By Daithi Harvey
Last year's G1 Prix du Jockey Club winner Study Of Man (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) has failed to get his head in front in five starts since then but his connections have not lost faith in the 4-year-old. The Pascal Bary trained colt has posted two encouraging displays this season, finishing second to Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Prix Ganay before hitting the cross bar in the G1 Prix d'Ispahan when second to Zabeel Prince (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). That race was over nine furlongs and plans are afoot to try Study Of Man over a furlong shorter. “We've been very pleased with his runs so far this season, so if all goes well we are planning to drop him back to a mile,” Alan Cooper, racing manager to the Niarchos family said. “We're looking at the Prix Messidor at Maisons-Laffitte on July 21, and all being well he could be pointed to the Jacques le Marois after that. I think he could be coming back to his best – the feeling from Pascal [Bary] and Stephane Pasquier is that he's improving with age. It will be his first start over that distance since he was a 2-year-old and it opens up more options,” Cooper added.
Another French Classic winner with the Jacques le Marois on his radar is Persian King (Ire) (Kingman {GB}). Trainer Andre Fabre is not convinced the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner fully got the trip in the French Derby when overhauled by Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and is considering dropping him back to a mile on his next start. “He's got several options at Deauville. It could be the Marois or he could go over a mile and a quarter,” said Fabre. “I've changed my mind a bit about his staying possibilities. I think at Chantilly he probably got a bit tired, so we're looking at his options. It looked to be going to plan in the Jockey Club, the winner quickened well, but Persian King slowed down as well. In September his option is the Irish Champion Stakes, but nothing has been decided yet,” he added.
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