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Saint-Cloud hosts an excellent card on this Bank Holiday Monday with two feature events – the Group 3 Prix Greffulhe over 1m 2 ½ f and the Group 2 Prix du Muguet over 1m.
The first highlight is the Group 3 Prix Greffulhe for three-year-olds only. A small but select field have been declared and as a traditional trial race ahead of the middle-distance Classics in early June it could provide some clues. 23 winners of the Prix Greffulhe have gone on to win the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club, the most recent was Study of Man in 2018. Two winners, Sea Bird (1965) and Pour Moi (2011), subsequently went on to land the Group 1 Epsom Derby.
Stéphane Pasquier holds the leading jockey title for the race with six previous victories including the last three. This year he rides Fortune, a promising three-year-old colt who won at Longchamp on debut last October before a Class 2 triumph at Chantilly on the AW a month later. He ran well on return at Longchamp when a close third tackling the Group 3 Prix Noailles over this trip.
Harry Way finished ahead at Longchamp just over two weeks ago when second in the Group 3 Prix Noailles. This gelding (and therefore not eligible to contest the Prix du Jockey Club) does have experience on side with three wins and four placings from seven career starts including a Listed course and distance success in March.
Rashford steps up in trip but arrives in good form this season. The colt won at Deauville in a Class 1 conditions race before a fair fourth in the Group 3 Prix La Force over 1m 1f last month.
Greenland represents top Irish trainer, Aidan O'Brien who is working at a 28% strike rate for his last 50 runners and this three-year-old colt looks interesting after a good third on seasonal reappearance in France when contesting the aforementioned Group 3 Prix La Force at Longchamp. Zalamo was seventh of eight that day and makes up the field.
The Group 2 Prix du Muguet looks a competitive and quality race. Erevann finished third in last year's Group 1 Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville over 1m before winning the Group 2 Qatar Prix Daniel Wildenstein at Longchamp in October. Having lost the retainership for Aga Khan Stables, Christophe Soumillon will remain onboard.
Course specialist, The Revenant was second behind Erevann at Longchamp in October but has boosted the form since by winning on season return in the course and distance Listed Prix Altipan and finished a good second last time in the Group 3 Prix Edmond Blanc. Now an eight-year-old, this previous winner of the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot (UK) is a six-time winner at Saint-Cloud and is 12 from 22 over the trip.
Fort Payne is a smart five-year-old who bids for a hat-trick after a pair of conditions race victories at Chantilly AW this year. Despite the horse never previously encountered this venue, jockey Maxime Guyon is operating at a strong 28% winning strike rate for his last 50 rides.
Tribalist made all and won the Group 3 Prix Edmond Blanc at the start of April defeating the reopposing The Revenant and Facteur Cheval. He is 5-8 over the distance and a two-time track and trip winner.
Fire Of The Sun looks interesting based on his German form from last year including success in the Group 3 Grosser Preis Der Landeshauptstadt over 7f at Dresden and a placing in the Group 2 Brunner - Oettingen Renne at Baden-Baden. The four-year-old is a previous course winner.
Rosacea has shown plenty of ability throughout her career and this filly is a four-time career winner.
