First Dreams of Diane in Saint-Cloud

First Dreams of Diane in Saint-Cloud

Saint-Cloud kicks off the spring season this Saturday, March 29, with major racing action. The Prix Pénélope (Gr3) offers 3-year-old fillies a chance to assert their classic ambitions, while seasoned milers, led by Alcantor, will line up for the Prix Edmond Blanc (Gr3). The program will also open to AQPS runners, with the Prix Bango, the first leg of a flat racing selection circuit.

Tajlina, in memory of Bateel
The Prix Pénélope, a Group 3 run over 2,100 metres, can serve as a stepping stone to the Prix de Diane Longines, the Group 1 race that crowns the best filly of her generation, to be held on June 15 at Chantilly. Eight contenders will attempt to pass this first test with flying colours. Some will be making their seasonal return, such as the much-anticipated Tajlina (Kingman), daughter of the outstanding Bateel (Dubawi), while others will rely on their more advanced fitness, like the British filly Glamis Road (Kodiac), who finished third on this track two weeks ago in the Prix Rose de Mai (Listed).

The Alcantor Draw
Some of the best older milers will clash in the Prix Edmond Blanc (Group 3), where the race's back-to-back winning trainer, André Fabre, will field no fewer than three runners. The star attraction is Alcantor (New Bay), who ended his 3-year-old season with a win on this track in the Prix Perth (Group 3). Kept in training at four with the goal of landing a Group 1, he now looks to enhance his résumé as a future stallion.

Do You Know the “AQ” Horses?
Though bred for jump racing, AQPS (Autres Que de Pur-Sang, aka “The French Chaser”) also have a dedicated flat racing program, including races known as AQPS Group events, open to the best among them. The Prix Bango (Group 3 AQPS) is the opening race of this selection series for 4- and 5-year-olds, who will meet again in a month’s time for the Prix d’Estruval