The first day of a big weekend of racing at Longchamp sees Saturday kick off with a Group 2 event and end the stakes action with a Group 1 over 4000 metres.
Sidestep colt kicks off Arc weekend
Sidestep is represented in the very first race at Longchamp on Saturday when Step By Step (Fr) looks for his first Group stakes success in the G2 Qatar Prix Chaudenay over 3000 metres. Already a Listed winner, the 3-year-old is one of two stakes horses for his dam, a half-sister to Group 1 winner Amarette (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}). Another stakes winning half-sister is the dam of two-time Australian Group 1 winner Almandin (Ger) (Monsun), one of nine stakes winners under Step By Step’s second dam.
By former New Zealand shuttle sire Makfi (GB), Mykiss (Fr) is out of a half-sister to the dam of Himalaya Dream (Fr) (Stormy River {Fr}). That gelding spent most of his career in Australia, winning three races in the country.
Zelding strikes again in Prix Dollar
Top broodmare Zelding (Ire) (Warning {GB}) is almost always represented on big stakes weekends and Saturday is no exception. Coming off a Group 3 victory, his fourth career win in five starts, Glycon (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) faces a field of seven others in the G2 Qatar Prix Dollar. He is out of a stakes winning and Group 1-placed Singspiel (Ire) half-sister to Beauty Is Truth (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), whose runners include G1 Ranvet S. winner The United States (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
Raging Storm (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) has strong connections to Australasia as a 4-year-old out of New Zealand-bred, Australian winner Entrust (NZ) (Danehill {USA}). Three of Entrust’s five winners came in Australia with the mare exported to Ireland the year she conceived this colt. His granddam Ajfan (USA) (Woodman {USA}) was imported to New Zealand in 2002 and is also the granddam of multiple New Zealand stakes performers with her US-bred daughter El Laoob (Red Ransom {USA}) also imported to Australia in 2011. Currently in New Zealand, El Laoob was bred to Sacred Falls (NZ) last season.
After a small break, American Pharoah’s (USA) Ocean Atlantique (USA) makes his reappearance here against his elders. The colt is out of a half-sister to champion Leroidesanimaux (Brz) (Candy Stripes {USA}) and Group 1 winner Uapybo (Brz) (Blush Rambler {USA}) with Ocean Atlantique’s third dam Kerali (GB) (High Line {GB}) also the dam of bluehen mare Hasili (Ire) (Kahysi {Ire}).
Group 1 action starts in Prix de Royallieu
Three stakes races into the card, the first Group 1 of the weekend takes place in the G2 Qatar Prix de Royallieu over 2800 metres.
Dubawi’s (Ire) Mashael (Fr) is the first winner out of her Galileo (Ire) dam Al Jassasiyah (Ire), who is a full sister to G1 Epsom Oaks winner Was (Ire) and Lloyd Williams’ Group 3-winning Australian import Douglas Macarthur (Ire). Mashael’s second dam is also a half-sister to champion and former shuttle stallion New Approach (Ire) with one of their half-sisters also the granddam of multiple G2 Bobbie Lewis H. winner Zoutori (Zoustar).
Out of a Montjeu (Ire) three-quarter sister to classic winner Ask (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells {USA}), Monica Sheriff (GB) (Lawman {Fr}) also hails from the family of Australian Group 1 winner Kingdom Of Fife (GB) (Kingmambo {USA}). The 4-year-old looks to get back to her winning ways here after five straight victories in 2019.
Group 3-winning Spirit Of Appin (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) is one of three group winners from 11 winners for Oshiponga (GB) (Barathea {Ire}). Oshiponga’s siblings include Group 1 winner Miss Keller (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), whose foals have all been imported to run in Australia.
One of three Lope De Vega (Ire) runners in the field, Palomba (Ire) is one of three winners from three to race out of Australienne (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}). That mare is a half-sister to G1 Melbourne Cup winner Americain (USA) (Dynaformer {USA}) among four stakes horses out of Group 2 winner America (Ire) (Arazi {USA}).
Three-year-old filly Paix (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}) is out of a Group 3-winning half-sister to Prudenzia (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), the dam of G1 Mackinnon S. winner Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who returns to the Spring Carnival this year. Also in this family is multiple Australian stakes winner Dr Drill (GB) (Dansili), who is in training with Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.
American Pharoah’s Group 2-winning daughter Pista (USA) makes her first trip to France for Melbourne Cup winning trainer Joseph O’Brien in this race. The great-granddaughter of bluehen Coup De Genie (USA) (Mr. Prospector {USA}) has won three straight since August 1st and looks to take her record to four-from-five here.
A Group 3 winner two starts ago, Wonderful Tonight (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) is one of two stakes winners out of a half-sister to multiple Australian stakes-placed Mr Garcia (GB) (Paco Boy {Ire}). This is also the family of multiple stakes winner Inverloch (Ire) (Fastnet Rock) and European champion Camelot (GB), the sire of dual Group 1 winner Russian Camelot (Ire).
Yulong Investments runner among entries in Qatar Prix Daniel Wildenstein
The G2 Qatar Prix Daniel Wildenstein sees Shaman (Ire) (Shamardal {USA}) kick off the eight horse field in the 1600 metre race in the draw. The son of multiple stakes winner Only Green (Ire) (Green Desert {USA}) is a half-brother to Listed Albury Gold Cup winner Green Sweet (USA) (Smart Strike {USA}), who was in training with Danny Williams for much of his Australian career.
Zhang Yuesheng’s Italian and German champion Ancient Spirit (Ger) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) looks for his first win since a double in June here. A half-brother to a Group 1 winner himself, Ancient Spirit’s second dam is a three-quarter sister to G1 Melbourne Cup winner Almandin (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}).
Group 3 winner Maamora (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) is a half-sister to Harlech (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), whose first foal is Frankel’s (GB) G2 Sweet Embrace S. winner Hungry Heart. Harlach visited Snitzel in 2017 and 2018 for a colt and filly respectively, before taking a break last season.
Prix du Cadran rounds out day
The G1 Qatar Prix du Cadran rounds out the first of two strong days of racing Longchamp on Saturday with an eight horse field over 4000 metres.
The winner of two of his three races since his move to the Czech Republic earlier this year, Cacophonous (GB) (Cacique {Ire}) makes his Group 1 debut here. The gelding is a half-brother to Australasian runner Zee Zeely (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}), who spent a few years in Australia before moving to New Zealand in 2017.
A son of Group 1 winner Almerita (Ger) (Medicean {GB}), Alkuin (Ire) (Maxios {GB}) is a half-brother to Kris Lees-trained Articus (Fr) (Areion {Ger}). A multiple winner in Australia, that horse was also a Group 3 winner in Australia and is one of two to of Alkuin’s siblings to race in Australia alongside Australian winner Ay No Digas (Ger) (Singspiel {Ire}), who was last in training with Brent Albuino. There is Australian success throughout the family with their dam also a half-sister to the dam of multiple Australian stakes winner Gris Caro (GB) (With Approval {Can}).
One of three Group 1 winners for his dam, Call The Wind (GB) (Frankel {GB}) hails from the family of Australian Stakes winners Glorious Sinndar (Fr) (Sinndar {Ire}), Assign (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), and Observational (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) with all three under his second dam. The winner of three of his four starts this year, Call The Wind comes into the race off a Group 2 victory in August.
Zhang Yuesheng-owned Barbados (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was last seen finishing fourth in the G1 Irish St. Leger and stretches out almost 1200 metres more in this affair. On the board in three of his five starts since his ownership change saw him switch to Jessica Harrington’s barn, the Galileo 4-year-old is searching for his first stakes win here.
So You Think (NZ) has the German-bred Think Of Me representing him in this race, one of two winners out of her dam. A Listed winner, Think Of Me has never been worse than second in her six race career and stretches past 3100 metres for the first time in her career.
Related to another runner on the card in Ancient Spirit (Ger) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Apadanah (Ger) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) is one of two stakes horses out of her dam. That mare is a half-sister to the dam of Ancient Spirit with Apadanah’s granddam a three-quarter sibling to Almandin (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}).
