Black-Type Analysis: Henri Matisse The Pick Of Moore In French 2000 Guineas

[Wandering Eyes]

Saturday, Lingfield, post time: 15:35, WILLIAM HILL CHARTWELL FILLIES' STAKES-G3, £90,000, 3yo/up, f/m, 7fT

Field: Great Generation (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), Fair Angellica (GB) (Harry Angel {Ire}), Jabaara (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), Spiritual (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Ziggy's Dream (Ire) (Inns Of Court {Ire}), Cathedral (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}).

TDN Verdict: Cathedral takes on her elders, getting a significant weight-for-age advantage which could give her the edge despite her inexperience. Second in the G3 Oh So Sharp Stakes at Newmarket in October, she had two of this season's movers and shakers Flight and First Instinct behind on that occasion. Jabaara is solid at this trip and her G1 Falmouth Stakes second sets the standard. [Tom Frary].

Saturday, Lingfield, post time: 15:00, WILLIAM HILL LINGFIELD DERBY TRIAL STAKES-Listed, £60,000, 3yo, c/g, 11f 133yT

Field: Nightime Dancer (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}), Our 'enery (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Prince of The Seas (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Puppet Master (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), Rahiebb (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Rogue Impact (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}), Stay True (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

TDN Verdict: Aidan O'Brien has won most of the recognised British and Irish Derby trials so far in 2025 and saddles a duo here including one of the last of the Galileo crew in Stay True. Professional on debut at Leopardstown, he may have more to offer than the G3 Ballsax Stakes fourth Puppet Master and on the face of it is the only one of these that could make an impact in the Derby market. All that said, Ryan Moore rarely gets these wrong as he proved again at Chester this week. [Tom Frary].

Saturday, Lingfield, post time: 13:15, WILLIAM HILL OAKS TRIAL FILLIES' STAKES-Listed, £60,000, 3yo, f, 11f 133yT

Field: Giselle (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Harpsichord (GB) (Ribchester {Ire}), Love Talk (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}).

TDN Verdict: If the Derby Trial looks substandard, this is something else with a disappointing three-runner turnout suggesting this should have been switched to the Polytrack. At least we get to see Giselle put through her paces as she starts a potentially big 3-year-old campaign following the sign-off fourth of the daughter of Newspaperofrecord in the G3 Staffordstown Stud Stakes at The Curragh in October. [Tom Frary].

Saturday, Naas, post time: 16:20 DARLEY IRISH EBF NAAS OAKS TRIAL STAKES-Listed, €33,000, 3yo, f, 10f 84yT

Field: Garden Of Eden (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), Gotomylovely (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), Hollys Graces (Ire) (Australia {GB}), Island Hopping (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Jaliyah (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), Kalixa (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), Medici Venus (Tiz The Law), Tamam Desert (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}).

TDN Verdict: Island Hopping may not need to improve on her return third in the G3 Salsabil Stakes at Navan last month to enter the Classic picture, while it is probably no coincidence that Dermot Weld chose a course-and-distance maiden to reintroduce The Aga Khan's Studs' Kalixa. [Tom Frary].

Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France, post time: 16:25, EMIRATES POULE D'ESSAI DES POULAINS-G1, €650,000, 3yo, c, 8fT

Field: Ridari (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}), Sahlan (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Selenien (Fr) (Mehmas {Ire}), Misunderstood (Fr) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}), Dos Mukasan (Fr) (Golden Horde {Ire}), Aomori City (Fr) (Oasis Dream {GB}), Reach The Sky (Fr) (Calyx {GB}), Detain (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Jonquil (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Heybetli (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}), Zarraf (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}), Henri Matisse (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Luther (GB) (Frankel {GB}), TIpinso (Fr) (Pinatubo {Ire}), Houquetot (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Hotazhell (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), Serengeti (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Camille Pissarro (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}).

TDN Verdict: Ballydoyle look to get off the mark in the 2025 Classics and will be buoyed by the news on Friday that Henri Matisse has received a highly favourable draw in six for this turning test. Kept back for this following his success in the G3 Ballylinch Stud Red Rocks Stakes in March, the experienced son of Immortal Verse has all boxes ticked with Ryan Moore on board despite the presence of last year's G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Camille Pissarro. Drawn in 15, that stablemate will have to navigate the crowd to overcome a terrible post position, but at least he is a hold-up merchant and Christophe Soumillon clicked on him here on Arc day. Another Irish challenger to do well in the draw is the G1 Futurity Trophy and G2 Beresford Stakes winner Hotazhell, but he has a length to find on Henri Matisse on their G2 Futurity Stakes meeting last summer and will need to be sharp to win this on his seasonal bow. First and second in the course-and-distance G3 Prix de Fontainebleau, Ridari and Sahlan have fared contrastingly with the draw and that has probably killed the chance of the latter, while Juddmonte's G3 Greenham Stakes winner Jonquil has a tricky stall in 12 so Oisin Murphy will be in full analysis mode in the lead-up. [Tom Frary].

 Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France, post time: 17:05, EMIRATES POULE D'ESSAI DES POULICHES-G1, €550,000, 3yo, f, 8fT

Field: Mandanaba (Fr) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}), Zarigana (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), Ghoufrann (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}), Shes Perfect (Ire) (Sioux Nation), Godspeed (Fr) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}), Bedtime Story (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Exactly (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Merrily (No Nay Never), Daylight (Fr) (Earthlight {Ire}), Mimos (Fr) (City Light {Fr}), Better Together (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), Heavens Gate (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), Celestial Orbit (GB) (No Nay Never).

TDN Verdict: Francis-Henri Graffard has the draw gods to thank for the mercy shown to his star duo Zarigana and Mandanaba and their showdown greatly enhances this renewal. Preference is for the former, who bids to erase the memory of her painful course-and-distance defeat in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac on Arc day with her stablemate perhaps more one for the Diane next month. Better Together represents the G3 Prix Imprudence form and she will love this mile, while the main Ballydoyle hopes Exactly and Bedtime Story are fascinating contenders. Exactly was bang there with Zarigana at the end of the Marcel Boussac and could just have improved more, while the latter was only fifth there as she staged a meek retreat into the shadows having looked champion material earlier in the season. Few will ever forget her sensational Royal Ascot display last June, when the thought of Ryan Moore not even choosing her for a Pouliches would have been unimaginable and from stall nine she will be hunted around by Colin Keane in what could be the start of a process of re-education. Outside Godspeed is not out of things, having impressed with her effort behind Zarigana in the G3 Prix de la Grotte, while Ollie Sangster looks to get heavily involved in a second fillies' Classic in the space of eight days with the classy Celestial Orbit. [Tom Frary].

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