French Racing Tips: Reigning Champion Sealiway can take Ganay

Patrick Weaver
01 May 2022

Four-year-olds have won 11 of the last 15 runnings of the Prix Ganay

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Patrick Weaver picks out the best bets on Longchamp's 10-race card on Sunday...

"The two immediately behind State Of Rest in the Cox Plate have won Group 1s before and since and are among the best down under. The third, Very Elleegant, won the Lexus Melbourne Cup by no less than four lengths on her next start."

There is a quality field for today's Prix Ganay at 15:25, which is not always the case.

Four of the six runners won Group 1s in 2021, and three are race-fit from contesting the Prix d'Harcourt three weeks ago. Just a length separated the trio with Evens favourite Skalleti getting up close home to catch Mare Australis who then lost second to Sealiway on the line.

That was a Group 2, so there was a difference in the weights, Sealiway conceded 2lb to the winner and 4lb to the third. In the Ganay they meet at level weights.

Brits will be familiar with Skalleti and Sealiway as both have run in the Qipco Champion Stakes. The former was second to Addeybb in 2020. Sealiway won it last year.

Mare Australis won the Ganay 12 months ago, after finishing runner-up to Skalleti in the Harcourt. It is difficult to see him winning this Group 1 a second time, with Skalleti in the field.

The fourth Group 1 winner to consider is Joseph O'Brien's State Of Rest. He wasn't up to winning a Group race as a two-year-old but won at the top level at Saratoga and Moonee Valley in the latter half of last year.

The two immediately behind him in the Cox Plate last October have won Group 1s before and since and are among the best down under. The third, Very Elleegant won the Lexus Melbourne Cup by no less than four lengths on her next start.

State Of Play is a fascinating entry and at least the equal of Skalleti and Sealiway.

Since 11 of the last 15 runnings have been won by four-year-olds I expect to see State Of Play and Sealiway fight out the finish.

Hafit to have it his own way

The winner of the Listed Prix de l'Avre at 12:58 gets a win-and-you're-in entry for the Grand Prix de Paris, so is an early-season trial for that Grade One. Charlie Appleby's Hafit is understandably favourite having gone down by a neck at Newbury to his stablemate Walk Of Stars, one of Godolphin's leading candidates for the Derby.

Mickael Barzalona takes over from William Buick who has ridden him in all his races to date.

The German runner Ardakan is the only Group 3 winner in the line-up, and doesn't have a penalty for that success in Italy last year.

Martel and She's Cosmic would be the best of the home team by some way. I suggest Hafit to win and Ardakan for the forecast.

More Glory likely for Italian mare

Grand Glory, Burgarita and Irska take each other on again in the Prix Allez France Longines at 14:50.

The trio were three of the first four home in the Prix Zarkava at the track last month - Grand Glory coming out on top The Italian mare also had Burgarita behind her when going down by a nose in the Group 1 Prix l'Opera over this course and distance at the Arc meeting.

Having previously won the Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville on good to soft she rates the best bet on the card, despite having finished last of six in the race 12 months ago.

If you can find a bookie paying out three places, Waldbiene would be worth an each-way punt.

You wouldn't give her a second look on her first three runs - all in France - but she then went back to Germany and won a Group 2 comfortably before the runner-up turned the tables and beat her at Hanover. Waldbeine was progressive last year and is worth her place in the line-up.

Prix Right Royal form looks solid

The last of the prestige races is the Prix de Barbeville at 16:45.

There being a limited number of opportunities for quality stayers in France, it is no surprise that the first three in the recent Prix Right Royal at Chantilly meet again.

Palus Argenteus and Joie De Soir had the finish to themselves with Brokeback Mountain four lengths back in third and the former class act Call The Wind fifth. Maxime Guyon wasn't available that day for the Coolmore filly Joie De Soir. I'm hopeful that his presence on top will enable her to get her revenge.

I have nothing against Palus Argenteus, who has won two Listeds this year. He is very much on the up and 3lb better off in spite of beating Joie De Soir last time. He has to be thereabouts and his overnight odds of 15/2 look good value.

Skazino and Bubble Smart finished in front of Wednesday's Ascot winner Princess Zoe in the Group 1 Prix Cadran in October. That form puts them both right up there in what, on paper, is the tightest Group race of the day.