Saturday sees the kick-off of the Qatar Arc De Triomphe meet where we have one of the biggest races in the world taking place on Sunday, the 2023 Qatar Prix De L’Arc de Triomphe, but we have a fantastic card on Saturday and we’ll see Trueshan trying to regain his title in the marathon Prix Du Cadran after winning in 2021. On the same card, we’ll see the Prix De Royallieu for fillies and mares, and Sea Silk Road will be trying to provide handler William Haggas with back-to-back wins after Sea La Rosa won last year’s renewal.
Prix Du Cadran
Grade 1 – Purse $149,500 – 2 miles 3 furlongs 194 yards – Turf – 4-Year-Olds and Up
Can Trueshan regain his crown after being forced to miss last year’s race due to the faster-than-ideal ground conditions?
Only six runners for this stamina-sapping marathon over nearly two and a half miles, and it is 2021 winner Trueshan who is the chalk, and rightly so.
It is imperative to have soft ground for Trueshan, and early reports suggest the going will be perfect for the Alan King-trained runner.
He has remained in top form since that wide-margin romp in 2021 with his victory in the 2022 Northumberland Plate Handicap at Newcastle being a particular highlight.
He carried 10st 8lbs to victory, and it was the greatest performance in the race’s long history.
He is clearly in top form for this assignment having won the 2023 Grade 2 Doncaster Cup Stakes last time.
His biggest rival is likely to be the Aiden O’Brien-trained Emily Dickinson who will be ridden by Frankie Dettori. She has won two of her five races this season.
She opened by taking the 2023 Listed Vintage Crop Stakes over one mile six furlongs by five lengths but her best performance was when finishing in the fourth spot in the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot in June where she was closing gamely at the finish over a similar distance to what she will encounter on Saturday.
Whether she has the class to beat Trueshan remains to be seen but she does have a handy 4lbs fillies allowance.
Of the others, it is Run For Oscar who could be the one to spring a little bit of a surprise. He has failed to win this season but was victorious when taking the 2022 Cesarewitch Handicap at Newmarket when defeating twenty other rivals.
His best run this season was when third in the 2023 Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot but he has a tough assignment as he has already finished well behind Emily Dickinson in the 2023 Grade 2 Curragh Cup.
Prix Du Cadran Odds & Betting Pick
| Horse | Jockey | Horse Racing Odds by Jazzsports |
| Vert Liberte | Bauyrzhan Murzabayeb | +2500 |
| Moon Wolf | Alexis Pouchin | +2800 |
| Skazino | Mickael Barzalona | +1200 |
| Trueshan | Hollie Doyle | +125 |
| Run For Oscar | Cristian Demuro | +800 |
| Emily Dickinson | Frankie Dettori | +175 |
This looks like a three-horse race and Run For Oscar will likely make the running here and he can battle for a board spot.
This race rests between TRUESHAN and Emily Dickinson and it is the 2021 Champion who gets a very strong vote with ground conditions in his favor.
It’s hard to make a case for the others.
Prix De Royallieu
Grade 1 – Purse $149,500 – 1 mile 5 furlongs 212 yards – Turf – 3-Year-Olds and Up – Fillies & Mares
Can Sea Silk Road defeat the chalk Melo Melo and make it back-to-back wins for trainer William Haggas?
Melo Melo is the chalk for this fourteen-runner event and it is a very open race on paper.
The Graffard-trained chalk has solid form at Longchamp and was a winner here in May when taking the 2023 Listed Gold River Stakes over the same trip she faces today.
She returned to Longchamp to put up a career-best effort when cutting back in distance to finish runner-up in the Grade 1 Prix Vermeille in September where she had Sea Silk Road a length and three-quarters back in third spot.
Considering the stretchout in distance is sure to suit, she is a deserving chalk here.
Sea Silk Road had won the 2023 Grade 3 Pinnacle Stakes earlier in the season and was then a game runner-up when stepping up the class ladder in the 2023 Lancashire Oaks Stakes at Haydock in July.
It looks tough for her to turn around the form with Melo Melo on their last run but she does seem to run her best races on soft turf and she should be competitive.
Shamida is a filly going places and has won her last three starts, including last time when taking on tougher and winning the Grade 3 Irish St Leger Trial Stakes. All of her wins have come since she stretched out from a mile and a quarter to a mile and three quarters, and she is a progressive stayer for top handler Dermot Weld.
Another interesting foe is Ottery who has top joint speed rating of 110 with the chalk.
She has won two of her six career starts and has improved on her last two, taking the 2023 Grade 3 Prix De Royaumont two back before an even better effort when third in the 2023 Grade 2 Prix De Pomone Stakes.
She has to take another step forward but is interesting for across-the-board players.
For longshot players, then Thunder Roll from the Joseph O’Brien barn could be the one. She is well behind these (top speed figure of 99) but has yet to finish off the board in six starts, and with her best run and maiden breaker coming last time in the 2023 Listed Oyster Stakes, there is upside for another jolt of improvement.
Prix De Royallieu Odds & Racing Pick
| Horse | Jockey | Horse Racing Odds by Jazzsports |
| Baiykara | Maxime Guyon | +1000 |
| Poptronic | Sam James | +2000 |
| Diva Donna | Jerome Moutard | +5000 |
| Alpenblume | Alexis Pouchin | +4000 |
| La Mehana | Cristian Demuro | +2000 |
| Mimikyu | Frankie Dettori | +1600 |
| Sea Silk Road | Aurelien Lemaitre | +800 |
| Melo Melo | Mickael Barzalona | +350 |
| Ottery | Bauyrzhan Murzabayeb | +900 |
| Shamida | Chris Hayes | +550 |
| Thunder Roll | Dylan Browne McMonagle | +1800 |
| Sumo Sam | Jamie Spencer | +1000 |
| Rue Boissonade | Gerald Mosse | +1000 |
| Library | Sean Levey | +2500 |
Melo Melo and Sea Silk Road are closely matched but of the two it is the Graffard chalk who gets the vote to come out on top in that battle.
However, the vote goes to SHAMIDA who has flourished since tackling these marathon distances and she can be the one in the winner’s circle on Saturday afternoon.
Both Ottery and Thunder Roll should be battling for a spot underneath.
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