Prix de la Grotte Sees Green Spirit and Narissa Face Off

Racing enthusiasts are in for a treat with a day of thrilling action at ParisLongchamp, complemented by domestic racing at Ffos Las. The highlight of the day is the highly anticipated clash between Green Spirit and Narissa in the prestigious Prix de la Grotte. Green Spirit, trained by Christopher Head, made a remarkable start to her career 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, she is expected to set the standard on her return, ridden by Maxime Guyon. Narissa, who has consistently finished behind Green Spirit, including a third-place finish in the Group 1, will need to demonstrate significant improvement to bridge the gap. Both fillies are currently priced at 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, cannot be overlooked after a superb performance in the Group 1 Fillies' Mile. All eyes will be on Nighttime as he puts his Classic credentials to the test in the Group 3 Prix de Fontainebleau. The Christopher Head-trained colt had an impressive two-year-old campaign, scoring three wins from five starts, including an excellent second-place finish 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 victories on the all-weather at Chantilly. Elastic, who claimed 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 features a competitive field of 11, with Doujadou and Into The Blue standing out. Rebecca Curtis, who won this prize last season with Newton Tornado, trains Doujadou, who has shown promise in his point-to-point win and hurdle starts. Into The Blue, a newcomer trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Nico de Boinville, boasts an impressive pedigree and is worth monitoring 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 a rich history of producing exceptional 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 expected to be popular among bettors 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 Tommy Williams Memorial Handicap Hurdle at Ffos Las.