Battle Paint heads field at Longchamp

Jean-Claude Rouget, successful with US Ranger in Wednesday's Prix Djebel, sends out another classic candidate, Battle Paint, in Sunday's Group 3, $108,000 Prix de Fontainebleau, The race is a one-mile course-and-distance Longchamp prep for the French 2000 Guineas.

A Tale of the Cat colt, Battle Paint lost just once in three juvenile outings, that when he was second by two lengths to Holy Roman Emperor in Longchamp's Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. He will take on Visionario, winner of the Group 3 Prix La Rochette; Makaan, winner of the Group 3 Prix Thomas Bryon; and the dangerous maiden winner Lawman.

The one-mile Group 3 Prix de la Grotte, a $108,000 course-and-distance prep for the French 1000 Guineas, features three juvenile Group 3 winners in Poltava, Iron Lips, and Chinandega. They may be vulnerable, though, to Nuqoosh, who was second in the Group 3 Prix Miesque last fall.