Horse Racing
Season
Grand Handicap des Milers - Form Comments
1600m – Turf
| Rocquemont | Remarkably consistent for a handicapper having won or been placed in 12 of his 16 starts. His narrow defeat in Marseille in May shows that this terrific horse remains in great form. |
| Carlton Choice | His handicap mark has been quite testing since he beat a big field at Longchamp last September. But he has continued to perform pretty well on turf and all-weather surfaces. |
| We Ride The World | Not previously famous for consistency but looks to have improved since moving to this stable including a soft-ground victory in a competitive handicap at Cagnes-Sur-Mer in January. |
| Alfieri |
From a highly-respected stable and he has been in great form winning his last three starts. Most recently he swooped to beat 17 rivals in a good-ground Longchamp handicap in May. |
| Mon Ami L’Ecossais | His three career wins have all come on the all-weather track at Deauville, over shorter distances than this. Kept battling at Longchamp last time when 6th of 18 but only 2.5L behind the winner. |
| Tantpispoureux | This looks like his ideal trip with two of his three wins coming over it. Ran an encouraging 3rd at Vichy recently, his first start after a lengthy absence. |
| Kihavahfushi | A winner over this distance earlier this year and though well down the field at Longchamp when racing returned, he was boxed in on the rail. His trainer insists that he is a handicapper to follow. |
| Dathanna | This Godolphin-owned mare was formerly trained in the UK but won on her first French start for this stable and was runner-up in a 1600m Listed race at Saint-Cloud. The drop to 1400m apparently did not suit last time. |
| Go To Hollywood | His three wins have all come at this trip but he will need to upgrade on his two starts this season when he’s hasn’t shown a lot of zip including when blinkered last time. |
| Larno | Has won at least one race every year since 2016 but is yet to get off the mark in his three 2020 starts. Wasn’t beaten far at Deauville last time but that was a weak affair. |
| Zavrinka | Twice a winner in 2019 though both over shorter. However this mare did show her stamina for 1600m when previously winning over this trip at Longchamp. An encouraging 4th in a Listed event last time. |
| Rajkumar | France’s champion trainer doesn’t have too many runners in handicaps but he won a 1500m handicap at Chantilly in March. However though he had a poor trip he never looked like scoring at Longchamp in May. |
| Arise | Closed down last season when a bitterly disappointing favourite in a Chantilly handicap. A different story on his return 210 days later when a powerful closing 200m saw him win a soft-ground 1600m handicap at Saint-Cloud in May. |
| Icefinger | A 1200m winner here at Deauville on his first career start. However he has failed to win since, was well beaten on his two 2020 starts and yet to prove himself as an effective 1600m horse. |
| Millfield | He hasn’t won for over a year but a sinking handicap mark appears to be helping his claims. That is how it looked when he ran a close 3rd in a 1600m Longchamp handicap this month. |
| Sandyssime | A winner on the round track and over this trip at Deauville last July but did much less well when switched to this straight track next time. There was nothing wrong with his 4th – after a 170 day break – at Longchamp last time. |
| French Pegasus | His overall record is of a horse who is placed more often than he wins. Disappointing on recent starts he may be better on an all-weather surface and over a shorter trip than this. |
| Prince Hamlet | Consistent and lightly raced, his third of 18 at Saint-Cloud on his 2020 return in May must count as encouraging. |
| Furious des Aigles | This veteran has a positive win/place record but is possibly best on an all-weather surface nowadays. A Chantilly winner in March. |
| Zalamea |
Scooped up plenty of placemoney but 16 starts since he won. A good 2nd in a 1600m Longchamp handicap in May. Best on good or fast ground. |
| Eclair du Ninian | Has a low winning strike-rate even though he usually competes on provincial tracks where the competition is less fierce. |
Others
29/05/2020
29/05/2020
