Prix Royal-Oak marathon lures 14

A field of 14 came through Friday’s final declaration stage for the Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak, France’s premier autumn race for marathoners. The Prix Royal-Oak is carded for 1 15/16 miles and will be contested Sunday at Longchamp over good-to-soft going.

The prospective field includes the 2010 race winner, Gentoo, who has failed to win in five starts since his Royal-Oak win a year ago. Gentoo, a 7-year-old, has finished no better than fifth in his last four races and would need a sharp form reversal to contend.

Such is not the case for Shankardeh and Be Fabulous, a pair of fillies who enter Sunday’s race after a win. Shankardeh, one of two Aga Khan-owned fillies in the race (the other is Shamanova), won the Group 2 Prix Chaudenay going 1 7/8 miles on Oct. 1 at Longchamp, and the 3-year-old never has been worse than third in five starts. Be Fabulous, 4, earned a step into group stakes competition for trainer Andre Fabre on the strength of consecutive wins.

Maria Royal also merits a glance. She failed to stay 2 1/2 miles in her most recent race, while running into subsequent Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Danedream in Germany two starts ago.

Italy also hosts a Group 1 on Sunday, with the Premio Lydio Tesio, a 1 1/4-mile race restricted to females, part of the card at Campannelle. Djumama, fifth last out in the Prix de la Opera on the Arc card, might have a class edge on 11 opponents.