Straight Up

Since the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains was staged at Maisons-Laffitte in 1945, the regular pre-race concentration has been as much on the draw as on the quality of the main contenders due to the vagaries of Longchamp's circuit but with its home temporarily unavailable due to renovation the mile Classic takes place in radically differing circumstances on Deauville's straight course on Sunday. For once, the race takes on the feel of Newmarket's 2000 Guineas, the feature it was inaugurated to copy and there should be no need for connections to regale listeners with the kind of in-running hard-luck stories that customarily follow the Longchamp version. This year, the question is more 'who is best?', with several colts within very few pounds of each other on ratings and just three unbeaten ones in the line-up including Al Shaqab Racing's Zelzal (Fr) (Sea the Stars {Ire}). From the Jean-Claude Rouget stable still looking for a first renewal that is surely an inevitability, the bay has won his two Polytrack outings by a cumulative margin of 10 lengths over 7 1/2 furlongs here Mar. 4 and at this distance at Chantilly Apr. 6. On the latter occasion, he had the subsequently listed-placed King Malpic (Fr) (King's Best) four lengths back and the owners's racing manager Harry Herbert believes he has the right material for this distinguished prize. “He has been immensely impressive so far and is a horse with a great turn of foot,” he explained. “He's obviously never run on the turf before, so that will be something new but I'm told the ground at Deauville is good and I think that will suit him. He's a cracking son of Sea the Stars–a very neat and athletic horse–and Jean-Claude has been high on him for a long time. The worry you would have is his lack of experience, but he's a very talented colt and hopefully he'll run well. Whatever he does I'm sure he'll improve upon it.”

While the obvious focus of the race is on another of the trio yet to meet with defeat in His Highness The Aga Khan's Zarak (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}), the third of this elite group is the talented Crazy Horse (GB) (Sleeping Indian {GB}). Rachel Hood's homebred, who hails from the all-conquering John Gosden stable which is really clicking into gear now, displayed his sire's finishing burst when getting up close home in Newbury's G3 Horris Hill S. over seven furlongs in October. If trial form is the best guide, then Robert Ng's G3 Prix de Fontainebleau winner

Dicton (GB) (Lawman {Fr}) who was claimed from the Freddy Head stable in October should be at the forefront of calculations, with 16 winners of that prep going on to glory in this race. Following up his defeat of Barwod (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) in the Mar. 20 Listed Prix Omnium at Saint-Cloud with a neck defeat of Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Taareef (Kitten´s Joy) and the subsequent G3 Prix de Quiche scorer Almanzor (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in the Fontainebleau staged this year at Chantilly Apr. 20, the star of the Gianluca Bietolini yard has already displayed admirable versatility to win both right- and left-handed around a turn and now has to deal with a straight mile if he is to become number 17.

Carlos Laffon-Parias has also yet to win this and he puts forward two from the Wertheimer brothers's plethora of talented representatives in Attendu (Fr) (Acclamation {GB}) and Alignement (GB) (Pivotal {GB}). While the former has proven himself time and again in pattern races, Alignment is plunging into far deeper waters than he is used to but the manner of his latest success in a conditions event over this trip at Fontainebleau Apr. 14 and his trainer's obvious high regard suggest he can handle the test. Attendu has nothing to prove other than his ability to put a race like this to bed. Having won Longchamp's G3 Prix la Rochette over seven furlongs in September, he has since finished eighth in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp at a mile the following month before reverting to seven to be third in November's G1 Criterium International back at Saint-Cloud. Promoted to the runner's-up spot in the G3 Prix Djebel at Maisons-Laffitte Apr. 7, where the re-opposing Olivier Thomas-owned Moon Trouble (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) was just a neck behind in fourth before being moved up to third, the feeling is that he is just short of the best particularly at this trip that could stretch him on pedigree.