Laurent Barbarin

Published 17.30 - 14/03

Saint-Cloud hosts a strong card of action this Sunday with eight races, including the Group 3 Prix Exbury, traditionally the first Group race on the European flat calendar.

The feature handicap of the day at 14.15 has, as usual, attracted a full field of 16 runners, with the market expected to be dominated by Zelzari, who was an unlucky fourth in a similar contest on the fibresand at Chantilly last time out. However, the value horse in this line-up could be KALAHANI, who was already advised in this column on his comeback run, when he unfortunately raced far too freely and could only manage a third place in a conditions race.

This exuberant horse should have improved significantly for that comeback outing on 31 January and he looks fairly treated on his handicap debut. Usually ridden prominently – and sometimes doing a little too much early on – he really caught the eye when breaking his maiden impressively at Lyon-Parilly last autumn, winning by 10 lengths over a mile and a half.

He has yet to finish outside the frame in six career starts and it is encouraging to see Maxime Guyon back in the saddle aboard the son of Sea The Moon. Drawn in stall 11, he should have plenty of time to secure a good early position before the first bend and, if he manages to settle better in the early stages, he could then show his turn of foot to good effect.

Won last year by Cualificar, who subsequently finished second in the Prix du Jockey-Club, the 10f maiden Prix Tertullien at 14.50 has attracted a field of eight runners. Alongside the regally bred Sacrifice (a full-brother to First Look), Libeccio Wind (a half-brother to Wuheida) and Mutant King (the first foal out of Sister Nat), it could be worth taking a chance on ZARAMIX, a son of Zarak who was a real eye-catcher on his debut at Deauville.

Greenness could hardly have been better illustrated than in that contest, where he spent the first half of the race looking at his rivals and was then last to turn into the straight, and only understood late what racing was all about.

Cristian Demuro, who reunites with him tomorrow, was not hard on him at all, but the colt produced a solid effort in the final 200 metres. Not only did he record the fastest closing furlong by a clear margin, he also posted the best time over the final three furlongs.

With entries in both the Prix du Jockey-Club and the Grand Prix de Paris, this son of Zarak should have no problem coping with soft ground. Drawn in stall four, he is likely to show a very different side of himself this Sunday — and we will then find out just how good he might be.

The Prix La Camargo at 15.25 has not produced a Classic winner since 2016, when La Cressonnière won the race for Jean-Claude Rouget before going on to land both the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches and the Prix de Diane. ZALINA did not win three races at two like La Cressonnière, but she was impressive enough in her sole victory last year to suggest she could develop into a real class act.

Bought for €160,000 at the Arqana Yearling Sales by Nurlan Bizakov, the daughter of Pinatubo made her debut on 19 August over a mile at Deauville in a newcomer’s race. She made all the running and simply outclassed her rivals in the home straight, drawing clear to win comfortably by three lengths.

She beat 15 rivals on that occasion and four of them have since come out and won, providing a fair boost to the form. Like several others in the line-up today, the filly also holds an entry in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches.

Trainer Mario Baratti has enjoyed a good start to the season with eight winners so far, three of them coming from his last seven runners.

Drawn in stall 10, it remains to be seen whether Cristian Demuro will push for the lead again, and the filly could be ridden with a little more patience as she learns a different way of racing, with bigger targets likely in mind later in the season.

My next column will on Tuesday 17th March for flat action from Fontainebleau, a meeting shown live on Sky Sports racing.