The Grand Prix de Paris at 19:50 is an interesting 12-furlong Group 1, positioned as it is between the three Derbies and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at the end of the month.
France Galop know that the top three-year-olds will take on their elders at Ascot in nine days' time, so they have designed a race to attract colts placed at Epsom, the Curragh and Chantilly at the same time laying down a red carpet to entice recent Group 2 and 3 winners over the trip.
Derby runner-ups go head to head
The 2019 running was won by Japan, winner of the King Edward VII at Royal Ascot, and third at Epsom.
Last year's Grand Prix went to the Irish Derby winner Hurricane Lane, also third at Epsom.
This time we have two runners-up in Derbies, as well as the winner of the King Edward VII and the winner of its French equivalent, the Prix du Lys.
The Racing Post ratings have a lopsided look to them. Donnacha O'Brien's Piz Badile is rated 10lb clear of Simca Mille and 14lb clear of L'Astronome.
Yet 3lb covers the whole field according to the international ratings.
El Bodegon ticks an important box that the other five don't. He is a Group 1 winner having won the Criterium de Saint-Cloud over 10 furlongs on heavy last autumn.
The going will be faster than the French Derby runner-up likes, though. After he ran disappointingly in the Dante his trainer James Ferguson put the career-worst run down to the going. He told the York stewards: ''He prefers more ease in the ground.'' Well, he won't get that on Thursday.
One that is not the least bit inconvenienced by good going is Piz Bidile, runner-up in the Irish Derby after finishing 12th of 17 behind Desert Crown at Epsom. Winner of the Group 3 Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown in April, he is rightly one of the market leaders.
Eldar Eldarov is a third of the way to paying back his purchase price of £480,000 last year, having got up on the line to win the Queen's Vase by a nose from Zechariah.
He is lightly-raced and improving, so I wouldn't read too much into the runner-up getting trampled underfoot when favourite for a Group 3 at Newmarket last week.
In theory, David Egan's mount only needs to improve 4lb to win if the others don't up their game.
The home challenge is headed by L'Astronome, whose last two wins have come over 11 furlongs at Longchamp on softer ground than he gets this week. He is a course specialist but will find the opposition a lot tougher than when he made all to win the Group 2 Prix Hocquart.
Onesto was a length and a half behind El Bodegon at Chantilly. With no obvious excuses, he needs the extra 300 yards to help him turn the tables on Ferguson's runner.
Simca Mille won the Group 3 trial for this at Chantilly easing down, after making all. He, too, has a couple of lengths to find with El Bodegon, my pick ahead of Piz Badile.
Love can unsettle Baiykara
The Group 2 Prix de Malleret at 18:33 is for three-year-old fillies. There are no penalties for winners in lesser company, so the only Group winner in the field Baiykara should be involved in the finish. A comfortable winner over the trip at Chantilly, she is at the top of her game.
But so too is Fall In Love an unlucky-in-running fifth in the French Oaks. She had a terrible run from her wide draw at Chantilly and would have almost certainly have been placed if things had gone right in the final half mile.
Raclette and Lastotchka won Listed races over 10 and 12 furlongs at Longchamp respectively last time out.
Zefania lacked a winning turn of foot in the Italian Oaks last time and never got within five lengths of the front two.
Whileyouweresleeping has done well considering Eoghan O'Neill bought her for €7,000 unraced from Sheikh Hamdan's estate late last year. It is a huge leap from Chateaubriant maiden company to a Group 2 at Longchamp, though, so I don't expect the grey to figure.
Marquand to score on his only ride
Tom Marquand turned down several rides at home to partner Quickthorn in the Prix Maurice de Nieuil at 20:35.
Hughie Morrison's gelding was out of his depth in Group 1 company when last at Longchamp. This Group 2 is a comparatively realistic target, given his recent efforts under the champion jockey - a second to Princess Zoe at Ascot and victory in the Henry II Stakes - both Group 3s over two miles.
The Good Man is the other Group 3 winner in the line-up. The Prix de Barbeville was his second success at Longchamp but he was thwarted by Skazino and Joie de Soir in his search for a third on his return at the end of May.
Diamantis failed to figure in the German Derby and the German Leger. His recent Listed win at Hamburg doesn't amount to much and he'll need to improve to follow it up.