While we wait for the British flat racing season to begin next month, the action continues in France on Monday and it does so with an eyecatching Group 3 race which headlines the card at Chantilly. We’ll keep our eye in while we wait for action in England and Ireland to return by going through the race in detail.
11.01 Chantilly
The Favourite
The only Group race on the card is a Group 3 over a mile with a field of 9 lining up. It looks like a good contest with plenty of interesting contenders including a three-way battle for favouritism.
Skalleti is the first of those and carries a 5lb penalty here. He’s been placed to incredible success by his trainer, winning 9 of his 10 starts including a Group 2. The concerns would be his penalty, the trip (is better at 10 furlongs) and whether or not he’ll be as good after a winter break. Last time over a mile, he beat one of today’s rivals, Stunning Spirit who is currently a 16/1 shot, by just around 1 length. That was off level weights and with the latter having progressed since, he rates better value.
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Contenders
Plumatic is the most likely winner but 3/1 isn’t a price to get excited about on a runner who has only raced twice in the last year. That included a Group 2 win on his reappearance but he only finished a disappointing 3rd 6 months later at Saint Cloud. He has moved yards since and is now with the in-form Graffard yard who has had 5 winners & 5 2nds from just 15 runners since French racing resumed.
Natures Colors is one of two for Andre Fabre & is very well fancied after winning his last 3 but, unlike Graffard, Fabre has struggled with just 2 winners from 28 runners, with two-thirds having gone off at 6/1 or shorter, including Victor Ludorum who was turned over at long odds on in the 2000 Guineas trial. Fabre also saddles Impulsif who is rated around the 10/1 mark but he was only 3rd behind another of today’s runners Silver Quartz on his last start, with Lucky Team one place further back in 4th. At 25/1, the winner that day should frank the form in this mini-battle.
Anodor was a good 2 year old but disappointed last term when finishing down the field in the French 2000 Guineas and then last when favourite in a Group 3 at this track. The yard of Freddie Head has started even slower than Fabre’s, being winless in 11 with only 2 making the frame.
Betting
This leaves us with Pretreville, having his first run for Pascal Bary but has had 2 winners & 2 placed for 6 runners since the return last week. This 5 year old faces his toughest assignment to date but is progressive and keeps pulling out more, culminating in his biggest success to date, a Listed victory at the back end of last season. In 9 career starts, he’s won 6 and finished in the places in the other 3. Those defeats are easily explained; the first on debut and the other 2 when racing over 7 furlongs. All 6 wins have come over this trip and, aside from his wins on the sand, he’s raced on good or good to soft ground, the same conditions he’ll get today. Add to that a 2 from 2 record over course & distance, he looks overpriced with question marks over some of his rivals & is a decent each way bet. Plumatic ranks as the big danger with Stunning Spirit hard to completely write off at a very big price.
Tips
WON – Back Pretreville (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 13.00 Boylesports (⅕ odds 1-3)
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