Congress : A first giant leap

The €200,000 Prix Congress Chase (Gr2) is the 3yo Gold Cup, a sort of race that could puzzle many a racing fan abroad. Yet the race has produced some of our best chasers, such as Storm of Saintly, second in this race 7 years ago. Eight of the fifteen last winners were trained by Guillaume Macaire, who saddles only one runner this time in Al Cuarto (Nicaron). He's an outsider after his 4th place as a chasing beginner behind the overwhelming favourite Dream Wish (Dream Well). Owned by the Papot family, he won the last prep race, the Prix Noiro Chase (L), beating some of his challengers here: Road Senam (Saint des Saints), Mauricius (Kapgarde) -who'd beat him previously- and Al Cuarto. Amongst his new foes, Dentor des Obeaux (Protecktor) just won his chasing debut at Fontainebleau, and so did Tzar Royal (Martaline) in an Auteuil claimer.

The last pretender was third behind Mauricius and Dream Wish in his last race. His name is King Edward (Martaline). He's trained by Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé for Tattersalls Ireland representative and former Gr1-winning trainer Nicolas Bertran de Balanda, and his breeder Louis Baudron.