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

A thrilling day of racing is ahead at ParisLongchamp, accompanied by domestic action from Ffos Las. The highly anticipated Prix de la Grotte at ParisLongchamp features a standout clash between the exciting pair 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 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 trailed Green Spirit on three occasions, including in the aforementioned Group 1, will need to have made progress 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 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 on the line in the Group 3 Prix de Fontainebleau at 2:50 pm. The Christopher Head-trained colt had a successful two-year-old campaign, scoring in 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 favorite, and the step up to a mile is likely to suit. Regal Resolve poses the main threat for Francis-Henri Graffard's yard, having won two of his three starts, including a pair of all-weather races at Chantilly. With his recent supplement for this race, he deserves a crack at this higher grade. Elastic, having claimed a Listed contest at Saint-Cloud last month, holds a fitness edge over his rivals, while Campacite is another with top-level placed form for Jean-Claude Rouget. The Amroth Bay Static Caravan Sales Maiden Hurdle is competitive, with Doujadou and Into The Blue standing out in a field of 11. Rebecca Curtis, who won this prize last season with Newton Tornado, has Doujadou, who has shown promise and is expected to improve with racing. Into The Blue, an interesting newcomer for Nicky Henderson and Nico de Boinville, boasts a notable pedigree, being related to Rajhani Express, 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 his absence. The Group 3 Prix Noailles at ParisLongchamp has seen illustrious 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 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 open-looking Tommy Williams Memorial Handicap Hurdle at Ffos Las.