La Coupe : At a new crossroads
Photo La Coupe in 2018 won by Dallas Affair: scoopdyga.com
On Whit Monday, the ParisLongchamp La Coupe (Gr3) takes centre stage.
Eight runners have been confirmed and the best rating in the field is Spotify (Redoute's Choice),'s a Wertheimer & Frère bred gelding sold for € 250,000 last year at Arqana Arc sale to Godolphin. Now trained by to Charlie Appleby in Britain, the 5-year-old gelding won two races this winter at Meydan. He makes a small comeback and finds an old acquaintance, the 5-year-old mare Golden Legend (Doctor Dino), who had beaten him in September in ... the Maisons-Laffitte Cup (Gr3)! Since then, the mare homebred by Antonia Devin, trained by her son Henri-François, has finished second in the E P Taylor Stakes (Gr1) at Toronto in Canada. She finished fourth last time out in the Prix Corrida (Gr2) and will probably be sharper this time.
Leading trainer André Fabre aligns two of his horses: Soleil Marin (Kendargent) for Godolphin after his more than honourable fourth place in the Prix Ganay (Gr1) and the 4-year-old mare Ligne d'Or (Dansili), who has won twice at the end of the season in 2018 and may have progressed further.
From Germany comes Nikkei (Pivotal), supplemented by his trainer Peter Schiergen. He has won twice, including one at this level last year. He must have progressed since the fifth place he got for his return this season. French-born David Menuisier, who is based in England, trains Danceteria (Redoute's Choice), who won in her last foray on the continent in the Prix Jacques Laffitte (L), then she finished third at Sandown in a Group 3 on this same distance, the Brigadier Gerard Stakes, at a distance from the first two home that day.
Success Days (Jeremy) seems to have improved last time out when third in the Huxley Stakes (Gr2) at Chester. Fourth for his return to Paris in the Prix d'Hédouville (Gr3) after a nice second place in Doha, Royal Julius (Royal Applause) completes the filed.
Also on the card, two races of 3-year-old fillies are worth the trip. The Prix Mélisande (L) takes place over 2,100 metres and brings together 7 horses. It's a lighter version of the Prix de Diane. The Prix Volterra (L) is a mile race, with ten fillies confirmed, some of which have been part of the classic hopes of the season.