Alba Power Looks Good in the Prix Sigy
  Above: Pierre Charles Boudot is back on board ALba Power
International Race Fan

Alba Power Looks Good in the Prix Sigy

1.20 Chantilly, Prix Sigy

Sands Of Mali comes over from Britain to take on several French sprinters in this 3-year-old’s only race, but it could be the ex-British trained Alba Power that could be the one to keep the prize in France for trainer Fabrice Chappet.

The Richard Fahey trained Sands Of Mali does bring in the best form with his win in the group 2 Gimcrack Stakes at York. He is also a winner on soft ground, so today’s holding ground (4.4 on the petrometer) may not be such a problem for him, but with it being his first run of the season and with a 6lb penalty he has a tough task here.

Alba Power’s form in Britain is quite a bit behind that of Sands Of Mali, a minor stakes winner at Yarmouth and a fifth place finish in the group 2 Arqana July Stakes his best performance. He first ventured over to France as a 2-year-old where he faced Sacred Life over 7 furlongs where he finished second, albeit 6 lengths behind. He followed that up with a fourth place in the listed Prix Isonmy over a mile. He was moved from Hugo Palmer’s yard to the French trainer Fabrice Chappet who dropped him back to 6 furlongs, which saw him record an impressive 6 length win over Arecibo. While Arecibo may not be the very best of French sprinters, he was already a winner first time up and his form ties in with many of the runners opposing today which gives him 2-3 lengths advantage over the likes of Absolute City and Rimini, the best of the French sprinters in here.

Absolute City was well beaten in to second by Forza Capitano in the Prix Ronde de Nuit, who re-opposes today. Absolute City has 4 lengths to make up on the winner but she could well reverse placings considering how unsettled she was early in the race and she was given an easy time by her jockey, coerced in to second under gentle urgings when the winner had already flown.

British raiders have been dominant in recent races and they traditionally hold the upper hand in sprints against the French, so the winner looks most likely to come from either Sands Of Mali or Alba Power. Though Alba Power is now technically French, he’s just an ex-pat and he now has home-field advantage just based outside Chantilly at Lamorlaye.

Recommended bet
Alba Power, 9/2 Racebets