British trainers target valuableListed prizes

Trainer Ralph Beckett

Ralph Beckett: runs Agony And Ecstasy with Richard Kingscote set to ride

  PICTURE: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos) 

Preview: France, Wednesday

Saint-Cloud:Prix Isonomy meeting (turf)

BRITISH-based trainers are chasing black type in all three Listed races at Saint-Cloud tomorrow which each carry a total prize money of €55,000.

Mick Channon will saddle Barista (Olivier Peslier) in the 1m Prix Isonomy. The colt has secured two wins in handicaps since the end of October but will need to bridge the step up in class if he is to maintain his winning streak on this occasion.

Robert Collet won this race in 2008 with Entre Deux Eaux and the trainer has another strong  chance with Whip And Win (Gregory Benoist). 

The daughter of Whipper was fourth in the Group 3 Prix Miesque at the beginning of the month and the filly hit traffic problems two furlongs out when making her challenge but ran on well towards the end.

The German trained Stark Danon (Waldemar Hickst/Dominique Boeuf) looks likely to be a progressive sort and the colt is no stranger to Listed events after being beaten a short neck in the ListedPrix Herod at Longchamp last month.

Robert Cowell has booked Ioritz Mendizabal to ride Absolute Music in the 7f Prix Ceres and Richard Kingscote will be onboard Agony and Ecstasy for Ralph Beckett.

Courchevel (Robert Collet /Thomas Huet) looks the pick of the French on form and the filly made her other rivals look rather ordinary when winning a conditions race at Saint-Cloud by six lengths earlier this month.

Absolute Music has a strong track record in France where she was placed twice in Group 3 company last year. The daughter of Consolidator raced two times on the all weather at Meydan at the start of this year but failed to show her best form.

The heavy ground should not cause too much of a problem for Agony and Ecstasy, as the filly was runner up in a handicap at Leicester on similar conditions last month. However the opposition will be tougher on this occasion.

Dominique Bouef will be onboard Titivation for Michael Bell in the 1m2f Prix Solitude. The daughter of Montjeu was unraced as a two year old and made a winning debut in September in a maiden at Nottingham.

The pick of the French looks to be Sarah Lynx (John Hammond/Olivier Peslier). The filly finished one and a half lengths behind Midday when fifth in the Group 1 Qatar Prix Vermeille at Longchamp. She went on take third place in the Group 2 NYSE Euronext Prix de Royalieu at the same track at the start of last month.

The Aga Khan’s Diyaraka (Mikel Delzangles/Gregory Benoist) has plenty to recommend her as she has visited the winner’s enclosure on her previous two outings.

 

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