Prix de la Nonette and Prix du Calvados Preview
2.50 Deauville, Prix de la Nonette
Senga will be popular after her impressive win in the Prix de Diane, but looks worth taking on in the forecast good to soft ground. She has run well below form on her 2 starts this year with give in the ground and comes in to this race after a 62 day break.
If you take out Senga then Godolphin’s Sobetsu is clearly the best in this field, but she is quite short at 2/1. She won the group one Prix Saint Alary here, beating Vue Fantastique fairly easily and both get their ground again today. Both those two afore mentioned runners are coupled with stable mates on the PMU so it’s worth taking the UK bookie prices if you fancy them.
Two runners that come in to this race without a high profile but on the back of wins and improving are Araaja and Ibiza and it’s the latter that appeals the most. Araaja has won 4 of her 7 races, with her final race at listed level. This is a big step up in class but she is a strong travelling horse that has been finding just enough to win her races. She is 33/1 in this 10 runner race and rates a fair each-way bet. I’m also tempted by Vue Fantastique at 12/1, having finally got her head in front last time out, but I can’t see how she can turn the tables on Sobetsu.
Recommended Bets
Araaja, 33/1 each-way, Paddy Power and Betfair.
3.25 Deauville, Prix du Calvados
British runners make up 7 of the 11 runners in this group 3 contest, but it’s the once raced Polydream, trained by Freddie Head that stands at the head of the market.
Polydream looked a straight-forward winner of an unraced maiden, with Fou Rire, who opposes again today in second. Both horses were given an easy time and it’s interesting the Fou Rire is put in again against Polydream. It’s possible that the Fou Rire could reverse the placings, especially considering how tenderly these horses are treated in newcomer races. Fou Rire is a best priced 14/1 with the UK bookies, while Polydream is available at 3/1, and only 2.5 (6/4) on the PMU.
The Yohann Gourraud trained Lili Du Sud comes in to this race on the back of 2 wins in claimers after struggling in her first 2 races. She was slowly away in her first 2 outings and struggled to get involved over 5.5 and 6 furlongs, but a step up 7 furlongs with some give in the ground saw her win a claimer by 5 lengths after leading from the start. She also won her next race, another claimer over 6 furlongs, though the drop back in distance probably wasn’t ideal as she just got home by a head.
She is one of the most experienced in the field and could be vulnerable to an unexposed type, but is worth chancing at 50/1 each way with the UK bookies to get a piece of the action. The ground is in her favour and the step back up in distance to 7 furlongs really suits.
Capomento and Musical Dream bring in some great form from the UK, with Model is also of interest having gone so close last time at Deauville; keep an eye on the PMU near race time for any stand-out prices.
Recommended Bets
Lili Du Sud, 50/1 each-way, Ladbrokes
