G1 Prix Jacques le Marois | Horse Racing Free Tips

The Curragh: “Hopefully We Can Get Revenge.” Unquestionable Set For Phoenix Rematch

The Curragh stages Europe's first Group 1 contest for the current crop of 2-year-olds on Saturday and it is fair to say that a Keeneland Phoenix S. without the anticipated presence of River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is up for grabs. While Aidan O'Brien and the Coolmore contingent opted to send the G2 Coventry S.-winning 'TDN Rising Star' to Deauville for the Prix Morny, the way is clear for another 'TDN Rising Star' son of that sire to step into his place. Unquestionable (Fr) has the obstacle of yet another Wootton Bassett colt in Bucanero Fuerte (GB) to overcome and he couldn't quite manage that in the course-and-distance G2 Railway S. last month, but this is the Phoenix and O'Brien that we are talking about.

Ballydoyle's commander-in-chief has almost made this race his private property since 1998, with a sequence of 17 winners. Remarkably, the gap between Sioux Nation in 2017 and Little Big Bear (Ire) last term was the only time in that period that he had gone more than a year without collecting and the Railway has always been a race to sharpen his prospective Phoenix colt. Ryan Moore has enjoyed even more success than usual on the stable's big guns in Ireland in 2023 and he said on his betfair blog, “This lacks a stand-out. Only a short-head separated Bucanero Fuerte and Unquestionable in the Railway and hopefully we can get revenge after our colt had to miss Goodwood because of the worsening ground.”

Other than Bucanero Fuerte, Royal Ascot's Coventry also featured Givemethebeatboys (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}) who was just 3/4 of a length behind having been sent for home some way out. Bronsan Racing and Theresa Marnane's G3 Marble Hill S. winner has been given a freshener since then and trainer Jessica Harrington issued a positive update on the £1.1-million Goffs London sensation. “Hopefully he'll run a good race and we don't get too much rain between now and then so we have a bit of nice ground on the day. He's won on soft, but I'd prefer better ground as he's a good-moving horse,” she said.

No filly has won this since La Collina (Ire) (Strategic Prince {GB}) in 2011, but the unbeaten Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio) had some smart fillies behind when capturing the G3 Albany S. for the Fowler-Medallion Racing-Weston-Reeves collective and there is no definitive marker as to how the two sexes stand up. “She was in control the whole way in the Albany and did everything you'd like, so you'd have to respect the form and she seems quite versatile,” jockey Oisin Murphy said.

Sweet Solera Up For Grabs

While Ascot stages its longstanding Shergar Cup with its alternative appeal, Newmarket quietly gets on with the business of helping to sort the 2-year-old pecking order. Like the Phoenix, the G3 Molson Coors Sweet Solera S. also lacks a standout candidate but Godolphin's four-length course-and-distance winner Wild Goddess (GB) (Camelot {GB}) fits the bill with her connections and pedigree as she tackles the Listed Star S. second and third Fallen Angel (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) and Soprano (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}). The latter is back on more suitable ground, having been third behind Porta Fortuna in the Albany and we'll know more what that form means by late afternoon on Saturday.

At Haydock, there is an intriguing blend of youth and old talent in the 10-furlong G3 Rose Of Lancaster S. with the impressive Listed Lyric Fillies' S. winner Midnight Mile (Ire) (No Nay Never) taking on Shadwell's unpredictable Al Aasy (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) with weight-for-age on her side.

Inspiral Confirmed For Marois Defence

John and Thady Gosden have given the green light for Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) to attempt back-to-back successes in Sunday's G1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois at Deauville following her last-of-five effort in the G1 Sussex S. She will encounter her G1 Queen Anne S. conqueror Triple Time (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and also Yeguada Centurion SL's G1 Prix du Jockey Club runner-up Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), as well as the G1 Prix Jean Prat-winning course specialist Good Guess (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) in a competitive 11-runner affair.

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Coroebus Faces Jacques Le Marois Test

While Saratoga continues to thrill across the Atlantic, the long hot summer of 2022 rolls on with Deauville staging its own prolonged festival to draw the elite to Normandy's cradle of racing. The G1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois is arguably the jewel of the whole month and has attracted some notable actors on Sunday including Godolphin's exciting Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). At this mile trip, Charlie Appleby has the material this season with the English, French and Irish 2000 Guineas and St James's Palace S. already in safe keeping. Only Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) could deny Moulton Paddocks a clean sweep in the G1 Sussex S., but even then the stable had a solid second with Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) acting as a deputy for the missing 2000 Guineas and St James's Palace hero. Appleby is surprisingly bullish ahead of the homebred's hardest task to date. “All of his runs before Royal Ascot were over the straight mile at Newmarket and I think he is more comfortable racing over a straight course, which we get here. We are very confident that he can keep his unbeaten record for the year intact.”

What Next From Inspiral?

After Royal Ascot, most would have pointed to Cheveley Park Stud's G1 Coronation S. heroine Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) as the one to side with in a match with Coroebus who looked fortunate to have come away with the Tuesday feature. While the subsequent shock defeat of the John and Thady Gosden-trained homebred at the hands of Marc Chan and Andrew Rosen's Prosperous Voyage (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) in the G1 Falmouth S. at Newmarket July 8 has raised a question mark, the July Course is renowned for favouring front-runners when the ground is riding as fast as it was then and connections are convinced they have her in the right place for her own moment of truth. “I know she had little bit of a blip at Newmarket last time, but you have to excuse her after the long lay-off and sometimes horses can throw a bad one in,” Frankie Dettori said. “When I say bad, she was second, but she didn't run to her full potential.”

No Time To Rest

Honours are even between the Classic generation and the older horses in the last 10 runnings, but few in the latter category could boast the type of record that State Of Rest (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) brings to the table. His quartet of top-level wins have all come over further, but the pace that he showed from the front when denying Bay Bridge (GB) (New Bay {GB}) in the G1 Prince Of Wales's S. at Royal Ascot June 15 will take him a long way reverting to a mile. His toughness is also an essential quality and will be a prerequisite as the 3-year-olds come at him late on here. Joseph O'Brien has been intent on trying him at a mile for some time and feels this is the ideal spot. “He's a horse that's always shown plenty of speed and it will be interesting to see how he can perform at a shorter distance,” he said. “Every day he goes to the track, he turns up and he has no problem leading, like he did last time. I think it's fairly obvious he'll be ridden in an uncomplicated way, whether he's getting a lead or not. It comes either way to him.”

A Nation's Pride With Erevann

With the first two Group 1 contests of the famed August meeting going the way of the British, the odds are cramped that this prestige event will also traverse La Manche as the home nation struggles to gain any respite from the onslaught. Last Tuesday's G1 Prix Rothschild saw Goldistyle (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) grab third, but Sunday's G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest was a stark reminder of where the balance of power rests in Europe with the eighth-placed Accakaba (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) faring best of the domestic runners. It is incredible to think that the whole of France's training ranks can muster just two representatives in one of their feature events on Sunday, with both hailing from the Jean-Claude Rouget stable. Nevertheless, one is The Aga Khan's unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Erevann (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}), a son of Ervedya (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) who stated his case when taking Chantilly's G3 Prix Paul de Moussac June 19. He has to find improvement from that effort, but with his pedigree it is entirely possible.

A Continuing Romance?

Charlie Appleby will be hoping that he can pull off a notable double on Sunday, with Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) taking on the German runners in Hoppegarten's G1 Westminster 132nd Grosser Preis von Berlin. A typical Godolphin raider in this country, the June 25 Listed Fred Archer S. and July 29 G3 Glorious S. winner is unbeaten on turf and all-weather and his trainer said, “We felt this was a nice opportunity to test the waters at this level and we are confident that he won't disgrace himself.” Stall Nizza's May 29 G2 Grosser Preis der Badischen Wirtschaft winner Alter Adler (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) may offer the sternest threat among the older horses, while the pick of the 3-year-olds look to be Darius Racing's May 22 G2 Derby Italiano hero Ardakan (GB) (Reliable Man {GB}) and Anna Schleusner-Fruhriep's Nastaria (GB) (Outstrip {GB}), who is out just a week after her impressive success in Dresden's Listed Sommerpreis over 9 1/2 furlongs.

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State Of Rest Team Opts For Marois Over International

Four-time Group 1 winner State Of Rest (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) will head to Sunday's G1 Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville instead of next week's G1 Juddmonte International, according to trainer Joseph O'Brien. The 4-year-old's international tour kicked off with a win in the GI Saratoga Derby Invitational S. last August, and he shipped Down Under and captured the iconic G1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on Oct. 23. Next was a 3/4-length win in the G1 Prix Ganay at ParisLongchamp on May Day prior to a solid third in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup back in Ireland later that month. State Of Rest ran out a one-length victor in the G1 Prince Of Wales's S. at Royal Ascot in his latest start.

O'Brien said, “The plan is to run at the weekend in France in the Marois. It looks a good race, but we are looking forward to it. He won nicely at Ascot and we have been happy with him since then.”

After the Marois, the trainer is keeping his options open for the future shuttle stallion, however a title defence in the G1 Cox Plate is still on the table.

“We will obviously see how we get on here but going back to Australia is obviously an option after that,” he added.

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Appleby To Divide And Conquer With His Star Sophomores, As Adayar Captures ‘Old Spark’

Last year's G1 Cazoo Derby and G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth QIPCO S. hero Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) is slowly rounding back into form after a start in this year's King George was mooted earlier this week, according to trainer Charlie Appleby. The Classic winner ran fourth in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in October and dropped to fifth in his 3-year-old finale, the G1 QIPCO Champion S. in the middle of that month. He has not graced a racecourse since.

Appleby said, “Adayar is cantering away. I took him out of the King George a few days ago because I was having to force him and I didn't want to have to do that. He's a super horse and he's been fantastic for us and from what we have seen in the last 10 days, he's a different horse.

“He's cantering away but most importantly he looks great and has got his old spark back about him. He's having a buck and kick again and I haven't seen that for six weeks or more as he's basically just been a horse. Now we are starting to see the old Adayar. I'm not going to target a race. He'll tell me when he's ready, and hopefully that will be sooner rather than later.”

The current plan is to separate 2-year-old champion and G1 Irish 2000 Guineas victor Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) from his G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas conqueror Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) for their next starts. Third to Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}) and Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) in last Saturday's G1 Coral-Eclipse S. at Sandown, Native Trail will be stepped down in trip from 10 furlongs.

Appleby said, “I thought Native Trail ran a solid race and he was just outstayed at that level. Two [furlongs] down, I thought William [Buick] was just having to look after him. He got 10 furlongs but he didn't run through the line at 10. He'll be competitive at that trip, but do I think we can reverse the form with the first and second? I'd be surprised.

“I'd like to come back to a mile and take him for the [G1] Prix Jacques le Marois while Coroebus will go to the Sussex S. [at Goodwood on July 27], all being well.”

Also in action last weekend was Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), the winner of the G1 Irish Derby and G1 Grand Prix de Paris before taking the G1 St Leger S. in September. The chestnut, third in the Arc, resumed with a third in the G2 Hardwicke S. at Royal Ascot, but was a puzzling eighth of nine in the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on July 3.

He said, “With Hurricane Lane, unfortunately the ground was too quick. They said it was soft, we knew it wouldn't be–it was good-to-soft in the morning, but just dried out all day to good-to-firm. William [Buick] wasn't hard on him, he said he wasn't even enjoying it going to the start.

“It's unfortunate as I didn't want to run him on good-to-firm ground twice this year, but that is what has happened. Most importantly he's come out of it fine. It's very simple now, we'll wait for soft ground and when that appears hopefully you'll see Hurricane Lane at his best again.”

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