Green Spirit and Narissa Set to Collide in the Prix de la Grotte

The stage is set for an exciting day of racing at ParisLongchamp, accompanied by domestic action from Ffos Las. A thrilling encounter is expected in the Prix de la Grotte at ParisLongchamp, where the talented duo Green Spirit and Narissa are set to clash. Green Spirit, trained by Christopher Head, made significant strides last season with four consecutive wins, including victories at Group 3 and Group 2 levels. Although she was defeated by Diamond Necklace in the Prix Marcel Boussac on Arc Day, she sets the standard for her reappearance under Maxime Guyon. Narissa, who has chased Green Spirit home on three occasions, including a third-place finish in the Group 1, will need to have made progress over the winter to close the gap. Both horses are currently 8/1 for the French 1000 Guineas. Trainer Francis-Henri Graffard, who has won the last two renewals of this race, also fields Anashkaya, partnered with Christophe Soumillon. Evolutionist, who ran a superb race when third in the Group 1 Fillies' Mile, cannot be dismissed for trainer Karl Burke. All attention will be on Nighttime as he puts his Classic claims on the line in the Group 3 Prix de Fontainebleau. The Christopher Head-trained colt scored on three of his five starts as a two-year-old and finished the campaign with an excellent second behind Puerto Rico in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, making him the likely favorite. Regal Resolve poses the main threat for the dominant Francis-Henri Graffard yard. Supplemented for this race, he has won two of his three starts, including a pair of lesser races on the all-weather at Chantilly, and deserves a chance at this higher level. Elastic, who claimed a Listed contest at Saint-Cloud last month, has a fitness edge over his rivals, while Campacite is another with top-level placed form for Jean-Claude Rouget. A competitive Amroth Bay Static Caravan Sales Maiden Hurdle features Doujadou and Into The Blue among a field of 11. Rebecca Curtis, who won this prize with Newton Tornado last season, has Doujadou, who has shown promise and is expected to improve with racing. Into The Blue, an interesting newcomer for the Nicky Henderson and Nico de Boinville combination, boasts a notable pedigree and should be monitored in the market. The Sam Thomas-trained Knead A Win is top-rated on a mark of 122 and has solid claims if fit enough after an absence. The Group 3 Prix Noailles at ParisLongchamp has seen notable winners in the past, including Calandagan in 2024. This year, Spece Waltz is well-fancied for Andre Fabre, while Joseph O'Brien's Hardy Warrior is of interest from a home nations perspective. Map Of Stars and Marquisat are likely to be popular with bettors for the Listed Prix Lord Seymour, with James Doyle taking the ride on the former for Wathnan Racing. On the domestic front, the progressive Manigod could be the one to beat in an open-looking Tommy Williams Memorial Handicap Hurdle at Ffos Las.