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The first Classic race of the season in France is the French 2000 Guineas for colts (Poule d-Essai des Poulians) with a field featuring local, British, and Irish runners among the ten declarations. We preview the chances of each runner.
1. Breizh Sky (Maxime Guyon/A & G Botti)
Third in the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardare over seven furlongs at this track in October, Breizh Sky finished off the season with a disappointing fifth in the one-mile Group 1 Criterium International at Saint-Cloud. He was better on reappearance when second over seven furlongs in the Group 3 Prix Djebel, indicating that the mile could be a question mark.
2. Marhaba Ya Sanafi (Mickael Barzalona/A Schutz)
Marhaba Ya Sanafi is a proven stayer with all four career starts coming over a mile or further. He commenced his Classic campaign with a win at Chantilly on the all-weather and finished a solid, but well-beaten, second in the Group 3 Prix de Fontainebleau over course and distance.
3. Valimi (Cristian Demuro/J-C Rouget)
One of the stronger domestic runners, Valimi suffered a shock defeat when second behind Halfway Line in a conditions race at Saint-Cloud on seasonal reappearance. He bounced back to reverse the form in the Prix Machado over track and trip subsequently and sets the standard. The form of his juvenile win is boosted with second-placed horse American Flag winning the traditional three-year-old Guineas trial, the Group 3 Prix de Fontainebleau.
4. Kendly (Oisin Murphy/P Sogorb)
Kendly caught the eye with a comfortable victory in the Listed Prix Aymeri de Mauleon over a mile at Toulouse last start. He would need to reverse the form with American Flag, having finished second behind the colt in the Listed Prix Omnium II in mid-March.
5. Knight (James Doyle/Simon & Ed Crisford)
Knight was unbeaten in two starts as a juvenile including a success in the Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes over seven furlongs on heavy ground at Newbury. He was very disappointing on his seasonal reappearance when well-beaten in the Group 3 Greenham Stakes and is expected to show more.
6. American Flag (Christophe Soumillon/Y Barberot)
Progressive American Flag is chasing a fourth consecutive success with his only defeat coming on debut behind the re-opposing Valimi. He has been impressive in all subsequent starts, including a two-and-a-half-length defeat of Marhaba Ya Sanafi in the Group 3 Prix de Fontainebleau over course and distance.
7. Good Guess (Stephane Pasquier/F Chappet)
Good Guess showed mixed form as a juvenile and appeared to have improved on seasonal reappearance when beating Breizh Sky in the traditional trial, the Group 3 Prix Djebel over seven furlongs at Deauville. The form of that race is probably not up to the standard of the best horses in the field.
8. Isaac Shelby (Sean Levey/Brian Meehan)
Isaac Shelby is probably an underestimated horse in the field, with his only poor effort coming when last of seven in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes. He proved that his juvenile Group 2 Superlative Stakes victory was not a fluke when scoring by three lengths in the Group 3 Greenham Stakes and has swerved the English 1000 Guineas in favour of this race.
9. Hans Andersen (Ryan Moore/A P O'Brien)
Group placed as a juvenile Hans Andersen commenced his Classic campaign with a win in the Group 3 2000 Guineas Trial Stakes at Leopardstown ahead of Bold Discovery. He is the sole representative of Aidan O'Brien and warrants respect, but this is possibly a deeper French 2000 Guineas than usual.
10. Kubrick (Ioritz Medizabal/J-C Rouget)
A Group 3 winner at two, Kubrick could only manage a fourth in the Group 3 Prix Djebel on seasonal reappearance. Improvement would be required to get involved but the trainers' horses are coming on after their reappearance efforts this season.
WIN: ISAAC SHELBY
