ParisLongchamp played host to heavy metal legends AC/DC during the summer break and the headquarters of French flat racing is ready to dance again to the tune of Andre Fabre’s smart filly Rock’n Swing on Sunday.
The Godolphin-owned three-year-old turns out in the Listed Prix de Liancourt (2100m), with the master French trainer also in with a good shot of landing the G3 Prix Gerald de Geoffre (3000m) with Hamavi.
The 78-year-old, French champion trainer on no fewer than 30 occasions, has been firing on all cylinders this summer.
He sent out Sosie to land the G1 Grand Prix de Paris in July, with Mqse de Sevigne then reeling off a quick-fire Group 1 double at Deauville.
With the focus now switched away from the Normandy seaside and back to the French capital, Rock’n Swing looks an attractive proposition.
The daughter of the highly influential Coolmore sire Camelot opened her three-year-old campaign with success on heavy ground over 1600m at this track. Out of luck in the French 1000 Guineas and Prix de Diane she looks well up to this grade judged on her last time out close up third in the G3 Prix de Psyche (2000m) in July.
Stablemate Hamavi holds appeal in the G3 Prix Gerald de Geoffre (3000m) which has been won by locally-trained horses for the past four years.
A Listed winner last time out over 2400m the three-year-old gelding is being tested over this longer trip for the first time.
The Aga Khan recently removed all his horses from Jean-Claude Rouget, who with over 7000 winners is statistically the most successful trainer of all time in Europe, with Francis-Henri Graffard the beneficiary.
Graffard trains the Aga’s Shamarkand, who could give Hamavi most to do judged by his fluent two-and-a-half length success on his most recent outing in a Listed race over 2400m at Vichy.
Ralph Beckett’s English visitor Stop The Cavalry looks an intriguing contender in the Listed Prix de la Cochere (1600m).
By the same sire as the unbeaten French Derby winner and now Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe favourite Look De Vega she may not match her sibling’s class but is nevertheless clearly talented.
A late starter this season she was only beaten by a length and a quarter when sixth in G3 company at Goodwood in July, and has plenty of room for improvement dropping down in grade.
