13 May 2022
PARISLONGCHAMP: SUNDAY MAY 15
The elements in play, the pertinent facts worth recalling before the big day, the quotes provided by connections, plus the list of declared runners, complete with the draw.
The elements in play regarding the 2022 editions of the Emirates Poule d’Essai
The Emirates Poules d’Essai des Poulains/des Pouliches (French Guineas) are the starting points of the classic season. These two Group 1 events - the pinnacle in the world of horse racing - are reserved for the very best three-year-old thoroughbreds. The aim of these coveted prizes is to designate the best colt/filly of their generation, and ones who will later go on to improve the thoroughbred breed by transmitting their valuable gene pool to their offspring. The Emirates Poules d'Essai races are both run over 1,600 metres, whereas the other classic races on the French calendar, the Qatar Prix du Jockey-Club and the Prix de Diane Longines, represent a step-up to 2,100 metres. It’s not uncommon for either a colt or filly to compete in both classics reserved for his or her sex.
A line-up worthy of the Olympic Games, and runners owned by Tony Parker and Charles Leclerc on display!
The 2022 fields are exceptional vintages, and ones worthy of an Olympic Games final!
The analogy doesn't stop there: as several horses runners in both races will defend the interests of internationally renowned sportsmen and women. In the fillies’ classic, the Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, Zelda and Mangoustine will both carry the colours of Infinity Nine Horses, the horse racing project of Tony Parker, and one of the very best basketball players to have plied their trade in France. Tony Parker is a true racing enthusiast, and although his racing colours are barely a year old, they’re already reaching the very top! "TP” is a man who likes a challenge, and he has decided to entrust the ride on Zelda to the female jockey Coralie Pacaut. The Deauville-based Coralie Pacaut, 24, rides out for top trainer Jean-Claude Rouget. She was the recipient of the ‘Cravache d’Or’ (Golden Whip) in 2019, when she was crowned the leading female jockey that season, having amassed most victories in a single calendar year. Horse racing is one of the few mixed sports, and women are becoming increasingly present in this sphere. Nevertheless, Coralie will become only the third woman to ride in this race on Sunday! A second female jockey will also be present in the Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches: namely the British rider Hollie Doyle who has been booked for Jumbly.
In the colts’ classic the Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains, Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc, currently leading the world rankings at the wheel of his Ferrari, will be cheering on the colt Lassaut, having recently acquired a share in the colt. This was a strategically prompted choice given that Lassaut, trained at Deauville by Jean-Claude Rouget, is one of the leading fancies in a rather open race, where each contender can advance strong claims.
The best European horses on display and a Franco-British duel involving Rosacea and Cachet!
The fillies’ classic, however, is expected to be a match between France’s Rosacea and Britain’s Cachet. Rosacea, bred and owned by the Normandy concern, the Haras de la Perelle, is trained at Deauville by Stéphane Wattel. In five career outings, Rosacea boasts four wins, having only tasted defeat once, and that on her debut. Her last victory, in the Prix de la Grotte, the main local prep race for the Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, showed her to be in very fine fettle. Cachet is trained in Britain by the young George Boughey. She won the 1,000 Guineas, the British equivalent of the Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, on May 1: a success achieved in a manner which exudes strength, as the filly led from pillar to post, and which illustrated that anything is possible in racing! Cachet's dam was acquired for a mere 3,000 Guineas (€3,740)!
THE RACE RECORDS…
Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains
• André Fabre is the most successful living trainer, having trained 8 winners. Robert Denman (11 wins) is the record holder.
• Four colts have managed to complete the Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains - Qatar Prix du Jockey-Club double since 2005, when the distance of the latter race was reduced to 2,100 metres.
Emirates Poule d’Essai des Pouliches
• Christophe Soumillon is the most successful living jockey with 5 wins. Trainer Jean-Claude Rouget can also boast 5 successes, which makes him the most successful living trainer in the classic.
• Six foreign-trained fillies have won the race.
THE STATE OF THE GROUND - ParisLongchamp is ready to welcome the champions
The weather is particularly clement throughout the country, and the ParisLongchamp track is receiving the fullest attention as regards providing an immaculate racing surface for all the horses. The aim is to ensure a reading of 3.3 (good ground) on the penetrometer scale come Sunday. The open stretch will come into operation, and is situated five metres away from the rails – and it will come into play 450 metres from the first winning post. The running rail will remain in its usual place. The grass was mowed to a depth of 10cms on three occasions during the week. The course was also watered on Thursday evening.
Daily updates on the state of the ground can be accessed via the Twitter link of France Galop.
WHAT CONNECTIONS ARE SAYING
• Stéphane Wattel (the Deauville-based trainer, Calvados region)
The Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (Rosacea, the leading French contender, and Who Knows)
« Rosacea is doing very well! There have been no hitches with her preparation since she won the Prix de la Grotte. Has she improved since then? I can't say, because, in the mornings, we do our best not to blunt her speed. A big field is expected, and ideally we don't want to be drawn too wide, even though we now have the help of the open-stretch. Although a wide draw would require more tactical acumen. Who Knows is in tip-top shape for Sunday. Good ground is de rigeur for her which should be the case at ParisLongchamp on Sunday. She has a lot of speed, although there is a slight doubt concerning her ability to see out the 1,600 metres; she will need a low draw. »
• Jean-Claude Rouget (trainer based at Deauville, Calvados region)
The Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains (Welwal, Lassaut) and The Emirates Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (Osmose, Zelda)
« The objective of this work (which took place on Tuesday morning) was just to keep them ticking over, and to ascertain if the quartet are ready to race. They are! I’m happy with their physical shape, and all the lights are flashing green for Sunday. »
• Bertrand Le Métayer (racing manager of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani)
The Emirates Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (Osmose)
« Osmose is giving very good vibes in her work. She is very calm, placid and has a really good mind-set. We can't wait to see her run on good ground and, above all, in a race with pace! That said, there are fillies which are much more seasoned, having run at Group 1 level at two. Osmose has been far more under the radar. »
• Harry Herbert (the manager of Highclere Racing)
The Emirates Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (Cachet)
« Cachet is very tough! That isn’t really a surprise: as we saw this last season when she ran a lot. However, she has made another step forward from two to three. She has grown in strength and maturitý. She’s a lot stronger this year. George [Boughey] made the decision to send her to the Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches. We didn't interfere when it came to this decision: as, after the Guineas, she has maintained her appetite, and her attitude has been excellent ever since. All the signals regarding her well-being are positive ones, she looks in great shape, the weather in Paris is good, and the conditions on Sunday should be to her advantage, as should the course. »
• Richard Chotard (trainer based at Calas-Cabriès, Bouches du Rhone region)
The Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains (Rock Boy)
« Rock Boy belongs to a group of 12 owners, Team Calas, and 30 of us will be cheering him on come Sunday! The horse is unbeaten in three starts. He has a devastating turn of foot which is his great strength. He has always run on very soft or heavy ground, but there's no reason why he can't be just as effective on a faster surface. He has come on for his reappearance in the Prix Djebel. The colt is in perfect shape! »
• Gianluca Bietolini (the trainer based at Maisons-Laffitte, Yvelines region)
The Emirates Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (Sea of Ash)
«I’ve have always held the filly in high regard, and the defeat in her last race came was the result of a tactical race. I’ve trained her with the ‘Poule’ in mind, and she has worked very well. I'm not going to say she'll win. However, the filly can give a good account of herself, and why shouldn’t she run into a place? »
• Francis-Henri Graffard (trainer based at Chantilly, Oise region)
The Emirates Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (Acer Alley)
« Acer Alley is doing well and all the lights are flashing green. The 1,600m distance may be perhaps be the end of the world for her, but she should certainly improve for her run in the Prix de la Grotte. Her owner wants to have some fun with the filly, so here we go! »
• Didier Guillemin (trainer based at Mont-de-Marsan, Landes region)
The Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains (Making Moovies)
« We worked the colt on the dirt on Tuesday . He gave the right vibes. It was just to keep him ticking over. We didn't try to get to the bottom of him. Alexandre Gavilan will ride him on Sunday. There is no rain forecast, but Making Moovies is capable of adapting to all types of ground. However, I think he has a slight preference for some give. As far as tactics are concerned, everything will depend on the draw. He can be ridden close to the pace or from a little further back. That's not a problem. »
• Romain Le Dren Doleuze (trainer based at Deauville, Calvados region)
The Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains (Nesr Shalghoda)
« To have my first runner in a group 1 one race is really great. There’s no pressure. I’m also very proud of the fact that I’m heading to the ‘Poule’ with a colt which is owned by a client from Dubai. It's even more pleasing as he is someone who has been investing heavily [in bloodstock] for almost four years. Last week I worked Nesr Shalghoda, in a hood, over 1,600 metres. Everything looked very good to me. Last time, in the Prix Djebel, his fractions were by no means bad, and they went a really fast pace. The soft ground didn't help him either. Nesr Shalghoda should have his favourite ground on Sunday. »
• Henri-François Devin (trainer based at Chantilly, Oise region)
The Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains (Texas)
« Texas has improved since the Prix de Fontainebleau. If he wasn't really ready for this prep race, he certainly is now! He will be my first runner in this race. We have been toying with the idea of running this race for some time. He never ceases to surprise me: and he should run very well on Sunday, and over a trip that’s ideal for him! I know that he goes there as an outsider, but he’s capable of being concerned at the finish. »
• Elias Mikhalides (trainer based at Chantilly, Oise region)
The Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains (Scherzo)
« Scherzo has acclimatised really well. It's been a month since he arrived at the stables from Qatar. He wintered very well in Qatar, and his transition from two to three is excellent, both physically and mentally. Scherzo is in a serene frame of mind, and tough at that. He worked on Tuesday and the impressions were very good. When he came to me from Qatar, he had quite a few races under his belt, and so I just kept him ticking over. The season started much earlier for him! I think his mentality remains his forte. He's a colt that blends natural speed with stamina. The last race he won in Qatar was run over 1.850m. After the Poule, Scherzo could head to the Qatar Prix du Jockey-Club (Gr1). It will all depend on his performance. We really think he will be in his element over distances around 2,100 metres. »
