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

A thrilling day of racing is on the cards at ParisLongchamp, complemented by domestic action from Ffos Las. The highlight of the day is the highly anticipated clash between the exciting duo Green Spirit and Narissa in the prestigious Prix de la Grotte at ParisLongchamp. 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 sets a high standard on her return, ridden by Maxime Guyon. Narissa, who has chased home Green Spirit on three occasions, including a third-place finish in the aforementioned Group 1, will need to have made progress over the winter to bridge the gap. Both fillies 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 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 at 2:50 pm. The Christopher Head-trained colt had a successful two-year-old campaign, winning three of his five starts and finishing with an excellent second behind Puerto Rico in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. This form makes him the favourite, and the step up to a mile is expected to suit him. Regal Resolve poses the main threat for Francis-Henri Graffard's yard, having won two of his three starts, including a pair of lesser races on the all-weather at Chantilly, and now deserves a chance at this higher level. Elastic has a fitness advantage after claiming a Listed contest at Saint-Cloud last month, while Campacite has top-level placed form for Jean-Claude Rouget. A competitive field is assembled for the Amroth Bay Static Caravan Sales Maiden Hurdle, featuring Doujadou and Into The Blue among 11 runners. Rebecca Curtis, who won this prize with Newton Tornado last season, has Doujadou, who has shown promise and is expected to improve with racing experience. Into The Blue, an interesting newcomer trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Nico de Boinville, boasts an attractive pedigree, being related to Rajhani Express. The Sam Thomas-trained Knead A Win is top-rated but needs to be fit enough after a break. The Group 3 Prix Noailles at ParisLongchamp has a 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. Map Of Stars and Marquisat are expected to be popular choices 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 open-looking Tommy Williams Memorial Handicap Hurdle at 3:50 pm at Ffos Las.