Siyarafina set for Prix Saint-Alary; Wild Illusion goes in Prix d'Ispahan

Group 1 racing Sunday at Longchamp showcases the stakes debut of the exciting 3-year-old filly Siyarafina and the seasonal debut of Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf runner-up Wild Illusion.

Siyarafina is one of 11 3-year-old fillies entered to race 1 1/4 miles in the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary, an important race itself but also a stepping-stone to the Prix de Diane, the French Oaks. An Aga Khan homebred by Pivotal and out of Siyenica, Siyarafina already has hinted at Group 1-level ability and on Sunday gets to show she actually possesses it.

Siyarafina only debuted in April, but as sharp as a two-length maiden win looked, she showed far more flash in unleashing a wicked turn of foot while winning a conditions race over one mile April 22 at Longchamp. Trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre considered the French 1000 Guineas (Prix d’Essai des Pouliches) on May 12 but withdrew Siyarafina from consideration the week before the race, citing a subpar workout.

Maybe Royer-Dupre wanted more time for the filly, or he believes Siyarafina needs to stretch out beyond the Guineas’s one-mile distance right now. Regardless of why she has ended up in the Saint-Alary, it will be very interesting to see what she can do in the race while stepping up in trip and competition.

Siyarafina isn’t the only unbeaten homebred filly in the race. Fount, bred and owned by Khalid Abdullah, also began her career this spring and has started it with two wins at class levels similar to Siyarafina’s. Fount, by Frankel, is the third foal to race out of Ventura, one of the top female sprinters during her best days in the barn of the late trainer Bobby Frankel.

The improving Platane won the Group 3 Prix Vanteaux last out, while Imperial Charm chased Castle Lady in the Prix de la Grotte and the French Guineas in her last two starts.

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Godolphin’s Wild Illusion, trained by Charlie Appleby, is one of nine entrants in the Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan over a little more than 1 1/8 miles. Wild Illusion, who gets a three-pound sex allowance from the males in the race, is plenty good enough to win the Ispahan, but the race comes up short of her preferred distance range, which appears to be 10 to 11 furlongs.

At 10 furlongs, Wild Illusion won the Group 1 Nassau and the Group 1 Prix de l’Opera last fall, and at 11. she was second by a neck to Sistercharlie in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare turf, her most recent race.

The 6-year-old Zabeel Prince never has risen as high in the European middle-distance ranks as Wild Illusion, but he does have a recent sharp Group 3 win at 1 1/8 miles, and that current form apparently is carrying plenty of weight with early overseas bettors, who made him the 2-1 Ispahan favorite as of Friday.

The 4-year-old filly With You, bred and owned by George Strawbridge, proved no match for Wild Illusion in the Opera last fall but might better suit Sunday’s shorter distance. Dream Castle, another Godolphin runner, had a strong winter in Dubai until getting exposed in the Group 1 Dubai Turf, where he finished last. Study of Man, the 2018 French Derby winner, got back on track to some extent in his most recent start, a distant second-place finish behind Waldgeist on April 28 in the Group 1 Prix Ganay.