Prix Djebel: Ryan on Rockinante at Maisons-Laffitte

France / Timeform / 03 April 2012 /

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Mikel Delzangles won the 2000 Guineas with Makfi.

"Hermival, trained by Mikel Delzangles, made a winning debut at Saint-Cloud in November, and had a couple of next-time-out winners in-behind..."

Former champion jockey and new Betfair columnist, Ryan Moore, will partner the Richard Hannon-trained Rockinante in Thursday's Group 3 Prix Jebel at Maisons-Laffitte...

Rockinante made six starts as a two-year-old and got on the scoreboard on three occasions, including wins in a listed contest at Deauville and the Group 3 Autumn Stakes at Newmarket in October.

A fourth-placed effort in the Group 2 Royal Lodge, won by recent UAE Derby winner Daddy Long Legs, was certainly a creditable performance in between, but a Timeform weight-adjusted rating of 121 for the Djebel suggests he may have his work cut out against a pair of French-trained colts, with one looking particularly exciting.

Jean-Claude Rouget's Abtaal (127p) and Nicolas Clement's French Fifteen (126) came up against each other in the Group 3 Prix Thomas Bryon at Saint-Cloud in September last year, when the former dealt French Fifteen a comfortable three-length beating.

French Fifteen went on to the Group 1 Criterium International later that month, with the promising Andrew Balding-trained Bonfire back in third, but the ease of Abtaal's victory is still fresh in the mind, and the Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum-owned colt is expected to confirm his superiority.

Another interesting pair are Hermival (105p) and Lord Sinclair (116p), who have had just the three starts between them.

The former, trained by Mikel Delzangles who trained 2010 2000 Guineas hero Makfi, made a winning debut at Saint-Cloud in November and had a couple of next-time-out winners in behind. Like Makfi, he is by Darley stallion Dubawi, and is likely to be aimed at Newmarket should he come through this trial with flying colours.

Lord Sinclair has taken to the track twice, at Cagnes-Sur-Mer and Deauville, and recorded two victories (the latter a listed race). This will be his first sighting of a turf track in public, but he ought to improve again.

The Prix Djebel is recognised as a classic trial and, of those currently in the 2000 Guineas ante-post market, Abtaal is the shortest at [26.0]. French Fifteen is presently available at [32.0], Hermival at [65.0] and Rockinante at [240.0].

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