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Another few days before the turf flat gets under way in the UK but we’ve been going here in France since 3 March. As usual the early meetings are dominated by heavy going although dry weather in the last week managed to see a spectacular improvement to Very Soft at St-Cloud yesterday.
An early Group 3 (the Exbury) produced a surprise winner in Kendor Dine, beating Special Kaldoun by 5 lengths. Tsar Xaar (half-brother to Sir Xaar – second in the Mill Reef last year) took a 3-y-o Listed at Maisons-Laffitte but the most interesting performance to date might turn out to be Gentlewave who won a 3-y-o Listed over 10.5f in a good time at St-Cloud yesterday. From the Andre Fabre stable, Gentlewave won on his debut in a conditions race at the same track earlier in March.
Fastest so far though was Krataios winning a 4-y-o+ Listed mile event at St-Cloud on 16 March.
Longchamp has its first meeting this coming Thursday with some interesting entries in the Lord Seymour, another Listed event.
Of course, by then France will either be on strike generally (an early season surprise strike is not unusual at Longchamp) or they’ll be rioting at Chantilly.
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Quelle Surprise ! Hope hibernation went sans probleme, LL. ;) The Arc seems a liftetime ago. What Longchamp meeting  do you recommend this Spring? When are the big trials and 1.000/2,000 guineas meeting on? Chantilly is great but it’s too damn hot over there in June!
Apologies if I got the terminology wrong – Sir Xaar and Tsar Xaar were both sired by Xaar but, of course, to different mares.
Thanks for the "rentree" welcome Zilzal. It’s been a long dark horseless winter in Paris where even the twighoppers of Auteuil shut down for 3 months. All that’s left is trotting at Vincennes (on the east side of town, near the riots). Never did see the point of trotting – a bit like making Grand Prix drivers race with the hand brake on.
The Longchamp Spring meetings really get under way on 23 April with the Guineas’ Trials. Then a week later on 30 April there’s the Group 1 Ganay meeting. The Guineas meeting itself is on 14 May. The good news is that France Galop are repeating the succesful  "Dimanches au Galop" which means free entry for all three of these meetings. Given that normal entry is only €4 this is no big deal but it’s a good gesture designed to attract families.
My choice would be the Guineas meeting. Whoever it was who wrote the song "April in Paris" had obviously never been to Paris in April. It can still be cold and wet but at least by 14 May it might just be wet. Additionally, it should guarantee some interesting visitors from the likes of O’Brien and Godolphin.
Au revoir for now<br>LL
at least by 14 May it might just be wet
Oh, you pessimist!
I was there for the guineas 2 years ago and it was very hot (as well as being free).
I should be back over in June (got a few days’ racing lined up inc the Jockey Club), it better be warm (and grève/teargas free) by then!
Steve
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