With the countdown well and truly underway to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Sunday 1 October, all live on Sky Sports Racing, Callum Wilson and Jamie Lynch take a look at the key takeaways from Trials Day at ParisLongchamp.
Trial – Qatar Foy Award
what did we learn?…
The first of three media competitions on the card, the Qatar Foy Prize, was conducted at a noticeably pedestrian pace, causing a significant rush to the line.
The key positioning is proven as Place du Carrousel I got the first run on 4/7 favorite Iresine, who doesn’t have an entry in the bow.
Place Du Carrousel’s advantage diminished when the front pair went over the post, but she showed she had the stamina over a mile and a half – the first time it had been tried during that trip – by holding off a very useful rival.
It would be a pretty big jump to go from this to arc glory but it’s still invaluable every way.
Senior Model Analyst Jamie Lynch…
Place du Carrousel may not have been a better horse than Ersene, but he might have been fitter and faster.
“This race was more than two seconds slower than the Prix Neill and four seconds slower than the Prix Vermeil, so they turned it into a foot race after a steady early pace.
“It was just a matter of getting first place in the Place du Carrousel, while Irisin left it too late. I would be very forgiving of Irisin.”
Trial – Qatar Vermeil Award
what did we learn?…
Perhaps Sagittarius was not, and still is, on the agenda warm heart But it has at least proven its ability to mix it with the best in that category.
Aidan O’Brien’s filly, now five out of seven this season having already won the Ribblesdale and Yorkshire Oaks, showed good attitude to win the Qatar Vermeil Prix, despite not having smooth rides.
A stumbling coming out of the gates landed James Doyle in an imperfect place inside the main challenger Blue Rose Senbut both rider and horse had enough quality to get out.
After then looking vulnerable to a challenge from Melo Melo on the outside, Warm Heart bowled a neck to win by a short head.
Nine Warm Heart stablemates have already been entered into the bracket, so you’ll need to support them in the big event next month.
Senior Model Analyst Jamie Lynch…
If you watched the start, you’d see Warm Heart’s head kissing the grass as she stumbled and lost her momentum. Luckily, she recovered quickly because it was so obvious.
In the title role, James Doyle got a small gap to bring Warm Heart into Blue Rose Cen and did a good job of getting out of the pocket.
“After a furlong and a half I would have taken Milo Milo the winner as she was coming up with the most momentum on the outside.
So how did Warm Heart pull a little bit more? Well a lot of that came down to what James Doyle said about how she waited up front and you could see that when she was wiggling her ears back and forth in the final she had plenty of stuff left in the tank if needed .
“She’s suddenly become a really interesting middle-distance filly. She’s not in the Ballydoyle’s Arc team at the moment but could be the best option for them now.
“Blue Rose Sene received the most attention because she won the Guineas and Oaks in France.
“I don’t think she ever traveled as far as she could. If she were, she would have kept her Warm Heart in that hole behind her.”
Trial – Qatar Neil Award
what did we learn?…
The main attraction of the day trials, Feed the flame He suffered his second career defeat at the Qatar Nile Prix where the former Paris Grand Prix winner fell short of him Wonderful Moon In a chaotic race.
The culprit in the mess appears to be outsider King Of Records, who was clearly tasked with setting the pace for half-favorite Pascal Bary but instead ended up going out on his own and becoming extremely detached from Feed The Flame.
As had been the case previously on the card in Prix Foy, positioning proved key as Fantastic Moon first ran from the chasing deck.
To his credit, Feed The Flame made impressive progress from behind but ran out of time and turf, and had to settle for second place.
Defeat, yes, but not the outright shrinkage of those who backed Feed The Flame for the Arc next month. If you keep the faith, 1/12 seems like a gift from above.
Senior Model Analyst Jamie Lynch…
Feed The Flame got kicked out from behind because they trusted their pacemaker King Of Records but he didn’t get involved in their plans in the end.
The first rider opened up as he turned, but with each increase in distance from the group he became less attached to the horse he was supposed to be helping.
Feed The Flame ran seven lengths faster than Fantastic Moon in the last four furlongs. He is clearly the better horse in this race, but he just couldn’t show it.
“Fantastic Moon was right at the head of the pack and perfectly positioned to catch where Feed The Flame couldn’t, five lengths clear of his rival at the top of the straight. He’s a German Derby winner from a sprint by 20 points”. Runners so he has quality.
“The main thing about Feed The Flame is that it happened during the trial and not the main event. There will be lessons from this.”
