Prix de Guiche - Cualificar wins again

Almanzor, Vadeni, Big Rock....Cualificar? They have all won the Prix de Guiche at Chantilly in the last 10-years. Cualificar won todays renewal relatively comfortably and to be fair to him, this was a 3rd win in a row in 2025. As you will see from my notes below, he was well placed and there is certainly a case to be made that the horses who chased him home could possibly have gotten closer with more aggressive rides. However, he continues to "do enough" as they say and will probably head to the Prix du Jockey Club on the back of this. Is he likely to win the Prix du Jockey Club? Probably not. I have suspected for some time that the 3-year-old Colts in France are a below average crop this season and I didn't see anything today that would change that opinion. However, it's yet more success for the Godolphin team and I won't be rushing to take on Cualificar, who is a winning horse after all. Here are today's notes on the Prix de Guiche;

Prix de Guiche

3YO Group 3 - 1,800m

Bon Souple 3,3

1:53.57 - Finishing Speed 112.4%

Steadily run and as a result Caulificar was ideally placed by Pouchin. Has now won his last 3 and to be fair he does get the job done, which included a 10.76s penultimate furlong today. However, the strength of the form looks some way below the Colts in the UK and the fact that both the 2nd and 3rd were faster than him over the final 3-furlongs in a slowly run race is a concern. Hard to knock a horse who has now won 3 times this season, but not sure this was a 50-kilo + performance.

Al Aali (2nd) had been beaten on his first 2 starts on the PSF this season. He raced in rear, which clearly didn’t suit with a finishing speed of 112%, but he made good late ground and has done well to be beaten just over a length. Nice type and capable at this sort of level, but not looking like he will improve beyond that.

Curragh Camp (3rd). Awkward leaving the stalls and kept covered up for too long by Soumillon. Once brought out into the open, he found some speed but took time to get organised, as he had done the time before too and whilst he is a fast horse (10.85s today) he has a lot to learn, especially in the closing stages.

No obvious excuses for the rest. Madero and Bulnes  had the opportunity to lead but were no match for Cualificar when he quickened. Pure Legend had little chance having been caught behind horses around the turn. He is crying out for a step up in trip and looks too big to win a sprint finish.