Prix de la Grotte Sees Green Spirit and Narissa Face Off

A thrilling day of racing is ahead at ParisLongchamp, complemented by domestic action from Ffos Las. The highlight is the clash between the exciting Green Spirit and Narissa in the Prix de la Grotte. Green Spirit, trained by Christopher Head, made significant strides last season with four consecutive wins, including at Group 3 and Group 2 levels. Although she was beaten by Diamond Necklace in the Prix Marcel Boussac, she sets a high standard on her return, ridden by Maxime Guyon. Narissa, who has consistently chased Green Spirit, including in the Group 1, needs to have improved over the winter to close the gap. Both are currently 8/1 for the French 1000 Guineas. Trainer Francis-Henri Graffard, who has won the last two renewals, also fields Anashkaya, partnered with Christophe Soumillon. Evolutionist, who ran a superb race in the Group 1 Fillies' Mile, cannot be overlooked for trainer Karl Burke. All attention will be on Nighttime as he tests his Classic claims in the Group 3 Prix de Fontainebleau. Trained by Christopher Head, Nighttime scored in three of his five starts as a two-year-old and finished his campaign with an excellent second behind Puerto Rico in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, making him the likely favorite. This step up to a mile is expected to suit him. Regal Resolve poses the main threat from the dominant Francis-Henri Graffard yard, having been supplemented for this race after winning two lesser races on the all-weather at Chantilly. Elastic, with a recent Listed win at Saint-Cloud, has a fitness edge, while Campacite has top-level placed form for Jean-Claude Rouget. The Amroth Bay Static Caravan Sales Maiden Hurdle is competitive, featuring Doujadou and Into The Blue among 11 contestants. Rebecca Curtis, who won this prize last season with Newton Tornado, presents Doujadou, who has shown promise and is expected to improve with racing. Into The Blue, a newcomer from Nicky Henderson and Nico de Boinville, has an interesting pedigree and warrants market attention. Knead A Win, trained by Sam Thomas, is top-rated but needs to prove fitness after an absence. The Group 3 Prix Noailles at ParisLongchamp has a history of stellar winners, including Calandagan in 2024. This year, Spece Waltz is well-fancied for Andre Fabre, while Joseph O'Brien's Hardy Warrior is of note from a home nations perspective. 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.