Green Spirit and Narissa Set for Showdown in Prix de la Grotte

The stage is set for an exciting day of racing at ParisLongchamp, accompanied by domestic action from Ffos Las. The highly anticipated Prix de la Grotte at ParisLongchamp features a thrilling clash between the dynamic duo Green Spirit and Narissa. 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 beaten by Diamond Necklace in the Prix Marcel Boussac on Arc Day, she is expected to set the standard on her return, ridden by Maxime Guyon. Narissa, who finished behind Green Spirit on three occasions last year, 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, trained by Karl Burke, ran an impressive race when finishing third in the Group 1 Fillies' Mile and cannot be ruled out. All attention will be on Nighttime as he puts his Classic claims to the test in the Group 3 Prix de Fontainebleau at 2:50 pm. The Christopher Head-trained colt won three of his five starts as a two-year-old and finished the season with an excellent second place behind Puerto Rico in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. This form makes him the likely favorite, and the step up to a mile is expected to suit him. Regal Resolve poses the main threat to Nighttime, having won two of his three starts, including a pair of lesser races on the all-weather at Chantilly. He deserves a chance at this higher level. Elastic, who won a Listed contest at Saint-Cloud last month, has a fitness advantage over his rivals, while Campacite has top-level placed form for Jean-Claude Rouget. The Amroth Bay Static Caravan Sales Maiden Hurdle is a competitive event, 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 for the Nicky Henderson and Nico de Boinville combination, boasts an impressive pedigree and should be monitored in the market. Knead A Win, trained by Sam Thomas, is top-rated but needs to prove fitness after a break. The Group 3 Prix Noailles at ParisLongchamp has a history of producing stellar winners, 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 choices for the Listed Prix Lord Seymour, with James Doyle riding the former 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.