The Royal Ascot winner Prince of Lir will have his French debut in Sunday’s $142,500 Prix Robert Papin for 2-year-old colts and fillies at Maisons-Laffitte Racecourse.
The Group 2 Prix Robert Papin at 5 1/2 furlongs drew a field of six that includes several accomplished runners.
The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Saturday at Ascot was supposed to mark the next appearance by the mighty Postponed. But with Postponed laid low this week by an upper-respiratory infection, the 1 1/2-mile summer fixture could come down to Dartmouth and Highland Reel, a pair of 4-year-olds separated by a head last month when Dartmouth won the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Ultra, the undefeated winner of the Group 1 Prix Jean Luc-Lagardere for 2-year-olds last October, will have his 2016 debut in Sunday’s $143,780 Prix Eugene Adam for 3-year-olds at Maisons-Laffitte racecourse in Paris.
Owned by Godolphin Racing and trained by Andre Fabre, Ultra has won three races, including a maiden race last July and an allowance race last September. Mickael Barzalona has the mount on the colt, who is by Manduro.
Mont Ormel, a minor stakes winner in France last month, won his Group 1 debut in Thursday’s $665,400 Grand Prix de Paris at Saint-Cloud Racecourse in Paris.
A 17-1 shot, Mont Ormel won the race at 1 1/2 miles on turf for 3-year-old colts and fillies by 1 1/4 lengths over Red Verdon, a Kentucky-bred by Lemon Drop Kid.
The French colt Mekhtaal ran a clunker on the biggest day of his career last month, finishing eighth of 16 as the 9-2 second choice in the French Derby at Chantilly.
The Group 1 French Derby was the first time Mehktaal finished worse than second in four starts. There is a chance for redemption at the highest level in Thursday’s $665,400 Grand Prix de Paris at Saint-Cloud racecourse. The Group 1 race is run at 1 1/2 miles on turf for 3-year-old colts and fillies.
Limato won the first Group 1 race of his career in his fourth attempt, and beat the winners of three Group 1 sprints at Royal Ascot last month, in Saturday’s $645,450 July Cup at Newmarket Racecourse.
Limato was ridden by Harry Bentley and won the July Cup by two lengths despite veering to the right in the final strides of the six-furlong race. The July Cup was run on a straightaway course.
The English filly Nemoralia has a decent chance to beat males in France in the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat for 3-year-olds over one mile at Chantilly on Sunday.
Nemoralia, trained by Jeremy Noseda, is one of nine entrants in the race and is essentially co-favored in ante-post wagering along with Zelzal. But where Zelzal’s baseline class still remains in question, Nemoralia seems well established as a Group 1 performer, at least in the age-restricted ranks.
Alice Springs was winless in three Group 1 races for 3-year-old fillies in England and France during May and June. The streak ended with a successful debut against older fillies and mares in Friday’s Group 1 Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket, England.
Ridden by Ryan Moore, Alice Springs (5-2) won the $258,720 Falmouth Stakes at a mile on turf by 2 1/4 lengths over 16-1 Very Special. Always Smile, an 8-1 shot, finished third, a nose behind Very Special.
The three winners of Group 1 sprints at Royal Ascot last month – Profitable, Quiet Reflection, and Twilight Son – meet for the first time in Saturday’s $645,450 July Cup at Newmarket Racecourse, a race expected to clarify leadership among British sprinters.
Kieren Fallon, a six-time champion jockey in Britain who rode sporadically in the United States in recent years, announced his retirement earlier this week, citing severe depression.
Fallon, 51, made the surprise announcement on Monday through the Irish Turf Club’s chief medical officer, Dr. Adrian McGoldrick, who said the depression was only recently diganosed. Fallon is expected to begin an in-patient treatment program for depression soon, McGoldrick said.
