Green Spirit and Narissa Set to Collide in 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 clash between the exciting Green Spirit and Narissa. Trained by Christopher Head, Green Spirit made significant strides last season with four consecutive wins, including victories at Group 3 and Group 2 levels. Although beaten by Diamond Necklace in the Prix Marcel Boussac on Arc Day, Green Spirit sets a high 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 have improved 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, cannot be dismissed after a superb 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. The Christopher Head-trained colt scored three wins from five starts as a two-year-old and finished the season with an impressive second place behind Puerto Rico in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. This form earns him favoritism, and the step up to a mile is likely to suit. Regal Resolve poses the main threat for the dominant Francis-Henri Graffard yard, having won two of his three starts. Elastic, winner of a Listed contest at Saint-Cloud last month, holds 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 its 11 entries. Rebecca Curtis, who won this prize last season with Newton Tornado, has Doujadou, a point winner who has shown promise in his hurdle starts. Into The Blue, a newcomer trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Nico de Boinville, has an intriguing pedigree and should be monitored in the market. The Sam Thomas-trained Knead A Win is top-rated but needs to prove fitness after an absence. The Group 3 Prix Noailles at ParisLongchamp has a rich history, with past winners including Calandagan in 2024. This year, Spece Waltz is highly fancied for Andre Fabre, while Joseph O'Brien's Hardy Warrior is of interest. Map Of Stars and Marquisat are likely to be popular in 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.