- Updates from Longchamp of the 100th edition of the race
- Hurricane Lane can reap benefit of draw and ground in Arc
- Any thoughts? You can email Greg | tweet @Greg_Wood_
Ebro River gave Hugo Palmer his first Group One success since Galileo Gold, the colt’s sire, won the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2016 when he edged out Dr Zempf and Go Bears Go to win the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh in August. The form has not really stood the test of time, though, as Ebro River was dismissed fairly easily by the impressive Native Trail when stepping up to seven furlong in the National Stakes next time up, having travelled like a possible winner until the furlong pole. The Lagardere is also a seven-furlong contest and the recent rain will have done little for Ebro River’s chance of getting home, so the market move for Andre Fabre’s Ancient Rome may well prove significant. He has reeled off a hat-trick since going down narrowly on his racecourse debut in June and was a ready winner of a Group Three at Longchamp earlier this month. Group Two winner Accakaba is one of only two unbeaten runners in the field – ROCCHIGIANI is the other and an interesting each-way option, from Peter Schiergen’s stable in Germany is is the other – while Noble Truth and Angel Bleu add to a strong British challenge for Charlie Appleby and Ralph Beckett respectively.
As if you didn’t need reminding the leaders got very tired in the extremely testing conditions there and the time taken proves how gruelling the ground is.