Prix de la Grotte Sees Green Spirit and Narissa Face Off

A thrilling day of racing is on the horizon at ParisLongchamp, complemented by domestic action at Ffos Las. The highly anticipated Prix de la Grotte is set to take center stage, featuring a captivating clash between the talented Green Spirit and Narissa. Green Spirit, trained by Christopher Head, made significant strides last season with an impressive four-win streak, including victories at Group 3 and Group 2 levels. Although she was outperformed by Diamond Necklace in the Prix Marcel Boussac, she is poised to set the standard in her reappearance, 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 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 underestimated after a remarkable third-place finish in the Group 1 Fillies' Mile. All attention will be on Nighttime as he puts his Classic claims to the test in the Group 3 Prix de Fontainebleau. Trained by Christopher Head, Nighttime scored three wins out of five starts as a two-year-old and finished his campaign with an excellent second-place finish behind Puerto Rico in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. This performance justifies his position as the favorite, and the step up to a mile is likely to suit him. Regal Resolve poses the main threat, having won two out of three starts, including a pair of all-weather races at Chantilly, and deserves a chance at this higher level. Elastic has a fitness advantage over his rivals after claiming a Listed contest at Saint-Cloud last month, while Campacite boasts top-level placed form for Jean-Claude Rouget. The Amroth Bay Static Caravan Sales Maiden Hurdle is set to be competitive, featuring Doujadou and Into The Blue among a field of 11. Doujadou, trained by Rebecca Curtis, has shown promise and is expected to improve with racing. Into The Blue, an interesting newcomer trained by Nicky Henderson, boasts an impressive pedigree and should be closely monitored 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 has a history of stellar winners, including Calandagan in 2024, and this year, Spece Waltz is well-fancied for Andre Fabre, while Joseph O'Brien's Hardy Warrior is of interest. Map Of Stars and Marquisat are likely to be popular among bettors for the Listed Prix Lord Seymour, with James Doyle partnering Map Of Stars for Wathnan Racing. On the domestic front, the progressive Manigod could be the one to beat in the open-looking Tommy Williams Memorial Handicap Hurdle at Ffos Las.