Eleven runners remain in the potential line-up for the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and 16 for the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, both of which are to be run on Monday at Deauville.
With French racing remaining restricted to domestic runners until mid-June, all foreign-trained horses have been removed from the initial list of entries. A notable domestic defector among the colts is the G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park S. winner Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal), who was scratched from his intended comeback run in the G3 Prix de Fontainebleau on May 11 with a sprained fetlock.
His trainer Andre Fabre, who notched his first victory in the race in 1984 with Siberian Express (Caro {Ire}) and struck for the seventh time last year with Persian King (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), has three remaining in the list, including the favourite, Godolphin's G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Victor Ludorum (GB) (Shamardal). The runner-up in that race, the Gestut Schlenderhan homebred Alson (Ger) (Areion {Ger}), is also still engaged at the latest forfeit stage along with the Coolmore-owned Arapaho (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), winner of the listed Prix du Pont Neuf on May 14.
Carlos Laffon-Parias could be double-handed in the colts' Classic with the Wertheimer-bred duo of Ecrivain (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and Twist (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}), while Henri-Alex Pantall, who won the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches last year with Castle Lady (Ire) (Shamardal), is represented by the impressive G3 Prix de Fontainebleau winner The Summit (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}). He is one of two potential runners for Wootton Bassett, who is also the sire of the Jean-Claude Rouget-trained Helter Skelter (Fr).
Fabrice Chappet has Celestin (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}) remaining in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains and he also trains four of the fillies remaining in contention for the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches. Chappet gained his first Classic victory in the latter in 2017 with Precieuse (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) in the second year the French Guineas were staged at Deauville while the ParisLongchamp renovation was being completed. While racing is suspended in France's coronavirus red zone in the north-east of the country, they will again be run in Normandy.
The Chappet-trained quartet is comprised of Precieuse's half-sister Porcelaine (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), owned and bred by Brendan and Anne-Marie Hayes of Knocktoran Stud, Secret Time (Ger) (Camacho {GB}), Mageva (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and Speak Of The Devil (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}).
The convincing G3 Prix de la Grotte winner Tropbeau (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) heads Andre Fabre's two entrants, while another impressive recent winner, the Aga Khan's Simeen (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), and Emoji (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) have also stood their ground for Jean-Claude Rouget and Francis Graffard respectively.
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