Wizz Kid, Approve meet in Prix Robert Papin

Wizz Kid and Approve, two of the leading juveniles in Europe at this early date, clash in the Group 2, $167,000 Prix Robert Papin at Maisons-Laffitte on Sunday. History favors the filly Wizz Kid as females have won two of the last three runnings of this 5 1/2-furlong dash – subsequent 1000 Guineas winners Special Duty and Natagora.

Wizz Kid was successful first time out for trainer Robert Collet, landing the five-furlong Prix Yacowlef at Deauville on July 10. The Yacowlef is a listed race restricted to first-time starters that was won by the subsequent Collet-trained Robert Papin winner New Girlfriend in 2005. A daughter of juvenile Group 1 Prix Morny winner Whipper, who was also trained by Collet, Wizz Kid will be ridden by Gregory Benoist.

Trained by William Haggas, Approve invades from England. A son of Oasis Dream, he looked sharp taking the five-furlong, Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 17, but disappointed when he ran fourth in the six-furlong, Group 2 July Stakes at Newmarket last time.

At $515,000, the 1 1/4-mile Prix Eugene Adam is the richest Group 2 race in France. The straight 1 1/4-mile contest has attracted the attention of Godolphin’s 1 1/8-mile, Group 3 Prix Daphnis winner Emerald Commander as well as Azmeel, the John Gosden-trained winner of the 1 1/4-mile, 75-yard, Group 3 Dee Stakes. Andre Fabre will send out Lumineux, the Wertheimer brothers’ winner of the listed, 1 1/4-mile Prix Ridgway. They must all beware the improving Shimraan, the Aga Khan-owned winner of a 1 1/2-mile Maisons-Laffitte allowance in his debut who was just nosed out of Longchamp’s listed, 1 1/2-mile Prix de l’Avre last time.