Green Spirit and Narissa Set for Thrilling 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. A standout clash is brewing in the Prix de la Grotte, where the talented duo Green Spirit and Narissa are poised to face off. 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 has consistently finished behind Green Spirit, including a third-place finish in the aforementioned Group 1, will need to demonstrate significant improvement 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 overlooked after a superb performance in the Group 1 Fillies' Mile. All attention will be focused on Nighttime as he puts his Classic claims 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 and finishing with an excellent 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. The main threat to Nighttime comes from Regal Resolve, trained by the all-conquering Francis-Henri Graffard yard, who has been supplemented for this race after winning two lesser races on the all-weather at Chantilly. Elastic, who claimed a Listed contest at Saint-Cloud last month, has 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 a field of 11. Rebecca Curtis, who won this prize with Newton Tornado last season, saddles Doujadou, who 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 a notable pedigree and should be monitored in the market. Knead A Win, trained by Sam Thomas, 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 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 from a home nations perspective. Map Of Stars and Marquisat are likely to be popular with bettors for the Listed Prix Lord Seymour, with James Doyle taking the ride on the former for Wathnan Racing. On home soil, the progressive Manigod could be the one to beat in an open-looking Tommy Williams Memorial Handicap Hurdle at Ffos Las.