Adam Mills
@geegeebanker
French Horse Racing Analyst and Blog Writer
A pair of €160k debutantes races in the Arqana series at Deauville tomorrow with British and Irish trained runners in both….what a treat for a Thursday 👏🇫🇷
The 4/1 available for Darius Cen to win the Listed Prix Jacques de Bremond at Vichy (3:03) looks very fair. 🇫🇷 His form with Seagulls Eleven is arguably stronger than either Clavus or Dino have achieved so far this year despite their better form figures 👍
Centauri was claimed for €22k by the very shrewd Delcher Sanchez team last time and he’s been found a great chance to win half of that price tag back at the first time of asking today 🇫🇷 Anything better than Evens in the 5:05 at Dax will be fair 🤞
Fanzi Chop was an impressive all the way winner at Clairefontaine in first time cheekpieces last time and with another good draw and Demuro booked, 9/2 seemed very fair for him to repeat it in the 6:33 at Compiegne today 🇫🇷
Very good Class 1 for the 3YOs at La Teste this afternoon (5:05) 🇫🇷 Couldn’t really work out why Saint Arnoult wasn’t close to odds on and if you can find the 7/4 that seems very fair given the way he won at Lyon and his trainers record at this track 👍
Both tickets do include the World Cup Semi-Finals on the big screen….but how can admission to a G1 card at Paris Longchamp be half the price of a run-of-the-mill card at Lingfield tomorrow night 🤷🏻♂️ #ComeRacing
Couldn’t find an angle at Longchamp today but this one at Killarney ticked a few boxes ⬇️
It’s been a good year already for Francis Henri Graffard but it could get even better 🇫🇷 Here are the unraced 2YOs that the Champion trainer has still to unleash for the Aga Khan Stud ⬇️
9/4 about Understudy to win on her debut for Francis-Henri Graffard was worth a play for me 🇫🇷 Finished 2nd in the Ribblesdale for the Gosden team and has been found a very winnable Class 2 for her return with Marie Velon taking off another 1.5 kg to help
The remaining unraced 2YOs that the Fabre training partnership have yet to unleash for Godolphin in France 🇫🇷 The aptly named Friar Tuck and Critical Thinker are the ones that I’m most looking forward to ⬇️
What a start to the season. Half-Time on the opening day and your teams xG is 0!
A brilliant race for a Monday afternoon 🇫🇷 The Arc runner-up Aventure is the headline act, but Grand Stars and Erle have the form to give her a race in the Prox Corrida at Saint-Cloud
The Jumps season at Pau has now finished for another year 🇫🇷 Time comparisons for all of the hurdle races run this season ⬇️
The short Jumps season at Cagnes-Sur-Mer has now come to an end. Here are the time comparisons for all the hurdle races over the last 5-weeks 🇫🇷 The 4YO form looks the strongest, Mimetique, Proud Lucy and Shalaa Dancer should be capable of confirming this form away from Cagnes in the Spring.
Brighterdaysahead, July Flower and Kala Conti at Leopardstown 🇮🇪 Connections pay the bills and get to decide which route they take, but if she doesn’t run in the Champion Hurdle there will always be a question of “What if”
The opening maiden hurdle at Leopardstown on Saturday had a very French feel with 4 AQPS horses leading them home. Very good effort on the clock from both Kaid D’Authie and Koktail Divin
Winning time is very good, but you’d have to be worried by the comparison times with the maiden/handicap races over the last 4f. Don’t think Lossiemouth had the speed for the gallop today and I’d be sending her down the Mares route even if this was a career best
Time comparisons for Energumene and Only by Night at Cork on Sunday 🇮🇪
First set of time comparisons for the winter meeting at Cagnes-Sur-Mer 🇫🇷
It’s been a long wait to see Kaid D’Authie but he has now been declared for his debut for Willie Mullins at Navan on Saturday 🇫🇷 He was 5th behind Majborough on his only start in France in the Prix Grandak of 2023
Full set of time comparisons for the Hurdle races at Fontainebleau this autumn 🇫🇷
Hurdle comparisons from Fairyhouse this weekend 🇮🇪 A pair of Champion hurdle contenders perhaps with both Lossiemouth and Anzadam exceptional in the closing stages
Final set of time comparisons from Auteuil in 2024 🇫🇷 Crown du Berlais steadily improving and a horse to note for 2025
Interesting Final Speed figure for Langer Dan in the Long Distance Hurdle on Friday. A speed of 29.06 mph, taken 2s after he crossed the line, would suggest he had quite a bit left in the tank 👀
Semper Fortis makes his debut for the Munir & Souede team at Compiegne later 🇫🇷 Trained by Marcel Rolland, this Nirvana du Berlais Colt is a half-brother to El Fabiolo. Bryony Frost rides
Zillow makes his debut for Willie Mullins at Punchestown tomorrow 🇫🇷 He’s landed in a very deep maiden for his hurdles debut. Here are my thoughts when we discussed him on @thejumpsshow.bsky.social back in October
Time Comparisons for the Hurdle races at Fontainebleau on Wednesday 🇫🇷 Nothing of particular note, but the win for Le Petit Cheval is another form boost for the Prix Pride of Kildare winner Live Conti, now with Dan Skelton
This is a pet hate of mine and the way the British system is so handicap reliant. Beeley ran a career best in the Listed River Eden Stakes at Lingfield last week when finishing 2nd. Her connections reward for pitching her into that company is a 12lb rise from the handicapper