With Europe's trials season now getting into full swing, attention turns to Chantilly for a trio of pointers towards upcoming Classics. Transferred from Longchamp due to the Bois de Boulogne track's ongoing refurbishment, the G3 Prix de Fontainebleau takes centre stage initially. Andre Fabre equalled Etienne Pollet's tally of nine victories in the contest when subsequent G1 2000 Guineas runner-up and G1 Prix Jean Prat winner Territories (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) prevailed last year, and the master conditioner sends forth Candide (Fr) (Turtle Bowl {Ire}) in search of the outright record. Baron Edouard de Rothschild's homebred bay followed up a debut score at Saint-Cloud in September with success back there in the following month's G3 Prix Thomas Bryon, both on softened turf, and he makes his seasonal reappearance upped from seven furlongs for the first time here. Jean-Claude Rouget has yet to win this mile event and is doubly represented, by Taareef (Kitten's Joy) and Almanzor (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), this time around. The former, a the $675,000 KEESEP yearling who is undefeated in two starts, goes postward coming back from easy wins at Bordeaux-le-Bouscat in September and Deauville at the end of November. Almanzor registered a third straight success in the Oct. 8 Listed Grand Criterium de Bordeaux, but lost his unbeaten tally when slipping to seventh tackling deep mud in the Nov. 1 G1 Criterium International at Saint-Cloud in his most recent start. Like Taareef, Freddy Head trainee Estikmaal (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) carries the colours of Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum and lines up off a narrow verdict gained going nine furlongs at this track in his only prior start last October. Dicton (GB) (Lawman {Fr}), one of two entries for owner Robert Ng, has won five of his six most recent starts and displayed his wellbeing when running out the game winner of Saint-Cloud's Listed Prix Omnium II last month.
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