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

The stage is set for an exciting day of racing at ParisLongchamp, accompanied by domestic action from Ffos Las. The highly anticipated Prix de la Grotte at ParisLongchamp features a thrilling matchup between Green Spirit and Narissa. 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 defeated by Diamond Necklace in the Prix Marcel Boussac, Green Spirit is poised to set the standard on her return, ridden by Maxime Guyon. Narissa, who trailed Green Spirit on three occasions last year, including a third-place finish in the aforementioned Group 1, will need to demonstrate significant improvement to close the gap. Both horses are currently 8/1 favorites 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. Nighttime, trained by Christopher Head, will be under scrutiny as he puts his Classic claims on the line in the Group 3 Prix de Fontainebleau. The colt scored three wins in five starts as a two-year-old and finished the campaign with an excellent second-place finish behind Puerto Rico in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, making him the likely favorite. Regal Resolve poses the main threat, having won two of three starts, including a pair of all-weather races 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. The Amroth Bay Static Caravan Sales Maiden Hurdle features a competitive field, including Doujadou and Into The Blue. Rebecca Curtis, who won this prize last season with Newton Tornado, trains Doujadou, who has shown promise and is expected to improve with racing. Into The Blue, an interesting newcomer trained by Nicky Henderson, has a notable 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 well-fancied for Andre Fabre, while Joseph O'Brien's Hardy Warrior is of interest. Map Of Stars and Marquisat are likely to be popular among bettors 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.