Sundays Grade 1 action comes from Auteuil. This is a fantastic card, with a total 9 pattern races on the card. The Prix Maurice Gillois at 2:50 is the feature race on the card and leading the charge should be LE BERRY for David Cottin. He was an extremely impressive winner of the Grade 3 Prix Orcada over course and distance 3 weeks ago and it is very hard to make a case for that form being overturned here.
The 2nd Galleo Conti, 3rd General En Chef and 4th King Edward all reoppose here. Le Berry made the running 3 weeks ago, at a relentless gallop and even when the field closed approaching 2 out, he found more and went away on the run to the line. Le Berry is likely to be a very short priced favourite here and is not a betting proposition, but he is a horse to enjoy and he should win.
Perhaps the biggest danger could come from Magrudy. Francois Nicolle 4-year-old son of Doctor Dino was 2nd to Le Berry here in July, but he has since taken his form to a new level with an impressive win over hurdles at Compiegne in September. He returns to chasing here and may give the favourite something to think about at a price.
Elsewhere on the card we have some top quality action. The winner of last months French Champion Hurdle, Paul’s Saga returns in the Grade 3 Prix Carmarthen at 11:55. She was very impressive last month when she downed the colours of L’autonomie. She is likely to be a warm order here given her form, but this represents a significant drop in trip and she needed every yard last time to get home so there could be some value here in taking her on. BEAU GOSSE stands out for me, he was a very impressive winner of a Listed hurdle race over course and distance in October. The time that day was very impressive and given that he receives 7lbs from Paul’s Saga here, I think he is a big danger to chase an upset.
There is another Grade 1 on the card, with the 3 year old Prix Cambaceres Hurdle at 1:00. On paper, this looks to be a renewal of last months Prix Georges de Talhouet-Roy, with the first 4 home (Theleme, Raffles Face, Hermes Baie and Magneto) all lining up again. Theleme was a worthy winner and represents an extremely in form set of connections and having watched that race several times, it looked to be a very fair result and there isn’t an obvious case to make for one of the others reversing that form here. However, I’m always keen to find an angle in a race like this and LE LISTRAC could be hugely underestimated. Francois Nicolle horse was the winner of a hurdle race here in September, he pulled well clear with his stablemate I’m Walkin, who won a chase on his next start to frank the form, the time they produced in September would at least give Le Listrac an each way chance in this field.