By Tom Frary
Andre Fabre is the leading trainer in the history of Monday's G2 Prix Greffulhe at Saint-Cloud with 12 wins and usually has one eye on the English Derby with those he targets here. In 2006 Visindar (GB) (Sinndar {Ire}) went on to be fifth in the blue riband after taking this stepping stone, as was Ocovango (GB) (Monsun {Ger}) in 2013 two years after Pour Moi (Ire) triumphed on the first Saturday in June. Even last year, the master of Chantilly committed his Greffulhe winner Cloth of Stars (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) to the Derby in which he was eighth, so special attention must be afforded to his potentially high-class pair Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) and Akihiro (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in this renewal. The former returns from his winter break having signed off with a win in a strong renewal of the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud over this course and distance in October, while the Wertheimers's G3 Prix des Chenes winner Akihiro has the benefit of an outing having finished runner-up to stablemate Soleil Marin (Ire) (Kendargent {Fr}) in Chantilly's G3 Prix Noailles Apr. 16. Stall Ullmann's Apr. 17 Cologne maiden winner Monreal (Ire) (Peintre Celebre) offers a glimpse into the strength of the current German Classic crop, while Recoletos (Fr) (Whipper) comes in off two conditions wins at Fontainebleau Mar. 9 and here Apr. 2.
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