For Sosie, one of Europe’s top 3-year-olds of 2024, racing on soft turf is fine. Racing on heavy or very soft turf does not work.
Sosie was fourth by 4 1/4 lengths as the 7-2 favorite in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on very soft turf at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris last October. Trainer Andre Fabre later cited the condition of the course as a contributing factor in the loss.
Sosie has his 4-year-old debut in Sunday’s Group 1 Prix Ganay at 1 5/16 miles at Longchamp on what is projected to be a soft turf course. Dry conditions are expected over the weekend, another plus for Sosie, who is part of a solid field of six.
Sosie, who will be ridden by Maxime Guyon, has won 4 of 7 starts and was beaten at Longchamp for the first time in the Arc. Earlier in 2024 at Longchamp, Sosie won an allowance race at 1 3/8 miles, the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris at 1 1/2 miles, and the Group 2 Prix Niel at 1 1/2 miles at the famous Paris track.
Sosie, who often races near the front, won his debut in a one-mile race for unraced maidens on good-to-soft turf at Chantilly in September 2023, the shortest victory of his career.
In the $340,900 Prix Ganay, Sosie faces the rapidly improving 4-year-old Map of Stars; Al Riffa, a Group 1 winner in 2024 in Germany, who was 11th in the Arc; and Royal Rhyme, unraced since a third in the Group 1 Champion Stakes at Ascot in Britain last October.
Map of Stars, a winner of 5 of 6 starts, is unbeaten in two stakes at 1 1/4 miles this year as a favorite – the Group 3 Prix Exbury at Saint-Cloud on March 16 and the Group 2 Prix d’Harcourt at Longchamp on April 6. The Prix Ganay is the Group 1 debut for Map of Stars, a well-regarded closer trained by Francis-Henri Graffard.
Al Riffa, winner of the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Berlin at 1 1/2 miles last August, was third by 2 1/4 lengths in his first start of 2025, the Group 2 Neom Turf Cup at 1 1/4 miles in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 22 for Irish trainer Joseph O’Brien. Al Riffa was fourth in the 2024 Prix Ganay.
Royal Rhyme will start in France for the first time on Sunday. Trained in Great Britain by Karl Burke, Royal Rhyme won once in six starts last year, taking the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Sandown last April. A third in the Champion Stakes at Ascot was his best result in a Group 1 in four starts at that level last year.
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