Saint-Cloud Racing Tips: Irish fancied to take both Group 1 races

• Proud And Regal looks if he already needs a mile
• Arrest will need to improve a stone
• King Charles' first runner in France

There are three Group 1s for two-year-old colts and fillies on Saturday. Not only is there the Vertem Futurity Trophy Stakes at Doncaster but there are two at Saint-Cloud earlier in the afternoon.

Proud And Regal fancied

First up is the Criterium International at 12:58 over a mile. Ralph Beckett and Aidan O'Brien won the last two runnings with Angel Bleu and Van Gogh respectively and both have runners this time around.

Beckett's Salt Bay 15.014/1 is inevitably an outsider on his second start, as the form of his maiden win at Haydock last month could not have worked out worse. The second, third and fourth all ran poorly next time out.

The trainer's winner 12 months ago had far stronger credentials having won the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at the Arc meeting.

Aidan O'Brien's Espionage 4.03/1 made all to win a Curragh maiden from stablemate Sierra Blanca, who then ran second in a Group 3. Of the two in today's line-up you would expect Espionage to fare better than Salt Bay.

In the same ownership, but different colours, is Donnacha O'Brien's Proud And Regal 3.7511/4. The son of Galileo has improved with each race, coming second in a Gr1 on soft to Al Riffa at the Curragh, looking very much as if he already needs a mile.

The other to have placed in the highest grade is Breizh Sky, beaten under a length in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, while the favourite Kubrick 3.259/4 is a Group 3 winner, who had previously got the better of Syros 19.018/1 at Deauville in August.

I wouldn't want to put you off Espionage but Proud And Regal is my pick.

Gan can give Bolger team cause to celebrate

The Criterium De Saint-Cloud at 13:33 is a tough race over 10 furlongs. It is no coincidence that its seven most recent winners all failed to win as three-year-olds, as a mile and a quarter on heavy is a big ask for a first-season colt or filly.

There are four UK runners, three Irish and two French.

Gan Teorainn's second in the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp marks her out as one of the top fillies in Europe. Her trainer, Jim Bolger, and rider, Kevin Manning, rarely fly over and fail to take prizemoney back to Ireland.

Adelaide River has come second in a Group 3 at Longchamp and a Group 2 at The Curragh, both over a mile. Dubai Mile was second to The Foxes in the Group 2 Royal Lodge at Newmarket.

Strako is the only Listed winner in the line-up but it is questionable if the form is any better than that of the Derby Wild Card Stakes at Epsom where Ndaawi and Cire D'Or passed the post locked together.

Arrest, Covent Garden and Sylphid have done what was needed to win minor races and are taking a big step up in class.

There was plenty to like about Arrest's easy win at Ffos Las but I am amazed he is as short as 3.02/1. John Gosden's runner will have to improve a stone to give Rab Havlin his second Group 1 success of the month.

On form it should be between those with form in Group races and the 4lb Gan Teorainn gets from the colts should ensure she makes the first three. It could be the difference between winning and losing.

King Charles' first runner in France

Earlier on the card, Havlin has the chance of giving King Charles his first winner in France.

The first of his two rides for Gosden is on the 21.10201/10 favourite, Reach For The Moon, in the Group 3 Prix Perth at 12:25.

Like Djo Francais, Rosacea and Fire Of The Sun, the Sea The Stars colt is a Group 3 winner.

Facteur Cheval and Tribalist are Listed winners.

Partenit finished two lengths ahead of Djo Francais at Deauville in the valuable Prix Daphnis last year but Djo Francais has improved since while Partenit has done little to suggest he can confirm the form 14 months on.

Reach For the Moon was impressive in winning the Solario Stakes as a two-year-old but has been costly to follow since. He has been sent off favourite three times and had to settle for second.

It is hard to name one to beat him but Reach For The Moon won't be carrying my money.

Stayers' race looks tricky in heavy ground

If the French handicapper is right, the Prix Belle De Nuit over a mile and six at 14:50 should be between Joie De Soir 2.757/4 and Lastotchka 6.511/2.

The pair are rated 107, 7lb or more ahead of the other Frenchies. The snag, though, is that neither ran well last time.

Joie De Soir, who was runner-up in this Group 3 last year, struggled in the mud over two miles, four at Longchamp this month and was pulled up in the Prix du Cadran.

Lastotchka, who steps up rather than down in distance, was a somewhat lifeless seventh in the Prix Minerve.

That leaves the door ajar for the British pair, Divine Jewel 5.04/1 and Glenartney 9.08/1. Neither has won over the trip, though, or in this grade, so it's a race best ducked.

Joseph O'Brien filly is each-way value

The last of the five Group races is for fillies and mares over ten and a half furlongs.

There's just the one Brit going for the Prix De Flore at 15:25 - Timeless Soul, whose sole win was in a Beverley maiden for Roger Varian nearly 18 months ago.

She was sold this summer for a figure that reflected her loss of form and is now with David O'Meara. The Yorkshire-based trainer has a solid record with runners he acquires from other yards and Timeless Soul turned in a career-best last time over 10 furlongs here. Christophe Soumillon set out to make all on her and only Alula Borealis caught her, beating her a length with the favourite, Irska, a further length back in third.

Timeless Soul is now rated 96 but that leaves her with a lot to do to beat the only recent Group winner Tranquil Lady 8.07/1.

Joseph O'Brien's filly has had some tall orders since that Naas win, coming sixth at Epsom and eighth at the Curragh in two Oaks.

Rumi 5.04/1 would be the best of the home team. She, too, has been running in Group 1 races, coming fourth to Richard Hannon's Aristia in the Darley Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville prior to her fifth in the Prix de l'Opera on Arc day.

That is always a 'proper Group 1' and this month it was no different. The four in front of her - Place Du Carrousel, Nashwa, Above The Curve and My Astra - are all cracking fillies and there's nothing of their class in the line-up.