Magadan heads Grand Prix de Chantilly

Magadan should successfully take the next step up the group-race ladder on Sunday in the 1 1/2-mile, $181,000 Grand Prix de Chantilly, one of three Group 2 races on the card at Chantilly. A son of High Chaparral trained by Elie Lellouche, Magadan has already won over the distance at the listed and Group 3 levels this season after having concluded an abbreviated 3-year-old campaign with a third-place finish behind Montmartre in the 1 1/2-mile, Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris.

Ideal World, a son of Kingmambo and Banks Hill trained by Andre Fabre for Khalid Abdullah, was a nose second behind two-time Group 1 winner Vision d'Etat in the 1 1/2-mile, Group 2 Prix Niel last fall. In his 4-year-old debut he took a 1 1/4-mile allowance race from juvenile Group 1 winner Full of Gold and Alpine Rose, the winner of Thursday's Group 2 Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud.

Marchand d'Or will try to get back on track in the five-furlong $181,000 Prix du Gros-Chene, a race he won last year on his way to the European sprint championship. Unplaced in both the Hong Kong Sprint and the Dubai Golden Shaheen, he was only fourth in the Group 3 Prix de Saint-Georges last time and appears vulnerable to Saint-Georges winner Mood Music, as well as a trio of dangerous British raiders: Benbaun, Equiano, and Tax Free.

Entre Deux Eaux chased Elusive Wave in both the Prix Imprudence and the French 1000 Guineas but in the one-mile $181,000 Prix de Sandringham she faces a challenge from Only Green, a half sister to two-time Group 1 winner Occupandiste who won the listed seven-furlong Prix du Pont-Neuf last time. The Red Ransom filly Reggane is eligible to improve off her facile two length maiden score over the Sandringham course and distance on May 5.