Grand Prix De Paris 2013

6.20 Longchamp

Grand Prix De Paris (Group 1) (Class 1)  (3YO only)

Winner €355,140 - 8 run

Advice: 2 pts win Flintshire (7/4 general)

Flintshire: Unable to build on promising debut when only second at Longchamp (jockey blamed holding ground and trip) and back to something like real best when deeply impressive winner of Group 3 latest, beating solid runner up Park Hill more comprehensively than stablemates Ocovango and Tableaux; Should go well.

Mandawi: Shaped as if he’ll worked out to be ever the stayer in three attempts, winning maiden on second start before making some late progress behind Flintshire last time out; That a little too late and he never really threatened to land a proper blow.

Park Reel: Seven seconds out of nine starts, but many of those to class opposition this season, including Ocovango and Tabaleux; No match for Flintshire last time out however and will struggled to really reverse that form.

Max Dynamite: Looks pretty solid on defeats to Tabelaux and Ocovango but well exposed since and not upto Group 1 standard.

Ocovango: Only fifth in Derby but never truly got a run when things got competitive quickly in the home straight and had looked very promising before that, for all he didn’t put much distance between his rivals and him; Trainer felt highly enough of him to send him to Epsom and talked about Arc afterwards still, so must be respected.

Battle of Marengo: Presumably his yard’s first string for the Derby where he ran a expectable race to finish fourth, but exposed then and struggle to see the benefit of running him here when that effort clearly had effect on him which contributed to him being beaten in King Edwards VII at Royal Ascot.

Au Revouir: Winner of the Prix Derby Du Langeroc latest but this a huge step up and just outclassed on all known form.

Singing: This surely asking too much of the recent maiden winner.

VERDICT: Andre Fabre has won a remarkable eleven editions of this and he has an outstanding chance of making it 12 with either Ocovango or FLINTSHIRE, with preference for the latter, who was so deeply impressive in the Prix Du Lys and may have yet more to come still. Battle of Marengo may be feeling a hard season based on his Ascot defeat and looks vulnerable.