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

The stage is set for an exciting day of racing at ParisLongchamp, complemented by domestic action from Ffos Las. A thrilling encounter between the talented Green Spirit and Narissa is anticipated in the Prix de la Grotte at ParisLongchamp. Green Spirit, trained by Christopher Head, made significant progress last season with four consecutive wins, including victories at Group 3 and Group 2 levels. Although she was outperformed 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 consistently trailed Green Spirit in the past, including a third-place finish in the aforementioned Group 1, will need to demonstrate significant improvement if she hopes to bridge the gap. Both fillies are currently at 8/1 odds for the French 1000 Guineas. Trainer Francis-Henri Graffard, who has won the last two renewals of this race, also enters Anashkaya, partnered with Christophe Soumillon. Evolutionist, trained by Karl Burke, cannot be overlooked after a remarkable 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 at 2:50 pm. Trained by Christopher Head, Nighttime won three of his five starts as a two-year-old and concluded the season with a commendable second-place finish behind Puerto Rico in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, earning him favoritism in this event. The step up to a mile is expected to suit him well. The main threat to Nighttime is Regal Resolve from the Francis-Henri Graffard yard, who has been supplemented for this race after winning two lesser events on the all-weather at Chantilly. With a fitness advantage, Elastic, who claimed a Listed contest at Saint-Cloud last month, also poses a challenge, along with Campacite, who has 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 contenders. Doujadou, trained by Rebecca Curtis, who won this prize with Newton Tornado last season, has shown promise and is expected to improve with racing experience. Into The Blue, a newcomer trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Nico de Boinville, boasts an impressive pedigree and warrants attention in the market. Knead A Win, trained by Sam Thomas, tops the ratings on a mark of 122 and has strong claims if fit after a layoff. The Group 3 Prix Noailles at ParisLongchamp has a history of producing stellar 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 from a home nations perspective. Map Of Stars and Marquisat are likely to be popular among bettors for the Listed Prix Lord Seymour at 4 pm, 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 3:50 pm at Ffos Las.