Daryl Carter's Tips: No problème in Paris he can't solve, plus 9/2 and 9/1 Sunday selections

• Daryl looks closely at the Group 1 action in France on Sunday

• Say Apirist is crying out for soft ground at York and is NAP material

• Significantly well worth chancing on return @ 9/110.00

• *Azure Blue added at 09:10 on Sunday morning

A quick mention of a couple of races in France on Sunday. Starting with the outstanding Ombudsman, who I expect to hold three Wathnan Racing challengers comfortably in the 12:58. He is currently priced according to what you would expect following his excellent romp last time at the same venue at 8/131.61. Still, we could be looking at a special horse.

Later on the card, at 13:33, I am unsure why Dolayli is the favourite over Haya Zark. They set an okay but not unsurpassable standard, although the latter is a Group 1 winner.

14:50 Longchamp

The 14:50 Prix du Moulin is an interesting race, but there is only one horse I would back. Charyn - currently 10/111.91 on the Betfair Sportsbook - who looks like he has developed into an outstanding miler. There's no escaping how impressive he was in the le Marois, and his Queen Anne form is rock solid. On a straight comparison with Notable Speech and Henry Longfellow, he has the beating of them. Obviously, things are always complicated, but Charyn has shown clear signs of improvement with each outing this term, and the quality and quantity of rivals he has devoured mean it's impossible to question his form.

The rain at Longchamp would have favoured him over the three-year-olds, and he has everything in his favour.

Notable Speech was good at Goodwood last time, but he still went off at 3/14.00 even after Rosallion's withdrawal. The rapid, fast ground there and the tight, turning-speed-favouring track would have suited him well, but they are a complete contrast to today's race.

I don't know about you, but I am getting bored of the excuses for Henry Longfellow. I quote, "We could not believe what happened in the Sussex as the horse who went with him in front has always been held up. " He may have finished a neck behind Rosallion, but he was flattered in the St James's Palace, and with Metropolitan - a horse demolished by Charyn on his latest outing - just three lengths behind him following a denied clear run, there's only one horse I'd back in this race.

There is plenty of pace in this race. Tribalist, Caramelito, and Charyn's owner-mate Ramadan will all ensure this is a thorough test in the likely conditions. Charyn should have the optimal set-up to score another Group 1 victory.

I am not sure he can get much shorter than 10/111.91 though, so I will watch the markets during the day. Best of luck.

15:25 York - Back Apiarist @ 9/25.50 2pt

With rain due on Sunday at York, one or two of these are going to have questions to answer, including favourite Old Cock, who is highly progressive but untested on a slower surface. Markoon is well respected, but he was bitterly disappointing at Newbury last time; perhaps an easier surface will see him to better effect.

Instead, this could be just the right assignment for Apiarist - 9/25.50 on the Betfair Sportsbook - who has been in my tracker since May and one I have been waiting for the correct conditions to see him to best effect.

He wants a slower surface to be seen in the best light and, ideally, a good pace and a long home straight. His latest effort at the Ebor meeting almost fulfilled all the criteria I had set for him, but he was outpaced on the fast ground as expected. Still, he ran with credit, and not for the first time in a good contest has he been the horse to take from the race. He was the only horse to come from further back to attack them, and his rider took the daring inside rail. It was an effort to mark up.

As was his run at Goodwood, where he had run a wide course. Still, he was outpaced in the closing stages when faced with fast ground again. Ascot is easily forgiven, considering the race turned into a dash, and it came immediately following a gelding operation. However, his Haydock Silver Bowl run was brilliant, and that race has worked well. That was his last effort on soft ground, and before that, it resulted in a victory here in York over seven furlongs in the EBF £100,000 Final.

I expect him to have a productive Autumn, and conditions will be in his favour, so he is worth chancing at 9/25.50 or bigger.

16:00 York - Back Significantly @ 9/110.00 1pt

It's difficult to find negatives with Quinault, particularly if the rain due overnight arrives. Furthermore, he won a course and distance handicap that has worked out tremendously well on good to firm last year, and he arrives in search of a hat trick of Listed victories.

However, he was all-out at Newmarket 15 days ago, and this is a quick turnaround considering he clung on at the line.

Azure Blue could go well back up to six furlongs, but any further rain will surely be detrimental to her chances, so she rates a risky proposition at the time of writing.

Significantly - 9/110.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook - is returning following injury, having aggravated a splint, and he has never won following an absence of this long, so caution is advised.

However, he has also never had the cheek-pieces on that have seen him thrive following a break, and he has never had soft ground, so perhaps it is worth chancing that he is ready to fire. He has held entries in recent weeks without taking them up, so I expect him to be fit.

Rain is a big positive. His record on a slower surface is excellent and includes an Ayr Gold Cup win this time last season. His final start of last term - his last effort under today's likely conditions - saw him only touched off over course and distance by Saturday's Betfair Sprint Cup winner Montassib, and he was well clear of the rest.

His form is excellent, and he has optimal conditions from a positive low draw. He will be able to track Quinault through. In the hope that he will be A1, he will get the vote and be overpriced at 6/17.00 or bigger.

16:00 York - Back Azure Blue @ 13/27.50 1pt

There's been nowhere near as much rain at York as expected, so I am happy to go in this race again at the morning odds. Azure Blue - 13/27.50 on the Betfair Sportsbook - is now a play at the prices. The market has separated Quinault from the pack, leaving the rest looking fair prices.

I was against Azure Blue with expected rain, but now minimal has developed. Perhaps Michael Dods can win this for a third consecutive year. I think it was clear from the Group 1 Nunthorpe last time that she is not a five-furlong horse, and perhaps that was evident when needing every yard of the trip to get up for a dead heat at Ayr on her penultimate start. She hasn't had a suitable six-furlong test for some time, but when given good ground as a minimum and this trip, her record reads 71114142 since 2022, and her latest seventh was on a seasonal return.

She will handle good to soft also, but the trip seems very important to her, and given she was tried over seven furlongs as a two-year-old, the move back to five the last two has not seen her to the best effect. I also thought she was given a poor ride in the Group 1 Nunthorpe and the jockey change is a positive (although forced).

She is drawn well to track Quinault through, and she looks like a fair price to bounce back under optimal conditions, so I am happy to play at 6/17.00 or bigger.

Now Read: More Horse Racing Tips Here.