French Classics

   As it was at Newmarket, ParisLongchamp's ground is going to take some getting through for the protagonists in Sunday's G1 Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains and G1 Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and it is safe to say that appreciation of give underfoot is essential. That applies to several of the star colts and fillies lining up for the first domestic Classics and it is certain to be no worse than the testing going that Isaac Shelby (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) had to deal with at Newbury last...

Given how powerful Ballydoyle has become since the late 1990s, it is perhaps surprising that Aidan O'Brien has pulled off the English-French-Irish 2000 Guineas treble only once with the duo Rock of Gibraltar (Ire) and Landseer (GB) sharing the spoils between them in 2002. No other stable has made inroads into this unique annexation of the three major colts' mile Classics, but 20 years later Charlie Appleby stands on the brink after Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) provided him with a breakthrough first Newmarket Classic at the end of last month....

Setting aside the disappointment that most of us won't actually be able to attend race meetings, June is promising to be a stellar month of action after a prolonged spell of inactivity. France has eased us back into the idea of being able to watch live European racing with a week of informative meetings, including a number of trials and juvenile contests, and Ireland was given a boost by government on Friday when it was confirmed that racing could begin again on June 8. In theory, British racing will start...