton Bassett, bit further back, its that man Aiden O’Brien with seven wins in total that we need to watch! Naturally, he has declared a few just to confuse us, with Lieutenant General, General Macarthur, Landofhopeandglory, Shogun, Hit It A Bomb, Air Vice Marshal, and Johannes Vermeer (5/2) all entered with preference for the latter named of the seven if it was down to us! A bred in the purple son of (you guessed it) Galileo, he was third to Mrs King when green on his debut butt has won both races since with a Killarney maiden and then the Group Three Champion Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown when staying on strongly. Runner up True Solitaire has been beaten a short head in a Group Two since while third placed Sanus Per Aquam took the Group Three Somerville Tattersalls Stakes when last seen in action, so the form is working out pretty well.

As mentioned over the weekend, Newmarket trainer Hugo Palmer is having a season to remember and he will be hoping for another win from the progressive Galileo Gold (15/2) here after victories already at Salisbury, Haydock, and Goodwood, the last one in the Group Two Vintage Stakes when staying on strongly over the seven furlongs.  Still a shell of a horse, he will get better as a three year old but could have one last race in him this season, and if they allow him to take his chance he has to be an everyone’s short list of potential winners.

Meanwhile, Richard Hannon is still a top trainer of two year olds as we all know so we can’t really write off the chances of Ventura Storm (14/1), the winner of a soft ground novice event when last seen in action at Salisbury. That form equates to very little in then context of a race of this standard, but he must have been showing something on the home gallops for them to send him here. We don’t think he can win on what we have seen to date, but we will most certainly keep an eye on him for future reference on his return to racing in the United Kingdom. 

First Selection (20/1) would cap an outstanding first season for trainer Simon Crisford and who is to say that isn’t possible with the colt already having won four contests already this season at up to Group Three standard? We are naturally wary that he started off over five furlongs so the mile here could be pushing it as he obviously has plenty of speed, but the ex Godolphin man has spent his life with top horses so should know what is required, though at this stage we feel fourth could be the very best they could possibly hope for.

Lastly, Godolphin are rarely scared of running more than one in a race and they may be double handed thanks to the unbeaten Ultra (15/2), another in training with Andre Fabre and another who is difficult to accurately assess. Two comfortable wins in small races mean little to us (or anyone to be fair), and only his closest connections will be aware off who he is or isn’t working with at home, and how well, but if they think he is worthy of an entry in such a prestigious race then he may be better than it first appears, and it will certainly be intriguing to see how he gets on if they let him run on the day.