G1 – 1000m – Turf
Horse Racing
Season
Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp – Form Comments
| 1 | Duke Of Firenze | Only 2 3/4L behind winner Marsha when sixth of 17 on good ground in this sprint last year, but more recent starts have not been encouraging. Versatile groundwise, he tends to make his move late. |
| 2 | Battaash | Burst onto the sprinting scene with a Sandown Listed win in June, following up with even better performances, winning a G3 – also at Sandown – and a G2 at Goodwood. Nervous before the start, he didn’t run in race when fourth to Marsha in a G1 at York last time. He’s won on all types of ground, but his trainer is hoping for soft conditions. |
| 3 | Son Cesio | A track specialist with five of his seven career wins coming here and only beaten 2 1/2L when fifth behind Marsha in this dash last year. A closer, he was a 1200m G2 winner at Baden-Baden in August on his latest start. Happy on good or soft ground. |
| 4 | Signs Of Blessing | Most of his ten wins have come over further than this but he has plenty of gate speed and he wired his rivals in a G3 over 1200m at Deauville last time. That was on good ground but he is very accomplished on slow conditions also. Twice a Chantilly winner, and only beaten 1 3/4L in the 2016 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint, a great effort from a European raider. |
| 5 | Profitable | From a UK stable enjoying a wonderful season especially with sprinters though Profitable has been a bit frustrating with three seconds including in the 1000m King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot, a G1 sprint he had won the previous year. However with ground to make up with both Marsha and Battaash on August’s sixth in a G1 at York. |
| 6 | Der Graue | A smart handicapper though facts and figures suggest that he will struggle in this hot grade. He has won three of his six starts this season, including over 1200m here in May and over this distance at Deauville last time. Best on good or faster ground. |
| 7 | Largent du Bonheur | His three career wins came in a lesser grade than this, looking best on good or slow ground. Couldn’t keep up with the speed in a soft-ground G3 over this course and distance in September. |
| 8 | Finsbury Square | Did best of the French-trained speedsters in this- their premier sprint – in 2016 making good late headway when 1 1/2L fourth to Marsha. Apart from a dismal display at Meydan he has been running well again this season, including when runner-up in a Deauville G3 over 1200m last time. Best on slow ground. |
| 9 | Queen Kindly | A 1200m Listed race winner at Pontefract on her penultimate start but failed either to cope with G1 company or the heavy ground or both when tenth of 11 over 1200m at Haydock. |
| 10 | Fashion Queen | Lightly-raced but a talented filly who got a sight of Chantilly’s 1000m track when 1/2L third in a soft-ground G3 in September. She raced prominently there and front-running tactics had seen her win a 1000m Listed event at York back in May. |
| 11 | Marsha | Produced a strong surge in the last 100m to beat 16 rivals on good ground in this sprint last year. Having an excellent 2017 crowned by her last gasp defeat of US sprint star Lady Aurelia in a G1 at York in August. Big chance with the possibility of very soft ground being the only real worry. |
| 12 | Alphabet | A winner just once from 14 starts but has revealed dramatic improvement in the past month. Racing prominently, she came within a length of landing a 50-1 shock in a 1000m G2 at The Curragh and showed that was no fluke when second in a 1200m G3 at Naas last Sunday. Both those strong efforts came on soft ground. |
| 13 | Rimini | This two-year-old has been supplemented into the field, having shown a lot of speed from a prominent position to win a soft-ground G3 over this course and distance early in September, with his nearest victim having gone on to easily win a G3 since. Interesting. |
Others
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