Tricky Longchamp draw favours Hotazhell as Jessica Harrington tries to win first French classic

Aidan O’Brien and Jessica Harrington couldn’t prevent a rampant Godolphin home win in last weekend’s Guineas at Newmarket, but both try again for classic glory in Paris on Sunday.

Harrington has yet to win a French classic but the all-important draw around Longchamp has worked in favour of her big hope Hotazhell for the €650,000 Emirates Poule D’Eassai Des Poulains.

Last season’s Futurity winner has got a prime slot in box two of the massive 18-strong field for the €650,000 French version of the 2,000 Guineas, off at 3.25 Irish-time and live on Sky.

If John Gosden’s theory that anyone with a double-digit-draw around Longchamp’s tight mile circuit has little or no chance proves correct, half the field looks goosed.

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Whatever about the rights and wrongs of a major classic being decided on the luck of the draw, Gosden’s hope Detain has a stall nine position under his new rider, Irish champion jockey Colin Keane.

It’s been better for O’Brien’s top hope Henri Matisse who breaks from six under Ryan Moore, although Christophe Soumillon faces challenges on the Lagadere winner Camille Pissarro from 15. O’Brien’s third contender, Serengeti, is on the rail in one.

Colin Keane will ride the John Gosden-trained Detain at Longchamp on Sunday. Photograph: Alan Crowhurst/Getty

St Mark’s Basilica in 2021 was the last of O’Brien’s five “Poulains” winners but Rose Gypsy, all of 24 years ago, remains his sole winner of the fillies’ equivalent.

This time he has four of the 13 lining up for the “Pouliches”, off at 4.05, where Moore has opted to side with Exactly. She found Swelter too good on her seasonal debut at Leopardstown.

O’Brien has snapped up Keane for Bedtime Story while Godolphin’s number one rider William Buick – fresh from his Newmarket Guineas double on Ruling Desert and Desert Flower – changes superpower sides and rides Merrily, who also ran behind Swelter last time. Buick is on board Gdolphin’s Amori City in the 2,000.

Leading the home team in the 1,000 Guineas is Zarigana who proved too good for She’s Perfect in an impressive trial performance last month.

Crammed alongside “Guineas season” are the continuing Derby and Oaks trials where the Ballydoyle team in particular are trying to establish their pecking order for Epsom in four weeks’ time.

Anthony Van Dyck used Lingfield’s Derby Trial as a stepping stone to Epsom glory in 2019 and O’Brien is back with a pair of runners there on Saturday. Moore has opted to side with Puppet Master over Stay True.

The Englishman also rides the regally bred Giselle, as low as 14/1 in some lists for Epsom, in a three-runner Oaks Trial at Lingfield.

Wayne Lordan, who takes the reins on Island Hopping in Naas on Saturday. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho

A few hours after that, Naas hosts its own Oaks Trial where Wayne Lordan takes the reins on Island Hopping. She was third in the Salsbail at Naas last time and could prove too strong for the course winner Kalixa.

With Moore busy elsewhere, Lordan is in the Ballydoyle hot seat at home this weekend and there will be plenty of interest too around Albert Einstein’s debut at Naas. The colt has been flagged up as a bit different by his trainer.

All of it, though, leads up to Sunday’s Cashel Palace Derby Trial at Leopardstown where Delacroix is likely to be short odds to cement his status towards the top of the Epsom betting.

Narrowly beaten by Hotazhell in the Futurity last October, the imposing Dubawi colt impressed on his return to action in the Ballysax when beating this week’s Chester Vase winner Lambourn. Puppet Master, fourth in that contest, could give the form another significant boost at Lingfield.

Los Angeles won the Trial a year ago on the back of a Group One success at two in Saint Cloud. Tennessee Stud won the same French contest in 2024 and returns to action here.

Dermot Weld: Purview is an unknown quantity in Sunday’s Cashel Palace Derby Trial at Leopardstown. Photograph: Tom Maher/Inpho

The unknown quantity in Sunday’s race, though, is Dermot Weld’s Purview, an impressive winner of his only start to date at Dundalk in November, but there’s little doubt Delacroix will be the focus of attention.

Having looked somewhat wayward at times as a two-year-old, Delacroix reappeared as a much more polished performer in the Ballysax and is currently a general 7/1 shot for Epsom.

His stable companion, The Lion In Winter, tops the Derby betting and is one of 13 in contention to line up in next week’s Dante at York. Nevertheless, an impressive success for Delacroix should set him up for a tilt at “Blue Riband” glory.

Ger Lyons is wasting no time getting Chantez back into action following a disappointing effort in last Monday’s Athasi. That was her fourth career start, and a first outside of Leopardstown, only for her to get upset in the stalls. She sports a first-time hood now and back on familiar territory she could pick up Sunday’s Group Three prize.

The first of three days at Killarney kicks off on Sunday where Mozzies Sister may prove the one to beat in a Listed Mares Hurdle.