Prix Noailles headed by Grand Vent, Genzy

Grand Vent, third in stakes in his last two starts for trainer Andre Fabre, and Genzy, who won his first start of the year on March 28, are two leading contenders in Sunday’s Group 2 Prix Noailles at Longchamp, France.

The Prix Noailles, run over about 1 1/4 miles, is a prep race for the French Derby at Chantilly on June 5. Planteur, who won the 2010 Prix Noailles, later finished second in the French Derby.

Genzy, trained by Jonathan Pease, was supplemented to the Prix Noailles after winning a conditions race, the Prix Nasrullah, over about 1 1/4 miles at Saint-Cloud. Genzy was second in his lone start at 2.

Grand Vent was third in the Group 3 Prix Thomas Byron last fall, and third in the listed Prix Francois Mathet over about 1 5/16 miles at Saint-Cloud on March 4, his most recent outing. Grand Vent races for Godolphin Racing.

The Prix Noailles drew a field of eight. There is one unbeaten horse in the field in Little Storm, who has won three races in the French provinces, including races on March 12 and March 19.

Don’t Hurry Me wires Prix Penelope

Don’t Hurry Me won her first stakes, and gave the sire Hurricane Run his first group stakes winner, in Thursday’s Group 3 Prix Penelope for 3-year-old fillies at Saint-Cloud, a prep for the French Oaks at Chantilly on June 12.

Ridden by champion jockey Ioritz Mendizabal, Don’t Hurry Me led throughout the race over 1 5/16 miles on turf to win by 1 1/2 lengths over Pirika, who was making her 3-year-old debut and is a well-regarded filly trained by Andre Fabre.

Skallet finished third in the field of five.

Don’t Hurry Me, trained by Jean Claude-Rouget, has won 3 of 5 starts.