The Guiche way to the Jockey Club
Photo Lawman in the 2007 Prix de Guiche : scoopdyga.com
The Prix de Guiche (Gr3) takes place on Monday at Chantilly over 1,800m/1m1f. Six 3-year-old colts and a gelding from Britain have been confirmed at the start. With the redesign of the classic program in 2005, this race has become an interesting prep en route to the QIPCO Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby, Gr1). Lawman won both races in 2007. Last year, Patascoy finished second both times, behind Intellogent in the "Guiche", and then behind Study of Man in the "Jockey Club". In 2017, Phelps Win beat Plumatic, who just returned with a decisive win in a hot renewal of the Prix du Muguet (Gr2).
The 2019 edition of the Prix de Guiche is not easy to decipher because the form has been battered recently. If we draw the lines, Syrtis (Frankel) is best placed against Makmour (Rock of Gibraltar) and Famous Wolf (Kendargent). But the Godolphin colt faces opponents who have no common reference with his. Tel Aviv (Nathaniel) made a big impression in his last outing, at Saint-Cloud, but it was late March and the form seems rather shallow. The English raider Insandi (Harmless), recently gelded, has not competed since his second place in September in the Prix des Chênes won by Anodor, who will go straight to The Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains (Gr1) on Sunday ...
Flop Shot (New Approach) won very easily for his return, on the Chantilly AWT. Toijk (Siyouni) goes on a longer distance than the 7 furlongs of the Prix Djebel (Gr3), where he finished 4th.
One should also pay attention to the ten 3-year-old fillies entered in the Prix des Lilas (L) over 1,600m/1m. The race was won by Efaadah at ParisLongchamp last year. She went on to win the Prix de la Porte Maillot (Gr3), over 1,400m/7f, beating no less than Inns of Court and Jimmy Two Times!
A year earlier, in June 2017 at Maisons-Laffitte, Thais won the Prix des Lilas before leaving for the United States, where she finished third in the Beverly D Stakes (Gr1)!