Laurent Barbarin

Published 17:47 - 18/09

Three Group 3 races feature on the card at Chantilly this Saturday, with significant British interest in each of them.

The Prix des Chênes (12.58) sees the return to France for the Karl Burke-trained Rosberg, who scored in a Listed race at Deauville on 22 August. He is expected to start favourite and continue on his upward trajectory.

With seven runners, the Prix Eclipse (1.33) looks an open affair. Having won the race with Samangan in 2025, who has since landed the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest, Francis-Henri Graffard has Australian-bred filly Primetime Emmy, who could be the pick of the home team. Spanish-trained Belisa Bay is also on a roll, having won her last four starts, including a Listed race at Mont-de-Marsan last time out.

But I’d rather side with the unexposed SCYTHE, who is trained by Brian Meehan. An impressive winner at Newbury on his only career start (26 August), the son of Victor Ludorum displayed plenty of strength, power and speed on that occasion. The six-furlong straight at Chantilly should suit him ideally, and his partner Christophe Soumillon will surely ensure the race is run at a searching pace, one way or another. 

Although the form of the Newbury race has yet to be franked and remains difficult to assess at this stage, it is easy to think that his trainer does not ship the horse to France for tourism purposes.

Out of a mare who was placed on her only career start, Scythe is her first foal and looks a nice, scopey individual who could develop into a useful horse. He is taking a big step up in grade this Saturday, but looks up to the task.

Open to fillies and mares aged three and upwards, the Group 3 Prix Bertrand de Tarragon (2.50) has attracted a field of eight runners.

A good case can be made for PIERCHIC, a Godolphin filly trained by Henri-Alex Pantall. A winner of one of her three starts in the UK last year when under the care of Charlie Appleby, the daughter of Palace Pier was sent over to France during the winter.

She has since been placed on several occasions at Group level without winning. After finishing a very close second in a Listed race on her comeback at Bordeaux last March, she finished third behind Evolutionist and Narissa in the Group 3 Prix de la Grotte in mid-April and just in front of Green Spirit, who went on to finish third in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches next time out.

The filly produced a career-best effort when finishing second in the Group 3 Prix Chloe at Chantilly on 18 July, a race run over today’s course and distance. She was notably three lengths ahead of Lethal Beauty that day, who went on to score easily in a Listed race and reopposes today.

Pierchic ran again with huge credit to finish fourth in the Group 1 Prix Jean et Louis Romanet at Deauville on 23 August, a race won by Aventure. She finished in front of Cankoura, Red Letter, Rebel Moon and Qilin Queen on this occasion, in what was a very solid race.

Pierchic holds an entry in the Prix de l’Opéra on Arc weekend but looks ideally suited to this Group 3, which appears to be an ideal target for her to resume winning ways, something she thoroughly deserves. Proven over the track and trip, she will surely take a power of beating if she can reproduce the form of her last two runs.

My next column will be on Sunday 20 September for action from Strasbourg and Fontainebleau, two meetings shown live on Sky Sports Racing.