Two days from Guineas Day at Longchamp, France-based fillies dominated antepost betting on the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches, the 1000 Guineas, while the market favored shippers from Ireland and England in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, the 2000 Guineas.
Both races are one-turn miles, and the Longchamp course Friday was rated good to soft, with warm, dry weather forecast through Sunday.
Zarigana holds strong early favoritism in the Pouliches. Owned by the Estate of the late Aga Khan and trained by Francis Henri-Graffard, Zarigana is by Siyouni out of Zarkamiya, and Zarkamiya’s dam is a legend of the French turf, Zarkava.
Debuting fairly early at 2, in July, Zarigana had a physical profile more like a 3-year-old than a summer juvenile, and she blasted to an easy win first time out. Held out of action for two months, Zarigana resurfaced at Longchamp and, with the same homestretch burst she’s shown in all her races, made short work of six rivals, winning the Group 3 Prix d’Aumale by three lengths.
Her Group 1 debut, in the Marcel-Boussac looked to bettors like a foregone conclusion. It was not, Zarigana losing a head bob to her longshot stablemate Vertical Blue as the 1-2 favorite. Zarigana probably was best in the race. She might have been ridden with too much confidence, asked for very little until the final furlong, and Zarigana also appeared to idle after hitting the front with 50 yards remaining. Whatever the case, she returned this year win the Prix de la Grotte, a course-and-distance prep, and ran down loose leader Shes Perfect – another Pouliches entrant – by a measured neck.
A distant antepost second choice is another horse trained by Henri-Graffard, Mandanaba, a horse with a far different profile than Zarigana’s. Mandanaba’s lone race at 2 came in November, over the Polytrack at Chantilly, but relatively obscure circumstances notwithstanding, Mandanaba turned in an impressive front-running performance, winning, while asked for little, by six lengths. Her second start, about five weeks ago, also marked her 3-year-old debut and first turf try, with Mandanaba leading all the way in the Group 3 Prix Vanteaux. Only one horse came close to her, Flaming Stone closing the gap through the final furlong. But Flaming Stone, a sharp debut winner in her lone previous outing, might be very good herself. Does Mandanaba want more distance? She’s by the 1 1/2-mile horse Ghaiyyath, and her races have come at 1 1/8 and 1 3/16 miles.
A third French filly, the Juddmonte homebred Better Together, merits consideration at a longer price. She overcame a difficult trip making her 3-year-old debut in the seven-furlong Prix Imprudence, middle-moving from the rear of the field to the lead and staying on late like a horse who will perform at least as well over one mile.
In the Poulains, an Aga Khan homebred trained by Mikel Delzangles, Ridari, might have the best chance among France-based runners. Ridari looks a little tricky. He went to the lead and slowed noticeably in the late stages while finishing second in his debut. Delzangles added blinkers and changed tactics, holding Ridari off the pace, and Ridari, despite pulling too hard both starts – in his 3-year-old debut especially – won twice. Even after acting as his own worst enemy, he delivered a strong kick in the Prix Fontainbleau to run down Poulains runner Sahlan.
An Ireland-based horse with a French name, Henri Matisse, held tepid Friday favoritism. Henri Matisse, racing below form, finished fifth as the favorite last October at Longchamp in the Group 1 Jean-Luc Lagardere, won in an upset by his Aidan O’Brien-trained stablemate – and Guineas entrant – Camille Pissarro. Henri Matisse made amends winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in his next start and captured his Poulains prep, coming between horses with a furlong left to score a moderate victory over seven furlongs in the Group 3 Red Rocks at Leopardstown.
But if Henri Matisse can win, why not the Godolphin homebred Aomori City? He broke through the gate before the BC Juvenile Turf, then had to take back to last from a wide post, finishing faster than Henri Matisse and quickly galloping out in front. Aomori City had a solid Poulains prep himself, a third in Field of Gold’s powerhouse Craven Stakes victory at Newmarket.
The Juddmonte homebred Jonquil, who flopped in his stakes debut as a well-regarded 2-year-old, rated beautifully and displayed strong acceleration capturing the Greenham Stakes at Newbury in his 3-year-old bow. And another horse from Ireland, Hotazhell, races for the first time since landing the Group 1 Futurity Trophy, a straight-course mile run on testing ground last fall at Doncaster.