15 races at Auteuil today, with racing getting underway at 11.15am and running through to 7.35pm!
Three Listed contests for juveniles get proceedings started and we have a bet in the second race (11.49am), with Carlton Du Berlais a shade of value at 10-1.
With Les Cerfs Volants now a non-runner, the market is headed by Losange Bleu, who looks a really bright prospect for Dominique Bressou. However, he was only 2.5L ahead of our selection (second favourite Whymper was a nose ahead) here last time, and I think the switch from heavy ground to drier conditions today could well suit Carlton Du Berlais better.
Though a son of Zarak, he is out of the classy, Listed-winning juvenile Carlita Du Berlais, and from an exceptional National Hunt family. Carlton Du Berlais doesn’t have much to find with the principals, so the 10-1 is worth taking.
11.49am Auteuil – 1pt win Carlton Du Berlais @ 10-1 (various, including Bet365, Ladbrokes, Coral)
In the fourth, I’ve had a small bet on Solness to return to winning ways.
He did too much in the early stages when a disappointing favourite at Compiegne three weeks ago, but I thought he had been a little unlucky not to beat today’s favourite Mister Vision at Angers on his previous outing in a race that has worked out well.
He has plenty of class, as shown when winning in style on debut in February, and this half-brother to the classy Solway is fairly treated in the weights if he can settle better. The hood goes on today (which Daniela Mele uses on plenty of her string) and it’s interesting connections have stumped up the €1,000 to supplement for this race.
12.58pm Auteuil – 1pt win Solness @ 8-1 (most firms)
