John Deer's Al Kazeem (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) takes to Longchamp to add a touch of class to Monday's G2 Prix d'Harcourt as the G1 Champion S. runner-up kicks off a potentially lucrative 7-year-old campaign. At his best going this way round, the 2013 G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup, G1 Prince of Wales's S. and G1 Eclipse S. hero provided one of last season's most dramatic spectacles as he fought a valiant but losing battle with Noble Mission (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) up the Ascot straight on Champions' Day. “We've been happy with him at home. He's showing all his usual enthusiasm and he's moving well,” said trainer Roger Charlton. “He's a hard horse to get fit and the older he's getting, the harder it becomes to get him fit. This is a prep race
for him. It's a Group 2 and if everything goes well we might look towards something like the Prix Ganay at Longchamp, but we'll see.”
Facing the British raider are several improving types including Fair Salinia Ltd's Fate (Fr) (Teofilo {Ire}), winner of the G3 Prix de Flore over 10 1/2 furlongs at Saint-Cloud at the end of October who bids to add to trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre's tally of five wins, and Gestut Winterhauch's Lucky Lion (GB) (High Chaparral {Ire}). Having beaten Noble Mission in the G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis at Munich in July, the G2 Mehl-Mulhens Rennen scorer and G1 Deutsches Derby runner-up reappears after finishing up with a below-par seventh in the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden in September. As the race's leading trainer with nine renewals to his name, Andre Fabre has to be feared here and of his two representatives Meadow Creek (GB) (Dansili {GB}) holds the most intrigue. Prince Faisal's homebred 4-year-old looks a typical Fabre project and the way he finished when a neck second to the re-opposing Affaire Solitaire (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) in Saint-Cloud's G3 Prix Exbury last time Mar. 15 suggests he could be a major improver this term.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.