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

A thrilling day of racing is on the horizon at ParisLongchamp, accompanied by domestic action from Ffos Las. The highly anticipated Prix de la Grotte at ParisLongchamp features a showdown between the dynamic duo Green Spirit and Narissa. Trained by Christopher Head, Green Spirit made significant strides last season, winning her first four starts, 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 is expected to set the standard upon her return, ridden by Maxime Guyon. Narissa, who has trailed Green Spirit on three occasions, including a third-place finish in the aforementioned Group 1, will need to demonstrate significant improvement if she hopes to close the gap. Currently, both horses are 8/1 favorites for the French 1000 Guineas. Trainer Francis-Henri Graffard, who has claimed the last two renewals of this race, also fields Anashkaya, partnered with Christophe Soumillon. Evolutionist, trained by Karl Burke, cannot be overlooked after a superb performance in the Group 1 Fillies' Mile. All eyes will be on Nighttime as he puts his Classic claims to the test in the Group 3 Prix de Fontainebleau. The Christopher Head-trained colt had an impressive campaign as a two-year-old, scoring victories in three of his five starts and finishing with an excellent second place behind Puerto Rico in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. This form makes him a likely favorite, and the step up to a mile is expected to suit him. Regal Resolve poses the main threat, having been supplemented for this race after winning two lesser races on the all-weather at Chantilly. Elastic, who claimed a Listed contest at Saint-Cloud last month, has a fitness edge over his rivals, while Campacite boasts 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, fields Doujadou, who has shown promise and is expected to improve with racing. Into The Blue, an interesting newcomer trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Nico de Boinville, boasts a notable pedigree and warrants attention in the market. Knead A Win, trained by Sam Thomas, is top-rated and has solid claims if fit enough after an absence. The Group 3 Prix Noailles at ParisLongchamp has a history of stellar winners, 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 among bettors for the Listed Prix Lord Seymour, with James Doyle taking the ride on the former for Wathnan Racing. On home soil, the progressive Manigod could be the one to beat in an open-looking Tommy Williams Memorial Handicap Hurdle at Ffos Las.